3 Valleys Snow Report – 30/1/15

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Jim Duncombe

3 Valleys Snow Report – 30/2/15

By Pete & Karolina

It has been a snowing all week here in the 3 Valleys, we started off with a couple of centimetres of snow on Saturday night and then about 10 centimetres on Monday night and into Tuesday. We woke up on Thursday morning to a similar amount of snow and it is still snowing now as I pen this. It is set to continue snowing on Sunday with the heaviest snow falling on Thursday night.

It has been cold this week and with the fresh snow the slopes have remained in good condition and are improving as the grooming team work their magic. The forecasters are saying that next week the snow is due to return on Tuesday and the temperatures are set to stay low.

I think we will have to get a prediction from the guys at cab9 snowboarding more often as they said it would snow most of this week and it has! The skiing and snowboarding conditions are improving everyday and with the amount falling at the moment it’s looking good for skiing this half term week!

We are heading out nearly everyday to the slopes to get some footage of what the snow is like for you (I know, it’s a hard job! ;)) So check us out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, get that tingly feeling in your feet and then come out and stay with us here inMeribel!

Posted in Alpine Action, La Tania, Meribel, Snow Report | Tagged Apres Ski, food, holiday, La Tania, Meribel, Ski, ski jobs, Ski Sunday, skiing, three valleys

How to watch The Jump and Ski Sunday

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Jim Duncombe

How to watch The Jump and Ski Sunday

For many of us Ski Sunday and The Jump will be our window to the Alps, when we are not on our annual ski holiday. So lets make the most of them and watch like we really can’t wait for our next fix of snow.

Turn the Volume up!
The theme tune to Ski Sunday is arguably the best bit so turn the start of it up and imagine your racing through a tree run that is knee deep with fresh powder.

Get Dresses Up
Your ski outfit is like a wedding dress and only gets worn once a year (or is that just my wife?). Get the most out of your salopettes, goggles, etc and put them on when watching Ski Sunday or The Jump.

Make Your Sofa Into a Chairlift
Find a scaffolding pole and rest it across the arms of your settee and lock the whole family in for the show. Make sure the bar isn’t lifted until the end credits. For added realism watch the program on iPlayer and when it buffers pretend the lift has stopped.

Invite a foreign national of your choice.
Preferably invite an Austrian or French person and ask them to adhere to out of date cultural stereotypes and make small talk in your appalling accent and pigeon secondary school foreign language.

Get Drunk
Stock your fridge with Jagermeister, Red Bull, Toffee vodka and Larger and get drunk like you’re at an apres ski bar. This means drinking your normal Friday night out in two hours, for added realism be late for dinner.

Big Yourself Up
Both these programs provide you with the perfect opportunity to criticise other people’s technique while bigging up you own prouesse on skis or a snowboard. Why not go the whole hog and strap in at the top of your stairs then sideslip the whole case.

Post it on Facebook.
Make sure you take lots of photos and post them to your social media accounts to make your friends jealous of the excellent time you are having. Then make sure you pay your mobile phone provide double the amount next month to simulate data roaming charges.

If this too much for you then why not book an actual ski holiday.

Posted in Alpine Action, Tips | Tagged Apres Ski, La Tania, Meribel, Ski, Ski Sunday, skiing, snowboarding, the jump

Alpine Action Snow report for the week ending 23rd of January

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Jim Duncombe

Alpine Action Snow report for the week ending 23rd of January

by Karolina Pozauc

It’s been like winter this week in the 3 valleys! It started off with about 25cm of snow down in Meribel on Saturday and it has been cold ever since. It has been mostly a mixture of sunshine and cloud the rest of the week with snow flurries here and there but no more than a few centre meters. But still enough to keep the slopes freshened up

As it has been cold the slopes have stayed in pretty good condition with the snow cannons being able to do their job as well. The runs that are in the shade have been getting a bit icy later on in the afternoons. All the inter resorts links are open also runs back into the resorts are open.

The forecast into next week is for the temperatures to stay cold and get even colder as the week goes on. Snow-wise, there is some forecasted for Saturday and then again on Tuesday but again, only a couple of . In the longer term it looks like there will be a big storm arriving towards the end of next week 29th January. There is still a whole week ahead of us so it might change, but lets stay hopeful! 🙂

It’s been some of the best ski conditions of the season so far with some fresh powder and cold temperatures. Hopefully there will be more snow to come this week! I had some freestyle lessons with Johno from Cab9 Snowboard School in Meribel and he said it’s going to snow all week! I’m not sure how factual that is or if it’s just his is optimistic view but I hope he is right!

Hope to see some of you out here soon enjoying the fantastic skiing the 3 valleys have to offer!!

