25 ways skiing has changed in 25 years

Posted on March 23, 2018 by Jim Duncombe

A lot has changed in skiing over the 25 years we have been making skiing holidays in the 3 Valleys!

Alpine Action started providing catered ski holidays to the Three Valleys in 1993 and over those 25 years the world of skiing has changed a lot. We thought we would take a look at some of the things that have fallen by the wayside since Dennis welcomed our fisrts guests back in the 90’s.

1. Straight Skis

It is hard to believe but people were still predominantly using straight skis in the early 90’s and it wasn’t 1993 that carving skis were put on mass sale by Elan skis.

2. Chalet Maids

1000’s of people are employed each year across the Alps each year as chalet hosts to work in chalets and look after guests. It is hard to pin point exactly when it stopped but female staff were originally referred to as chalet maids. We are glad that it moved on.

3. Making Cow Noises in Cable Cars

Back in the late 90’s early 00’s it wasn’t uncommon for a busy ride up the Saulire cable car to be accompanied by a chorus of moo’s created by the passengers, this was sketch recreated in crowded téléfériques around the world. It seems that this comedy routine has faded and is no longer performed but like all comedy acts it could well make a comeback.

4.Rear Entry Boots

In the 90’s the design race of the ski boot was coming to an end. At one point the rear-entry boot seemed to be winning with its comfort and how easy they were to put on. In the end, performance won and we all switched to the more responsive front entry boot… well except that mate of your dad who you only ever meet on the annual family ski trip.

5.Goggle Marks

OK so we still see them now but they now are no longer a fashion statement and more of a sign that you are incompetent at applying sun cream.

6. Ski Brochures

We printed our last ski brochure in 1998 and like many companies took our holidays online.

7. Rubbish Ski Hire

Ski hire had a bad reputation for years. Do you remember how you feared turning up to the hire shop knowing that you would be presented with 3 year old boots and skis with zero edges? Today you can be confident that you will receive comfy fitting boots with a set of sticks that are new that season and have been serviced in-between customers.

8. All-in-ones

One of skiing’s greatest losses was the unironic wearing of the all-in-one. Not only were they warm and comfy they all so came in such an array of bad designs guaranteed to offend the eyes.

9. The division between skiers and snowboarders

It could be one of the worlds most pointless feuds that for us, reached a crescendo when each party tried to blame each other for the creation of moguls. Fortunately we have moved on and share the mountain in relative harmony and leave pointless feuding to the likes of Kim Kardashian & Taylor Swift.

10. Spag Bol AKA Terrible Chalet Food

When you have been out in the mountain air all day you look forward to dinner. These days you will return to the chalet and be fed a 4-course meal designed by experienced chefs accompanied with a selection of wines. Long ago it was deemed acceptable to plonk down a pan of spaghetti bolognese and a bowl of angel delight!

11. The Lift Pass Holder

The fumble fumble of the old photo pass attached to a mini retractable washing line has been replaced by the efficient beep beep clunk of the modern electronic pass that can remain in your pocket. It has also helped reduce queuing time.

12. Novelty Hats

This may depend on your definition of novelty. We are mainly talking about the long and spikey hats made from synthetic fleece and came in a variety of horrendous colours.

13. Long Drag Lifts

There is still a place for the humble button lift. However, the place isn’t over 1ooo vertical meters of tough, steep, icy terrain. Fortunately, they have stopped being installed and most are slowly being replaced. Goodbye thigh burn.

14. Knees together

As the years have gone by the skier’s stance has got wider. At one point a requirement to become a ski instructor was to prove yourself by skiing with a hanky held between the knees. A wider more balanced stance has now been adopted.

15. Head Bands

Since we started operating another type of headwear has disappeared from the slopes, the headband. Once they were the height of fashion driven by floppy hairstyles and non-breathable clothing. Now they have been resigned to the poubelle.

16. The Jump

For 4 years this has been one of our favourite programs on TV. The show featured celebrities learning a variety of snow sports, ski jumping and generally getting injured. Recently Channel 4 announced it was resting the show and we all know what happens when we sit down.

17. UK Ski Shows

There was a time when it felt like there was a ski show in every city from Glasgow to Brighton with Birmingham in-between. This year there is just one survivor left, The London Ski Show.

18. Smoking in Bar

Of course, this isn’t just a ski thing but it always seemed that even more smoking was done in the bars of ski resorts as well as the lifts and shuttle buses.

19. The Courchevel Eggs

For a while it felt like the out dated but iconic egg looking lifts of Courchevel from Le Paraz would never be replaced. But then they were and no one has missed them since!

