Category Archives: Family Skiing

Guide: Spring Skiing in Meribel

Why is Spring Skiing in Meribel so great!

Sunshine, smiley faces, parties, funny goggle marks and more snow than you might expect. Just a few of the things we love about Spring skiing in the Three Valleys.

In fact, Méribel in the spring comes with more than just a few perks.

In this blog we’re taking a closer look at the pros of a late season session on the slopes that’ll have you searching for all the Spring Ski deals and stocking up on the Factor 50 before you can say ‘have I got any annual leave left?’

Spring skiing is all about Location, Location, Location

Méribel’s enviable position, at the centre of the largest lift-linked ski area in the world with over 600km of marked pistes and 200 ski lifts serving a 110 square mile area, is a great base for exploring the tail-end of a season. Méribel, like La Tania, is of course well connected via lft and piste to the third valley of Val Thorens.

With 99% of its ski area above 2000m, it’s Europe’s highest major resort and one of its most snowsure from the start of the season right through to May. It even comes with a snow guarantee…

JOIN US FOR SOME SPRING SKIING: FROM £600 PER PERSON 

The Snow…there’s more than you might expect.

With a winter’s worth of snow as a base, accumulations on Méribel’s upper slopes can regularly reach depths of 2 meters by March and April. We took a look at the spring snowfall records for the last five years and found that an average of almost 50cm fell during the last six weeks of the season, easily matching the snowfall recorded in December in those same seasons.

With the warmer temperatures and stronger sunshine though, snow quality can be more unpredictable, but fear not! Spring skiing just calls for a little pre-planning. We recommend taking to South facing runs such as Jerusalem in the morning and switching to the North facing ones, such as the Cote Brune, in the afternoons.

JOIN US FOR SOME SPRING SKIING: FROM £600 PER PERSON 

The Pace of Life

Skiing on a bluebird day in the spring takes on a quality different to that of the winter. It becomes less about the standard adrenaline-fuelled stuff and more about an awe-filled exploration of the mountains.

The longer, warmer days mean that you can take the time to ‘smell the flowers’ as it were. There’s a sense of new growth, a natural unfurling of the summer to come which brings with it the inevitable buzz and potential of a seasonal shift. And this is what those mountain-top bar terraces were made for…

A World Away from the Piste

If you do get the odd day where conditions are less than perfect, it’s handy to know that there are some great alternatives to the slopes.

There are some really good non-ski activities that include paragliding, Ice skating, water parks and Ice Karting on offer in Meribel and The Three Valleys. And oh, did we mention the lovely, sunshine-filled Apres?

There are a lot of parties

There’s always something going on in the Three Valleys but it’s March and April that see the focus lie heavily on parties, charity music events and top notch festivals. Firm favourites such as March’s Ronnie Loves Music Festival and the legendary Three Valleys Charity day in April are just two great examples that complement a whole host of closing parties and the inevitable ‘drink the bar dry’ nights that see the season drawn to a very merry close.

Spring time skiing in Meribel and the Three Valleys is basically about excitable early mornings on the slopes and leisurely lines back towards an especially awesome apres scene that starts in the afternoon and continues late, late into the night.

JOIN US FOR SOME SPRING SKIING: FROM £600 PER PERSON 


Why Méribel is a great destination for beginners!

Meribel is perfect for beginners.

For intermediate and advanced skiers, the beauty of Méribel is that it’s a perfect springboard resort for the Three Valleys Ski area as a whole, the largest ski area on earth in fact, with over 600km of accessible pistes. 

But that’s not to say those new to skiing are overlooked or left too far behind. With a wide choice of English speaking ski schools, two separate nursery areas, 8 green runs and 25 blues to tantalise. There is plenty of places to practice those turns and work on technique.

“The master has failed more times than the beginner has ever tried”

Méribel is a great destination for beginners!

It’s also worth saying that the friendly, welcoming and easy-going nature of the resort in general, lends itself well to those strapping on their ski boots for the first time. Because everyone’s gotta start somewhere…

The two designated beginner zones are found in the centre of Meribel Mottaret (Zen Zones) and at the Altiport area in Meribel itself. In Mottaret, the beginner-only area has its own magic carpet and drag lift, and the Combes chairlift serves the great fun green run known as Little Himalaya. 