Posted in Alpine Action, Snow Report | Tagged Apres Ski, La Tania, Meribel

3 Valleys snow report 9th January 2015

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Jim Duncombe

3 Valleys snow report 9th January 2015

This is Pete’s snow report for the week. If you want to find out more about Pete take a look at his profile page.

There has been lots of beautiful sunshine and cold temperatures 🙂

After the snow fall just before the New Year it’s been another beautiful week here in the 3 Valleys!! We have had pretty much wall to wall sunshine with cold temperatures since then with a few more centimetres of snow higher up the mountain early in the week.

VIDEO SNOW REPORT

The snow conditions are good from about 1800 meters and above, the temperatures have been sub zero and the snow cannons have been working well to keep the pistes in good order. It’s true, below 1800 meters the slopes are not in such good condition however the Folyères run to La Tania has been kept well thanks to the snow cannons being on and also the shade from the trees help keep the piste in good condition. The runs back into Meribel and Meribel Village are also open so skiing back to resort is not a problem.

The weather forecast for the next week looks much the same, with cold temperatures and sunshine. Apart from Sunday when we are expecting snow!!! There is also a possibility of more snow later on in the week for which we are keeping our fingers crossed!

Overall, there is some good skiing to be had higher up the mountain and with snow forecast for Sunday next week looks like it will be a good one here in the 3 Valleys.

If you want to book a holiday to Meribel or La Tania take a look at our website or call us on 01237 466 535.

Posted in Alpine Action, La Tania, Meribel, Ski, Snow Report | Tagged Apres Ski, Courchevel, holiday, La Tania, Meribel, mountain restaurants, Ski, skiing, snowboarding, three valleys

What’s on in Meribel and La Tania – January 2015

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Jim Duncombe

What’s on in Meribel and La Tania – January 2015

There are always great things going on in the resorts of La Tania and Meribel. You will find that there are great bands and promo nights on all the time. Your chalet host and our resort reps will be able to tell you what is going on every day. However, there are some great events on in January you may not want to miss. Here is a list of events in January that are worth looking at.

5th to 8th January – Inuit Adventures

The Meribel Altiport area has gone all Arctic this season! It is holding a variety of free events that will make you feel as if you are a real Inuit. The main attraction is ice fishing.

6th January – Russian Christmas

A large number of Russians are now holiday in the Three Valleys, we even have quite a few come and stay in our Alpine Action Chalets. This is great news for Christmas lovers as the Russians don’t get around to celebrating it until the 6th of January and it is well and truly embraced in Meribel!

17th January – Moguls Competition

Want to feel inferior about your technique and ability to tackle small bumps on the piste? Then head up to Motteret and watch the French Freestyle Mogul Cup. It is even more impressive than watching it on the telly. Find out more.

18th January – Colour me Rad

We spotted this event thanks to Merinet. It is a charity fun run where you get a variety of colours thrown at you as you run. Start out in a white running kit and finish in either a vibrant rainbow of color or a sort of brown purple. It is only 5km up the mountain and there is a party at the end! Go on have a go!

20th Jan Meribel v’s Courchevel Hockey

During the season there are quite a few Hockey matches but this is a big one, Courchevel against Meribel. This is quite a grudge match, I remember watching these two battle it out at the Courchevel rink a few years back and it was brutally exciting. I didn’t really understand what was going on but it was exciting nonetheless. This event is held at the Meribel Olympic Ice Rink and is only €5 per adult.

Jan 26th – Australia Day

It seems that it isn’t only the Russians that have brought their traditions to the Alps, the Australians have too. Expect drunken people called Tad and Jason to run around bars drinking Fosters dancing to Men At Work covers and wearing beanie hats with chalet wine corks hanging from them.

Posted in Alpine Action, La Tania, Meribel, Whats On | Tagged Apres Ski, Courchevel, holiday, La Tania, Meribel, Ski, Ski Sunday, skiing, snowboarding, spring skiing, three valleys

3 Valleys snow report 19th December 2014

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Jim Duncombe

3 Valleys snow report – 19th December 2014

The winter is here!!

The first week of the ski season 2014/2015 is almost behind us and I am happy to announce that yesterday on Wednesday, the 17th of December no less than 15cm of fresh snow has finally appeared in Meribel and La Tania!!

As you might well know there has not been a lot of snow fall so far this winter and not all the lifts and runs have been opened. But every day we watch the pisteurs and the snow cannons in the Three Valleys working real hard to open up most of the area. Although the snow is definitely coming it is reassuring to know that the 2000 snow cannons alone can produce enough snow to cover 1/3 of the pistes . At the moment there are 69 lifts and 111 pistes open and with more likely to open for next week there is plenty of great skiing to enjoy here. It’s looking good for those of you coming for Christmas week – it seems that they have been keeping few runs closed to save them up for upcoming festive weeks.