20. Monoskiing

Seriously when was the last time you saw someone on one except in a novelty competition?

21. Lack of UK Success on snow in the Winter Olympics

In 2014 Jenny Jones took bronze in the Snowboard Slopestyle comp, securing the UK’s first Winter Olympic Medal. Since then a large amount of funding has been pumped into the GB ski and board team and there are high hopes for the 2018 games.

22. Bunny Ears

Putting skis poles to your head is over as people realise it is no longer an efficient way of attracting attention on the slopes or looking cool in holiday snaps!

23. Being Disconnected

Along with Cornwall, the mountains used to be one of the few places left in the world where a mobile phone signal was virtually impossible to get. Today people are on their phones even while skiing down the mountain.

24. Slope Side Photographers

The upside to everyone having a smart phone in their pocket is that we no longer get hassled by photographers when we get off the lift or while skiing down the easy green into the resort.

25. Slopes Without Snow

Snow wasn’t always guaranteed. With the development and investment of snow making facilities, mega resorts like The 3 Valleys can guarantee there will be snow cover on 80% of the slopes for the entire season!

To book a ski holiday with us or find more about our service got to our website.

Posted in Alpine Action, Alpine Action @25, La Tania, Meribel | Tagged holiday, La Tania, mountain restaurants, Ski, skiing, snowboarding, three valleys

A Video Tour of Meribel

Posted on March 5, 2018 by Jim Duncombe

Our virtual video guide to Méribel

There are some people that have never been to Méribel, there are many that just miss being there and there are the obsessed that just love Méribel so much that they can’t get enough of it. To help all these people out we have put together a virtual tour of Méribel using a collection of videos. Hopefully it will help the people that have never been want to come, those that miss it feel like they are back there and those that love Méribel can get quick top up.

The History of Méribel

The Tourist Office Guide to Méribel

Méribel, Coeur des 3 Vallées – Hiver 2015-16 from Méribel Tourisme on Vimeo.

Messing About in Méribel

RUSTY TOOTHBRUSH – MESS UP MERIBEL 2.0 from Rusty Toothbrush on Vimeo.

Alpine Action in Méribel

The Méribel Scenery

The Alps at night – Timelapse from Matthew Vandeputte on Vimeo.

On Piste in Méribel

Working in Méribel

Off Piste in Méribel

HD170 Promo Clip, Ski Freeride from Drift on Vimeo.

Apres Ski in Méribel

LA FOLIE DOUCE from G O M O V I E on Vimeo.

Fireworks in Méribel

Vol de nuit – 70 ans de l’ESF à Méribel from Drone Capture System on Vimeo.

Méribel from the Air

35 minutes de bonheur en vol à Méribel from Vincent on Vimeo.

Snow in Méribel

For all our latest snow reports go to our YouTube page.

Posted in Alpine Action, Meribel, Ski | Tagged Apres Ski, holiday, Meribel, Ski, skiing, snow report, snowboarding, three valleys

Meribel – A History in Numbers

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Jim Duncombe

The History of Meribel in Numbers

We are pretty proud that Alpine Action is celebrating its 25th winter but it isn’t all about us Meribel is 80 this season! And Meribel has a lot of History.

In 1938 the first lift opened along with the first accommodation, Chalet Doran the following year and all this was the start of what would become the Three Valleys.

Peter Lindsay a British Colonel and the passionate skier is credited in realising the potential of the Allues valley and the development of Meribel.

Meribel in Numbers

31 Number of seats on the sledge that was the resorts original ski lift. It was named the Red Dragon.

1950 The year that the Saulire was opened as a link to Courchevel

30 the angle all roofs must be on buildings in the resort.

40,000 – Number of guest per week during the winter season

40 – Percentage of skiers that are British

1:52.55 Winning time at the 1992 Winter Olympics Women’s downhill set by Kerrin Lee-Gartner
for Canada held in Meribel.

57 Number of Chalets and hotels in Meribel in 1954

36,00 Current number of beds in resort

1:29.87 Winning time at the 2015 FIS Women’s downhill set by Lindsay Vonn held in Meribel.

4 Number of lifts in in 1955

30 The number it took to install a the first chairlift

15 Meribel is comprised of a cluster of villages along the Valley

25 Is the number of years Alpine Action has been operating in Meribel

Come and join us for a ski holiday in one of the best and oldest ski resorts in France. Check out all our catered ski chalets in Meribel.