In Meribel there’s a magic carpet lift at Rond-Point and the quiet and safe slopes of the Easy Rider beginner area are great for children and adults alike to practice.

Think Snow Parks are out of bounds for beginners? Think again! Both Méribel’s Elements Park and Mottarett’s DC Area 43 have specifically designated learner zones, and they’re not just for kids!

Sourcing a Great Ski School

It goes without saying that ski schools get particularly busy during peak times and school holidays so it’s worth doing some research before you arrive and get yourself or your kids signed up. Check out our guide to some great Méribel Ski School here, all of which are English speaking and run by highly experienced skiers that know Meribel and The Three Valleys inside out.

Consolidating those skills.

After the nursery slopes comes the gentle greens, of which there are several to choose from.  We love the wide, tree-lined Blanchot piste, accessed by the Rhodos Bubble Lift from the Altiport; it’s great for newbie skiers and snowboarders alike. You can return to the top via the draglift or, if you’ve had enough of falling off those for the time being, there’s a chairlift too! And remember, regular pit stops and time-outs on sunny terraces are highly recommended!

Méribel is a great destination for beginners!

Our top tips for beginners:

Catered Chalets over Self Catering

For those coming skiing for the first time, booking a fully catered chalet is by far and away the better choice. Ski resorts can be overwhelming. Having the helpful advice of chalet staff on tap is a huge benefit. Check out our Meribel and La Tania catered chalets here.

Physical Fitness

If you can, spend some time prior to your holiday doing some preparatory exercise. We’re not talking hours in the gym here, but taking the stairs over the lift, walking the dogs a bit further and faster, and practising the classic ‘flat back against the wall with bent knees’ pose, will all help build the stamina and endurance that six days straight on skis will call for.

Méribel is a great destination for beginners!

Practice on an Indoor Ski Slope

For those of us that like to have a teeny bit of experience before our first lesson in resort, there are 100’s of indoor slopes 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.

Be prepared for the cold

We’d recommend for first-timers, that wherever you can, it’s best to borrow kit rather than shell out a lot of money on clothing, helmets and goggles you may not use again (Ok, you will probably use it again, because one ski trip is rarely ever enough, but, you know, just in case). However, you need to make sure you are fully prepared for the extreme temperatures. Because nobody wants to cut short their slope time due to frozen fingers. Check out our in depth guide here.

Watch some videos

From full-length films and YouTube Ski Technique guides and tips, there’s a wealth of ski and snowboard related content out there. You could even subscribe to our channel and get a proper feel for an Alpine Action catered chalet experience. All of this will get you super keen and excited to get started on your own skiing or snowboarding journey. 

(Just don’t overdo the ‘Best Ski Fails of All Time’ vids…)

Check out our current pricing and availability for your Merbel or La Tania catered Chalet holiday here.

 Looking forward to seeing you shredding it very soon…x


How to book a group ski holiday

A guide to booking a group ski holiday

Booking a ski holiday for a large group can be tricky to manage but it is worth it when you arrive and have a great time skiing and hanging out with everyone.

We know that you love skiing with your friends and family. We also know that arranging for them all to go on holiday at the same time can be a challenge which is why we have put this guide together.

Step 1 – How many in your group?

First get a rough idea of how many people want to go on your ski trip and ask for their contact details.

If you’re not planning a ski trip to Meribel or La Tania then you will need to decide where you want to go.

You should set up a communication channel for the whole group this could be an email list, Whatsapp chat or a Facebook group.

Step 2 – Set the date

Unless you are travelling on a specific date, like half term or Christmas, you will need to work out what is the optimal date for your group and an idea of what budget people have.

We recommend that you send out a poll to everyone who wants to come on your ski trip. You could use a polling site like doodle to find out the groups availability.

You may need to do a second poll but try to narrow it down to 2 potential dates.

Step 3 – Make an enquiry

Now you have a resort, date and a rough idea of how many people want to go on holiday it is to call the tour operator and find out what the options are.

You will get the best results if you are clear and know the group’s needs.

We know that organising the trip can be a challenge which is why we reward a group leader with a free lift pass!