The first week’s guests have been out each morning catching the first lifts. Undoubtedly it took more planning and informative help from our resort reps to know what is open and how to make the best of what is available. We have really enjoyed our time on the slopes this week especially yesterday, on our day off, as the snow came down and the pistes just got better as the day went on.

What our guest say

The Hutchings family staying in chalet Toubkal 2 this week had this to say about the conditions, “It was occasionally icy, but surprisingly good given the time of the year. We even had some fresh powder for our family snowboarder. We’ve always been able to ski. For intermediate skiers there is plenty to ski with what is already open.”

Snow Forecast for next week

It looks like we could be getting some more snow on Saturday, followed with sunshine and colder temperatures for the rest of the week. However the weather changes so quikly in the mountains that you cant really predict more than a couple of days at a time!

The skiing is still really good out here and is set to only get better. Fingers crossed for some more snow!

Posted in Alpine Action, La Tania, Meribel, Snow Report | Tagged Apres Ski, food, holiday, La Tania, Meribel, skiing, snowboarding, three valleys

Who we would like to see on the next season of The Jump

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Jim Duncombe

Who we would like to see on the next season of The Jump

Channel 4’s The Jump is set to return to our screens this winter. The Jump is a TV competition where celebrities spend a week in the mountains injuring themselves while attempting various winter based activities, just like the Winter Olympics. The winner is the person who manages to complete the week without hurting themselves, not quite like the Winter Olympics. As the name suggest there is a ski jump, this forms the premise of the live show, where the two famous people that either didn’t injure themselves or performed worst in the days activity, have to go down the jump to stay in the competition. There is probably a judge and a public vote but if I am honest I can’t remember.

Last year it was won by a celebrity that is a celebrity because he won a make me a celebrity competition in the past. Other famous faces were Marcus Brigstocke, Sinitta, an Orange Woman from Chelsea and Sir Steve Redgrave. The show was hosted by Davina and Alex Brooker with support from Graham Bell and Amy Williams.

Wikipedia FACT :- The show’s working title was The Alpine Games.It was initially taken to ITV in 2012, but was declined after it was deemed “too dangerous” by chiefs.

We loved the show so much last year that we live blogged most of the episodes.

We can’t wait for it to return and here is who we would like to see compete this winter season.

Timmy Mallet

Mr Mallet is a ski fan. I known this as he regularly stays with a friends rival ski chalet company. He also likes to paint ski scenes, which you can see on his brilliantly title website MalletsPallet.

Prince Charles

We all know HRH loves to ski, we also know that he hasn’t changed his ski outfit since the 80’s, meaning he will fit right in.

Eve Muirhead

She was on our TV twenty four seven during Sochi 2014, as she skippered the GB Curling team to a bronze medal. We don’t know if she has ever skied before but her experience on the Ice means she could secure The Jump gold.

Boris Johnson

It would just be great to see him hurt himself.

I, Jim Duncombe, who is not famous, would love a go at all the sports in show, pick me Channel 4, pick me!

Clare Balding

I once saw Clare in a bar in Meribel, so she must like skiing. Book her Channel 4 just for that reason.

P.S

We would also like to see the show moved to Meribel, they could even stay in one of our chalets.

Article by Jim Duncombe

Posted in Alpine Action, Funny | Tagged amy childs, Anthea Turner, Apres Ski, Darren Gough, La Tania, Meribel, Ski, skiing, the jump

MERIBEL – What it really means

Posted on August 31, 2014 by Jim Duncombe

MERIBEL – What it really means

Today’s blog is brought to you by the letters M E R I B E L and the number 3.

M. M is for the massive ski area. Thanks to the joining up of the 3 Valleys many years ago Meribel is part of the biggest ski area in the world. Some say that a week isn’t long enough to ski every run and others claim that you couldn’t ski all the backcountry in a lifetime.

E. E is for English. Of all the resorts in the Alps, Meribel is probably the most British. It still retains the french charm that lured us there all those years ago, but we love the UK-run bars and pubs that make the Apres so much fun.

R. R is for Rad, short for Radical and Radiliciouse. Rad may hark back to ’80s but used correctly it is a great word. Rad describes Meribel perfectly. The atmosphere is rad, the resort is rad, the people are rad, the skiing is rad and most people come back saying they have had a rad time.

I. I is for Ice Hockey. Sometimes skiing and getting drunk can get a bit, you know, erm… anyway if you do want something else to do then the ice rink often host some big Ice Hockey games that are well worth a watch. Be prepared to be confused about the rules and wince at the aggression. Also this isn’t just any old ice rink this one hosted the Olympic finals in 1992.

B. B is for Bad, see R.

E. E is for everyone. Meribel really does cater to all people. There are great runs and schools for beginners, a generous helping of intermediate skiing as well as plenty of Blacks, and accessible off-piste for the hardcore. There is also lots to do for the non-skier. And Meribel can cater to any budget.