Posted in Alpine Action, Alpine Action @25, Meribel, Ski, Snowboard | Tagged holiday, La Tania, Meribel, three valleys

So much snow in 2018 – 3 Valleys Snow Report

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Jim Duncombe

A great start to 2018 – 3 Valleys Snow Report

2018 has started with over 130cm of snow falling from the sky adding to the epic December snowfall of 2017 to leave depths of up to 280cm across the 3 Valleys. This quantity of snow means that we have some of the best conditions on and off the piste in recent years.

Slope report

When there is a huge amount of snow there will always be a risk and the avalanche warning levels remain high. However, the piste security has been working overtime and all the runs are now open and all the high-risk faces have been blasted.

With all this snow you would expect people to be flocking to Meribel and the 3 Valleys to ski the amazing conditions but you would be wrong. While we are 99% full, some guests have been commenting on how quiet the slopes feel? So not only are the conditions incredible the queues are short and the runs clear.

How can it be this empty? #Lovemeribel

A post shared by Alpine Action ??? (@alpineactionski) on Jan 10, 2018 at 6:45am PST

The runs down to the lower resorts such as La Tania and Le Praz are in great shape and much better than usual which means they can be enjoyed and not just treated as commuter piste!

There is some easy safe off-piste or “Sidecountry” to tackle within the resort’s boundaries but if you are planning on making the most of the deep stuff we advise you hire a guide and pack all the essential kit!

13 Jan only £399pp – Three people – Gatwick Flights – Meribel Morel – Triple room

Snow Forecast

The joy of this season so far has been the bursts of snow that are followed by clear skies that reveal the pristine snow-covered landscape that excites you and hurries you out of bed for a day of non-stop skiing.

This excitement doesn’t look like it will be stopping soon. The people who predict the weather are saying that we can expect at least another meter to fall at the end of next week over a few days.

Up until Tuesday the 16th we can expect sunny skies to help us make the most of the current conditions.

There is a lot of snow out there! #Meribel pic.twitter.com/MWHfeB8r0n

— Alpine Action (@AlpineActionski) 11 January 2018

Come and join us and play in the snow – Check out all our January offers.

Posted in Alpine Action | Tagged holiday, La Tania, Meribel, Phil Tufnell, Ski, snow report, snowboard, snowboarding, three valleys

Three Valleys Preseason Snow Report

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Jim Duncombe

Our preseason snow report.

You have probably heard about all the snow this season but if you haven’t here is everything you need to know about the conditions in the Three Valleys.

Since the colder months arrived the Three Valleys has officially received around 135cm of snow and there is more to come over the next few week.

UPDATE – FRIDAY 8TH DECEMEBR

Opening dates and prices

Val Thorens opened for the season on the 25th of November and due to the conditions, Courchevel opened up for a day of free skiing on Wednesday the 22nd of November.

The season truly gets underway on the 9th of December when Meribel and Courchevel start the lifts up and all the links open. La Tania opens a week later on the 16th of December in time for a white Christmas.

Lift Pass Prices

3 Valleys lift pass prices

How good is good

Currently, the base level at altitude is between 80 and 100 cm which is the average for a whole season. Ski runs back into Meribel have a respectable 30cm coverage.

We have said the snowfall has been impressive this season but how impressive is it? The first snow fell on the 30th of October, since then we have received 7 more significant snow days, with the best being 40cm on the 20th of November.

Last winter 80cm of snow fell in November but crucially the temperatures were unusually high causing the snow to melt at lower altitudes which made the beginning of the season feel a bit like spring. This year the temperatures have remained low and have stayed in the minus figure since the first snow fell.

The amount of snow that has fallen places it in the top 3 best starts to a winter season since 2006, only being beaten by 2008 and 2012, but this could change over the weekend.

Chalet Rosalie – Meribel Village £649pp
Chalet Alysson – Meribel Center £699pp
Chalet Virage – Meribel Center £759pp
Chalet Attila – La Lania £699pp

Snow Forecast

Looking ahead there is another 50cm of snow predicted to fall before the lifts open on Saturday and the snow won’t be stopping for most of the week with a total of 176cm set to fall on the higher slopes by Friday the 15th. The snow may continue into Christmas week as there is another half a meter appearing on the longterm forecast.

Snow Photos and Videos

Some snow on the balcony of Chalet Virage

Snowy trees.

Perfectly groomed in Val Thorens

A post shared by ❄️ Val Thorens ❄️ (@val_thorens) on Dec 6, 2017 at 8:43am PST

Meribel sent Jeremy Prevost up to test the slopes!