The other perks are that you get to pick the best room, have the final say and know you won’t end up in a rubbish resort.

Step 4 – Picking your ski holiday

Picking your chalet is the next step and it is this point when many factors will come into play such as size, price and location.

At this stage, you might find yourself with a few options. In our experience as a group leader, you will find it easier if you decide on the best couple of options and pitch it to the group.

You should also be prepared to compromise. If you are a really big group you may struggle to discover a chalet that you will all fit into so you may need to look at ski properties next door to each other.

Step 5 – Confirming your ski holiday

Getting a deposit from everyone is a big challenge and the last big hurdle. You should make sure that everyone is ready to book and can send the deposit to you immediately.

As a rule, most chalet companies will hold a chalet for a week if you are booking early. This will give you time to decide and get the deposits collected.

If you are booking near or during the season you may only get a few days.

Payment is the next step. If you don’t want to get involved in collecting money (and we wouldn’t blame you) then we can help as will collect all the individual balance payments.

Then all that is left for you to do is enjoy your holiday in the company of your friends and family.


Give us a call to find out which chalets in Meribel and La Tania would suit your group. Phone the team on 01273 466535.


HALF TERM SNOW REPORT AND WHERE TO SKI WITH YOUR FAMILY

SNOW REPORT FOR HALF TERM AND A  3 VALLEYS PISTE GUIDE FOR THE FAMILY

The 3 Valleys continues to just keep on giving this season, along with an incredible amount of snowfall, we also have an action packed schedule to keep families entertained during the February Half Term Holidays.

The best thing about holidaying in Meribel and La Tania during February half term is how good the lift systems are. Shorter queues and less delays resulting in longer time out playing on the slopes.

Alpine Action are a family run company, we understand that family ski holidays are some of the most special times you can spend together. Simply bonding over a sport you are passionate about, outdoors in the fresh mountain air, spectacular views and beautiful surrounds.

This week we have a lot of youngsters out on their first Family skiing holiday, below is a little information for parents thinking about taking their children skiing for the first time.

Where to ski with your family

There are 4 fantastic places to take your children both in Meribel and La Tania,  if they are beginner skiers. The first is Meribel Mottaret, this area of the Meribel Valley had a makeover last season and has a new learner area designed with children in mind.

There are 2 free magic carpets to get you started, the first a very gentle area behind the Plattieres lift station, this is great for getting the feel of skiing and being out of the way of speedy more advanced skiers and boarders. There is also a longer, slightly steeper piste next to the Combes chair lift, this allows progression once the beginner starts to make a little progress later in the day.

Next Step, once you have mastered the magic carpets you can take your first chair lift up “Combes” this will take you to another learner area with tunnels, obstacles to practise turning and give you more of a sensation of being “on the mountain”.

Second there is Meribel Altiport, take the Altiport C bus up or use a ski pass and take the Rhodos bubble from La Chaudanne.  Beautiful scenery, surrounded by trees and if you are lucky wildlife.

There is an Inuit village at the top of the Free Altiport drag lift that enables you to have some rest and play time when the children tire. There is also some husky dogs for children to pet and play with.

 

Good to know for parents: There are toilets located, inside the tourism office at the bottom of the magic carpet in Meribel Mottaret and at the bottom of the Altiport drag lift. There are also multiple cafes and restaurants surrounding these areas for much needed breaks.

La Tania, has a free drag/button lift called Trokia, this is great for your first day skiing as a family with littles ones. It is a gentle slope out of the way of speedy skiers and has a few cafe/rest stop options at the bottom including a small children’s outdoor playground.

Finally we have the Courchevel Verdons and Jardin Alpin areas. These are great beginner green runs with bubble lifts going over the top and nice long, wide, cruising pistes for children to progress and take their time. Sandwiched in between is the Courchevel Family Park, which even has an airbag and inflatable donuts with a slide.

Weather & Snow Forecast

The weather Gods just keep on giving! This weekend, we have seen more snowfall kindly topping up the pistes just in time for the start of February half term holidays. Today we are forecast for sunshine all day with clouds re-forming late in the afternoon and light snow showers.