L. L is for Lift. There are 180 lifts in the 3 Valleys. Just imagine the fun to be had at the top of all of those chairs, gondolas, and bubbles. Lifts help fulfill your ski dreams quicker.

By Jim Duncombe

Posted in Alpine Action, Funny, Meribel | Tagged Apres Ski, Courchevel, Meribel, Ski, skiing, snowboarding, three valleys

7 reasons why whiteouts are fun

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Jim Duncombe

7 reasons why whiteouts are fun

Picture the scene… You wake up in your ski chalet, you look out the window and all you can see is white cloud. You think to yourself “bugger” and you get back into bed. As you lie in bed you think about going back to sleep and having a lie-in, you are on holiday after all.

You can hear the chalet host setting up for breakfast and other guests getting ready to go out. You start to feel guilty and start working out how much the lift pass costs and how much your lie-in is worth. Reluctantly you get out of bed and start dressing for the day at the same time you convince yourself that it is low cloud and that it is bright and sunny up top, probably with a light dusting of snow.

Don’t be downhearted there are lots of ways to have fun in a whiteout.

1. Trees

Head for the runs that carve through the tree line. There you will find plenty of shade to mark out the piste and the contours.

2. Guilt-free lunch

That’s right. You probably won’t burn off your lunch today however you can take your time over it. Without feeling guilty that you are not making the most of the perfect conditions.

3. Lose the slow ones

Sometimes you have a few slow mates that you feel duty-bound to ski with. Use the flat light as camouflage to accidentally on purpose lose them and have a day hooning around.

4. Imagine the adversity of others

We all know the story of Scott of the Antarctic. While he never had the luxury of a Folie Douce, piste patrol, or chair lifts, he did have his share of poor weather conditions. Use the whiteout to imagine what it must have been like to face the epic struggle that he went through, then go to the pub.

5. Appear knowledgeable

A whiteout is a perfect time to show your ski knowledge and tell anyone who will listen that the piste markers with the orange tops should always be on your left to ensure you are in the middle of the piste.

6. Create a story

When you get home remember no one wants to know about the blue run you skied 8 times in a row. They will be much more interested in the tale about you losing your partner on the side of a run only for you to have to walk back up, locating them with squeals of “help I am in a hole”, which you dig them out of while laughing at their misfortune.

7. Extended apres ski

Pretty self-explanatory. Remember you will regret this when tomorrow is a fresh powder day with blue skies.

Posted in Alpine Action, Funny, Tips | Tagged Apres Ski, guides, Meribel, Ski, Ski Sunday, skiing, three valleys

Three is the magic number

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Jim Duncombe

Three is the magic number

Three is the magic number. This may be something to do with Pythagoras or Del La Soul however it is not the reason why three is the magic number for us. Three is our magic number for lots of reasons and here they are.

3 Valleys

The biggest ski area in the world is the 3 Valleys. It has 600 km of piste which is served by 183 lifts. It is regarded as one of the best ski areas in the world. The name comes from the three valleys where the resorts and ski areas are located, Saint-Bon, Allues, and Belleville. The 3 Valleys is also home to the Alpine Action ski program.

3 Great Resorts

Meribel, Courchevel, and La Tania are all world-class ski resort houses in the 3 Valleys. Each resort has its own individual vibe and is famous for different reasons. There are lots of other resorts that help make up the area, such as La Tania where we also have chalets.

€3

This is the usual price for a demis of beer in most French bars in the Alps.

3 Planks

Many say that when raising a family the ultimate is to have one girl and one boy. I say that when on the mountain it is good to ride with an even ratio of skiers and boarders. 2 skis plus 1 board = 3 planks.

3 Years

It is the best age to start skiing.

3 Layers

I like to wear 3 layers when on the mountain. A good thermal base layer followed by a warm jumper or fleece, then a good quality windproof ski coat.

3 Meters

Any fresh powder is good but our favourite is a massive 3-meter dump. Although I am struggling to remember ever experiencing a 3-meter-deep powder day, but I bet it would be amazing.

3 Chalets in La Tania

Not quite true as we have 4, but one, the Chalet Toubkal can be booked as two separate chalets or as one.

By Jim Duncombe

Posted in Alpine Action, La Tania | Tagged Apres Ski, Courchevel, La Tania, Meribel, skiing, snowboarding, three valleys

Tag Archives: Apres Ski

3 Valleys Snow Report – 30/1/15

How to watch The Jump and Ski Sunday

Alpine Action Snow report for the week ending 23rd of January

3 Valleys snow report 9th January 2015

What’s on in Meribel and La Tania – January 2015

3 Valleys snow report 19th December 2014

Who we would like to see on the next season of The Jump

MERIBEL – What it really means

7 reasons why whiteouts are fun

7 reasons why whiteouts are fun

Three is the magic number

Meribel Chalet Holidays

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