If you are thinking this might be a great winter to enjoy Christmas in the Alps then give us a call tel: +44(0) 1273 466 535 .

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

5 excuses to go skiing this Christmas

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Jim Duncombe

Do you always find an excuse to not ski at Christmas?

You have probably thought about going skiing at Christmas every year but something has put you off and you have always found an excuse. We have spent many Christmases in the 3 Valleys and we can confirm it is the most wonderful time of the year. You also get an extra thrill when you suddenly realise that it’s Christmas Day and you are on the slopes and having great time.

Whatever your reason for not going in the past here are a few excuses you can use this year.

#1 You just love skiing

Maybe not an excuse and more just a fact but if you love skiing then what could be a better present to you and your family that the gift of a ski trip. It also means that you get to try out that new pair of skis that you will have been bought for Christmas.

#2 Christmas is on offer

A week skiing during Christmas has never been so reasonably priced with all tour operators offering big savings, making the cost similar to off peak weeks. Our prices are starting at £599 pp for the festive week and there are savings of up to £350 pp on our best properties. So if you have always put off a Christmas ski trip due to price now is your chance.

#3 White Christmas

Every single year Bing Crosby sings “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”. He is right to do so. If you look at the facts you notice that the UK hasn’t had widespread snow on the ground during Christmas since 2010 and before that it was 2004. So to combat this you could head to the 3 Valleys where they pretty much can guarantee you a White Christmas.

#4 Be looked after

The demands of Christmas day for those hosting can be huge, will Aunt Janet get too drunk, will the turkey be cooked in time, have you peeled enough potatoes? Why not avoid this and go on a catered ski chalet holiday and let them look after you? All you will need to do is go skiing and relax… unless you bring Aunt Janet with you.

#5 One for the humbugs

Spending Christmas in a skiing is a great compromise as in a way it always feels a bit like Christmas in a ski resort. But at the same time it doesn’t as everything is open and everyone is either working or skiing or both. This makes it a perfect place to spend Christmas for families of mixed festive spirit.

SEE ALL OUR CHRISTMAS DEALS

Posted in Alpine Action, La Tania, Meribel | Tagged Ski, Ski Sunday, skiing, snowboard, snowboarding, three valleys, Val Thorens

Three Valleys Snow Round-Up – November

Posted on November 7, 2017 by Jim Duncombe

Huge early season snowfall in the Three Valleys

At the beginning of November, the ground was looking a bit brown with small patches of snow from previous snow flurries and snow cannons. Now the whole ski area is cover in the glorious white stuff! Here is a look at all the photos and videos from the last few days.

Meribel valley on the 1st of November before the snow.

Latest webcam round up

Val Thorens capture the first few flakes of snow on the 5th.

Check out all our latest offers
16th Dec from £599 pp inc FTA
Save £340pp on Christmas Ski Holidays
Up to £800 off New Year Ski Trips

Snow settles on the town

Lundi enneigé à Méribel ! Parfait pour commencer la semaine ! #neige #meribel #lundi pic.twitter.com/DGLFkLAR45

— Méribel3vallées (@Meribel3vallees) November 6, 2017

Loads of snow outside Jacks Bar

A post shared by Jacks Bar (@jacksbarmeribel) on Nov 6, 2017 at 2:23am PST

Courchevel shows off the town all covered in snow.

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The snow gets all the way down to La Tania

No lifts, no problem.

Enjoying the streets of Val Thorens Shot by: @cristianbotella ? @alex4ski #snow #snowboarding #destroy #street #shred #like #nice #winteriscoming #ride #rideordie #like #awesome #goprofrance #gopro #shot #winter #valthorens #white #powder

A post shared by Pawel Marzelowski ❄️?❄️ (@pawel_marzelowski) on Nov 6, 2017 at 1:12pm PST

Courchevel sends the photographer out for a walk when the sun comes out

A 4×4 Fiat Panda gets out in the Meribel snow

Testing out my new ride #4×4 #4x4panda #fiatpanda #meribel #snow

A post shared by DJ KAYA Mixcloud DJ_KAYA (@roblangley01) on Nov 6, 2017 at 3:59am PST

Val Thorens sends out the piste bashers!

To book a ski or snowboard holiday to Meribel or La Tania give us a call or take a look at our catered chalets in the 3 Valleys.