On Wednesday, we are predicted light snow showers in the morning, followed by sunshine in the afternoon and similar conditions into the end of the week. With a maximum of 11cm falling over the week in total. Wind chill is brrrrrr… freezing with lows of -18 on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sunrise is from around 07:30am each morning and sun set around 18:00pm.

The Meribel Valley currently has a reading of 105cm of snow at resort level (1450m) and 288cm at Altitude (2700m).
The Courchevel Valley currently has a reading of 195cm at resort level (1800m) and 288cm at Altitude (2700m)

Avalanche risk is 2 out of 5

What’s on this week in Meribel


MARDI/TUESDAY 13/02
Market Day: Meribel Centre
Ladies Night From 9 am to 8 pm Stade de Corbey – Méribel Centre
Bowling: Soirée Fluo from 5 pm to 8 pm
Téléfondue: at 7.30 pm Plateau de la Chaudanne, eat fondu in the Saulire Express lift at night. 79 €, book your own cabin for 2 or for your family/friends (maximum 4 places) call +33 (0)6 61 65 90 92.
Hockey Demonstration Match: Méribel vs Courchevel, at 8.30 pm, at the Olympic centre, Adult: 5 € Child: 3 €. Free entry for children
♫Live Music♫
Jack’s Bar: 17.00, DAISY B
Le Pub: 22.00, WINGMEN
Evolution: 22.00, HOBO CHIC
O’Sullivans: 00.30, BRING YOUR SISTERS
Scotts 22.00 SIAN HAYLEY SMITH
La Taverne: 22.00 BEN VICKERS

MERCREDI/WEDNESDAY 14/02
Valentine’s Day on slopes: 10am – 4pm, a day dedicated to love on the slopes. Animations, gifts and other delicacies for lovers. Rendez-vous at the Chaudanne snowfront, the Inuit village or Elements Park.
Come to pet the Huskies: 1.30pm – 4pm Piste des Inuits.
Torchlight descent for children: meet at Le Rone Point, Meribel, at 6 pm.
La Follie Douce in association with Craemex Lip Balm: Seasonaire Day, from 9 am to 5 pm.
♫Live Music♫
Jack’s Bar: 17.00, THE MARDY JOHNNY DEPPS
Jack’s Bar: 18.00, DAKINI
Rond Point: 17.00, BUBBLE & CRISP

JEUDI/THURSDAY 15/02
Eagles show: 10am – 4pm, front de Neige de l’Altiport, 10 am: Beginning of the raptor show 11 am: downhill skiing with eagles 11.30 am: eagle show 15 pm: downhill skiing with eagles 3.30 pm: eagle show Acess by foot and ski. Free of charge.
Himalaya By Night: 17:30-19:30, Meribel Mottaret, Night Sledging.
Ice rink: Olympic Games Evening, from 8pm – 10pm, ice bowling, sledging, hockey, skeleton, snowshoeing…Many goodies to be won! 10 € pp
♫Live Music♫
Jack’s Bar: 17.00, PADDY JAMES
Le Pub: 23.00, GARETH & WESTY
O’Sullivans: 00.00, SEEKID AND FRIENDS

VENDREDI/FRIDAY 16/02
Market Day: Meribel Centre
Come to pet the Huskies: from 1.30pm – 4pm, Piste des Inuits
♫Live Music♫
Jack’s Bar: 17.00, JAY TAMKIN
Scotts: 22.00, THE MARDY JOHNNY DEPPS

What’s on this week in La Tania

MERCREDI/WEDNESDAY 14/02
LANTERNS AND VALENTINE’S DAY TORCHLIGHT DESCENT: Free Open to all 17h20
Courchevel NIGHT SLEDGING: 17:15, Free age: from 5 years old, after the slopes close, sledge down the hill!
♫Live Music♫
Pub Le Ski Lodge: 17:00, Apres Ski
La Taiga: 10.00pm, Pop-rock band. Courchevel

JEUDI/THURSDAY 15/02
SLEDGE RACE: Free 17:30
♫Live Music♫
Pub Le Ski Lodge: 17:00, Apres Ski

VENDREDI/FRIDAY 16/02
♫Live Music♫
Pub Le Ski Lodge: 22:00, Open Mic Night

Last Minute Availability

With snow this good we are fully booked for the next few weeks, but check out our availability for the end of March and April on our webiste: Alpine Action Offers


Driving to Méribel – Why it’s a great way to travel

Why you should consider driving to Méribel.