Posted in Alpine Action, La Tania, Meribel, Snow Report | Tagged Courchevel, holiday, La Tania, Ski, three valleys

What’s new in the 3 Valleys for the 2017/18 season

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Jim Duncombe

Find out what is new in the 3 Valley this winter 17/18

2017/18 3 valleys map

The winter is not very far away now! Skiers will be on the slopes of Val Thorens on the 18th of November followed by Meribel and Courchevel on the 9th of December. As always the companies behind the 3 Valleys lifts and pistes have been working hard over the summer to introduce new or improved facilities for its customers!

New Lifts in the 3 Valleys

Loupit – Rond Pont – Covered magic carpet

The beginner’s area located by the Rond Point in Meribel will have new Covered Magic carpet similar to the one found in Mottaret. The learner zone alongside it will also be developed into a safer space for skiers to master the basics away from the busier slopes.

Ariondaz Gondola – Courchevel 1650 -Moriond

Over in Courchevel 1650 the old Ariondaz gondola that takes skiers and boarder out of the resort has been replaced by an 8 seater lift that can carry double the amount of passenger up the hill.

Moraine – 10 seater Gondola – Val Thorens

€14m has been spent on installing a new gondola in Val Thorens. The 10 seater lift is 2.5 km long and carries skiers up to the foot of the Glacier de Thorens.

Roc de Tougnete – 6 seater – Meribel

For many years there has been 2 drag lifts that served this area and for that reason it often goes unexplored by many. The arrival of this new lift will change all that and make the Lagopède and Bartavelle pistes a lot more accessible.

New Pistes in the 3 Valleys

Lac de la Chambre – Meribel

Previously a red run the Lac de la Chambre that started at the Col de la Chambre has been given a new course down the mountain to make it into a easier blue. The run is a great way to get back from Val Thorens into Mottaret and Meribel.

Croix d’Antide – Val Thorens

High up above the Orelle valley there is a new blue run called the Croix d’Antide it can be found under the Peyron chair and runs parallel to a piste of the same name.

Corniche – Val Thorens

Another new blue piste in Val Thorens. This one runs from the Folie Douce and joins up with the stade to make an easy run back to the resort.

New Luge run

A new 3 km luge run has opened up in 1650 and can be accessed by the new Arinodaz lift. This means that there are now loads of sledging opportunities in the 3 Valleys to complement the original and best one in Courchevel that runs from 1850 to 1550.

4 hours ski pass

This season sees the end of the half day pass as the 3 valleys will introduce a 4-hour pass that can be used at any point during the day and will cost €54.5 . It is worth noting that it is still better value to buy a 6 day pass at €300 if you are going to ski all week!

New Ski Schools in Meribel

This winter two of our favourite Anglo-French ski schools have come together to make one outstanding provider of ski and snowboard lessons. Magic in Motion is now part of Oxegen ski school.

If you are looking for a catered ski chalet in Meribel or La Tania take a look at our website or call us for chat.

Posted in Alpine Action, Alpine Action @25, La Tania, Meribel | Tagged Courchevel, La Tania, Meribel, Ski, skiing, three valleys

5 Ways to get your Summer Skiing Fix

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Jim Duncombe

5 ways to get that summer skiing fix

It is a long wait between ski seasons in Europe. The wait is almost bearable if you’re are a resort worker. But for most of us who can only fit in a one-week holiday, it is 51 long weeks. So what can you do to get your skiing fix during the long hot summer months?

1. Indoor and Dry Slopes

There are 100’s of these dotted around the UK, some big and some very small. You can find a full list of slopes on the Ski Club of Great Britain web site. There will be one close to you and they should have a small range of ski hire equipment too. In fact, why you are at it, you may as well take some non-skiing friends along and try and tempt them into taking it.

If you can convince them to come on your next holiday you will benefit from amazing group discount, which is time well spent.

2. Water Skiing and Wakeboarding

Admittedly it isn’t the same. For a novice, it can be a bit like spending time on a slushy drag lift and it can work out costing a lot more than a week’s skiing. You will also get wet. But if all that doesn’t put you off then it is a great way to feel that comforting leg burn that you get after a good day hooning around the slopes.

51 THINGS TO DO UNTIL YOUR NEXT SKI HOLIDAY

3. Head Down Under

You could probably fit the whole of Australia’s and New Zealand’s ski runs into the Three Valleys or even the Meribel Valley, (not an actual fact). Sadly we don’t offer catered ski holidays there and there is a long flight to consider. But that shouldn’t put you off. The skiing is actually very good in both countries.

What more could you want from a bit of summer skiing than to be carving down Kangaroo Ridge with a tinny instead of a demis.

4. Create a Ski Holiday at Home

Catered chalet breakfast

One way to make you feel like your skiing this summer without leaving the house is to take it turns to be the chalet host. To help we have prepared a guide on how to create a ski holiday at home.

5. Find a Glacier in Europe to go skiing on this Summer

There are some wonderful glaciers that are open for skiing during the summer. You could even pop over for the weekend. Our favorite is located just down the road from our spiritual home of Meribel, in Tignes. There is also a great one in Zermatt although it will take you about an hour to get to it from the resort.

Or you could just spend the summer reading ski magazines, watching snowboarding videos and deciding which chalet you will stay in this winter.

Posted in Alpine Action, La Tania, Meribel, Ski | Tagged australia, dry slope, La Tania, Meribel, new zealand, Ski, ski jobs, Ski Sunday, skiing, snowboarding, summer, three valleys

What we learnt about the 3 Valleys when we skied somewhere else

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Jim Duncombe

We missed Méribel when we went skiing somewhere different

As you probably know we love Méribel and we love skiing in Les 3 Valleys. During the 25 years of operating in the area, we have witnessed the resort and slopes evolve into the incredible ski experience they are today.

But that doesn’t stop us venturing to other resorts for a ski day or even a holiday. Over the last few years, we have visited the Espace Killy, Chamonix, Ischgl, Borovets and recently La Clusaz. It was this last one that made us realise how amazing The 3 Valleys are!

Meribel

We are not about to character assassinate another resort and the truth is we had a lovely holiday skiing in a different place. Nor do we want to be the sort of people that say “why would you want to go anywhere else?”.

We understand that we all need to try something different, but we also know how good it feels to return to the familiar especially when it has the added bonus of being the best!

Our spring trip to La Clusaz was great, the resort was lovely, and the scenery stunning. In short, we had a great time. However, when you come from one of the best resorts in the world you do start to miss things.

The Snow

Not Much Snow — Not much snow should have stayed in the 3 Valleys

By going skiing at the extremities of the season there is always the risk that the snow conditions won’t be at their best. Our trip was in spring and the snow cover across the alps wasn’t outstanding.

It is during periods like this you realise how good the snowmaking infrastructure in The 3 Valleys is and how important attitude is to ensuring great season-long skiing.

The 3 valleys have over 2000 snow cannons across ⅓ of the ski area, in our spring destination there were just 200 and many of them were not in use due to the temperature and low altitude.

The Skiing

We can all have an opinion on what is good and bad skiing. What you can’t argue with is that the 3 Valleys is the largest ski area in the world and offers terrain and runs for every skier. Yes in a small resort it is harder to get lost and in this case it was a great way for a mixed group to easily split up and hangout at the same time.

But if you consider that we occasionally discover a run that we haven’t skied for 10 years in the 3 valleys you can forgive us for not being satisfied with the amount of skiing on offer in other resorts.

The Lifts

Like the 3 Valleys the Annecy Ski area is many small areas linked. During my weeks stay none of the links were skiable, no runs were open into the resort and we relied on a car to get between ski areas. During the same week over in Méribel all the links were open and there was a plenty of runs open and runs back to resort were kept open.

During the same week over in Méribel all the links were open and there was a plenty of runs open and runs back to resort were kept open.

The next thing I started to miss was the quality of the infrastructure found in Les 3 Valleys. Every year there are new lift developments in the 3 Valleys and there has been clear progress in upgrading old lifts. So it is easy to tell when you’re in a resort that hasn’t had seen heavy lift investment.

So it is easy to tell when you’re in a resort that hasn’t had seen heavy lift investment. Many of La Cluzas lifts were old and none were covered, there was also a reliance on draglifts to access many of the ski areas.

The Apres

One of the charms of La Cluzas is how it has retained its original charm and very much remains a French ski resort. This has also meant that it isn’t quite up to scratch when it comes to Apres time! There is nothing to rival the Folie or the Ronnie and the bars in town are a more subdued affair.

Also after a recent Austrian ski trip and experiencing the whole Europop, Flulgle , dancing on the table madness I realised how well balanced the Apres ski scene in Meribel feels.

As we live in Meribel for half the year we can sometimes get complacent so a trip to another resort is good for us to realise how lucky we are to have the 600km of piste that we do.

If you are planning to return to The 3 Valleys or are heading there for the first time then check out our catered chalets in La Tania and Méribel or call us on +44(0) 1273 466 535

Posted in Alpine Action, La Tania, Meribel | Tagged holiday, La Tania, Meribel, Ski, skiing, three valleys