We have done the journey to the alps many, many times and we are big fans of driving out to the Alps and we drive out to Méribel at least once a year.

Driving can have some great perks as well as some serious financial benefits, coupled with the fact that it doesn’t really take much longer and you can make the journey part of the adventure.

Why driving to Meribel in the alps is a good idea

When Driving to Méribel should you take the Ferry or Tunnel?

The first decision you need to make is Ferry or Tunnel. No matter where you live in the UK the best place to cross the channel is Dover as you will still need to cover similar distance once you’re in France. If you went from further west crossings are also cheaper at Dover and at least every 30 min 24 hours a day.

The Eurotunnel is the fastest way to cross at 35 minutes compared to the 90 minutes on a Ferry. Speed comes at a premium with tickets starting at £79 one way compared to £39 for a more leisurely pace.

Why driving to Meribel in the alps is a good idea

If you are travelling a long distance before arriving in Dover the Ferry is a good opportunity to have walk around and take a break.

Both routes offer a flexi ticket for a bit extra , which is great if you’re rubbish at being on time but we have found that if you arrive early for either you generally get put on the next available crossing.

Take the toll roads when driving to Méribel

There is a lot of debate surrounding this. The cost of tolls from Calais to Méribel is around £80 each way which is quite a large amount of money but is it worth the saving?

toll road alps

The drive time on tolls from Calais to the alps is around 9 hours and there is less chance of being caught in traffic. A journey on lesser roads is about the 13 hour mark and that comes with a high risk of traffic jams and unforeseen hold ups.

Do you drive during the day or at night?

If you can split the driving and can stay awake driving through the night is a good option as you are guaranteed a clear run on the roads and if you are doing a week’s holiday you can extend your mountain time by 2 days.

Why driving to Meribel in the alps is a good idea

If you want to drive in the daylight stick to the tolls as you will get clearer roads through the day. But avoid non toll roads as you will be caught in traffic as you will be passing through towns and driving on single lanes for a lot of the time.

What about the coach instead of driving to Méribel?

You could always get the coach out there and with prices starting at £65 it can be a way to keep cost lower. You also get many of the benefits that you get by driving.

Why driving to Meribel in the alps is a good idea

However it is probably the longest journey you can make. Always research the coach company and route as you can end up in a car-park waiting for connecting coaches for hours.

 

Driving is environmentally friendly

If you are looking at reducing your carbon footprint then hitting the road instead of flying is a good start at reducing your impact.

Why driving to Meribel in the alps is a good idea

Carbon emission in kg per journey to the alps 

Full car 67.8kg
Large car 90.8 kg
Train* 56.6kg
Coach* 31.6kg
Plane* 181.5
*not including transfer

Save money by driving

A rough total cost of driving out a car with an MPG of 40 including tolls etc can be as little as £450. Many tour operators, including us, offer an independent travel discount at around £120pp and if you factor in ski carriage, airport parking etc there can be considerable savings especially if you can seat more than 4.

Why driving to Meribel in the alps is a good idea

On selected dates can save you up to £300pp if you travel to resort under your own steam.

Click here for more information on driving in France

 

 


FIRST SKI HOLIDAY WITH CHILDREN : PART 4 – The best holiday ever

Why our first ski trip was the best holiday.

I recently spoke to someone who had read the first few of my blogs about taking the family skiing. They told me that I had made it sound a bit stressful. Maybe they were referring to part 1 where we missed the flight , maybe it was the daily dash to ski school or it could have been the restaurant experience.

I would like to reassure everyone that we really did have a wonderful time on our ski holiday to Méribel. So much so that we have booked another ski holiday in spring, only this time we are driving.

Read about the rest of the trip
Part 1 : Part 2 : Part 3

I can truly say that it was the best family holiday we have been on so far.

Everyone had a lot of fun and it has been the topic of conversation since. I often have this conversation with the youngest who didn’t even really get to ski, “Go skiing now daddy?”… “ermm, no, we’re going to nursery”… “awwwww. Wanna go skiing”. Which is both very pleasing and irritating in equal measure.

When I questioned my 4 year old on the best thing she has ever done the answer was “skiing”, although when the same question was put to her by Grandma the response was “helping you plant flowers”.

 

Why was it so good?

Being proud is an important part of being a parent and there are many moments that will bring out that feeling, such as the first time they sleep through the night, writing their name or getting good exam results.

But none of that comes close to the selfish feeling of pride when they show a glimpse of interest in a passion of yours. I felt that on the the first day of Ski School when she was excited about going, then displayed as much skill as a 4 year old can when pointed down a hill on skies for the first time. Crucially she wanted to do it again and again. It was a very proud moment.

Another moment of family bliss came when we all sat down in a bar in Méribel Centre and all enjoyed a hot chocolate after spending the afternoon on beginner slope. The time was spent being shown what was learned at ski school, sledging and general sliding about. The sun moved on and we started to feel a bit tired and chilly. We head for Evolution and all sat down with our drink and a collective feeling of contentment. Once the warmth had returned to our extremities and the sugar rush has started to kick in, we were back out on the slopes earning our next moment.

I spent many years working in the Alps, single and childless, watching families get ready for the slopes. It always looked hard work and far from relaxing. I always assumed that stress would follow them around the mountain. But once out the door the pace changes, family life slows down and unlike many holidays you work as a unit, sharing a joy in the same pursuit.

Within a few days you settle into a routine and have learnt to be prepared to leave the chalet in time for ski school in an efficient manner that still eludes you at home when trying to get to work via school/nursery. But that’s probably because you don’t really want to go to work.

There were many firsts on this trip. The one I will remember the most was at 6am on the first morning. We were all awake and discovered that it had snowed. Understandably they were very excited.  I opened the door just enough to peer out. As it turns out it was also just enough for the children to squeeze past. And so their first introduction to fresh snow was barefoot in pyjamas being chased by parents, similarly dressed, shouting warnings about the dangers of frostbite.

The future bond

As a ski trip is unlike many other types of holidays it develops a special place on the Family calendar. I have noticed that the family ski trip lasts well past leaving home and for many becomes as important as birthdays and Christmas, as an occasion to get together. I think it is because it is a shared passion and everyone can sit round the chalet dining table at the end of the day and share their stories. Or it could just be that the parents are paying and you can’t turn down a ski holiday.

Read about the rest of the trip
Part 1 : Part 2 : Part 3


If you are looking to book a holiday for your family, young or old, then give us a call and chat about your next trip – tel:01273466535


First ski holiday with children : Part 3 – Playing and relaxing

How I entertained my children when we weren’t skiing.

When you plan a holiday “relaxing” would probably appear in capital letters and a bold font in your word cloud. Another highlighted word will be your choice of activity, my guess is that for many people it would be “beach”. My choice is skiing. With its hot tubs, after exercise socialising and tranquil scenery this “extreme sport” holiday is a very relaxing way to spend a week, that is until you invite your young children along for the first time.

Read Part One      –       Read Part Two

The first few days of my holiday had already involved missed flights and manic rushes to ski school, allowing me to tick off the extreme part of my vacation checklist before I had even hit the slopes. I spent some time skiing with my wife, drinking wine and eating delicious food. Relaxing box ticked. This left me with only one part of the holiday brief left to fill, “Spending time with the Family”. Luckily in Méribel there is plenty to do to entertain the children.

Sledging

Playing with Albert Action

In my head sledging involved me standing around watching my 2 and 4 year old children slide down and then gleefully running back up with the sled in tow, repeatedly until exhausted. In reality it involved an argument over the sledge colour, me towing a convoy of child laden sledges across a variety of terrain followed by the children gleefully sliding down and me running back with a full sled in tow repeatedly until exhausted.

Like many other parents we also chose not to use the allocated tobogganing area to allow our children to play in. Instead we chose a spot that was less distance to get to but ultimately more perilous. This meant that in between being a human tow, I spent my time flinching and shouting “désolé” as a fine ballet of near misses involving skiers, snowboarders and underage sledgers was performed in front of me. Untill now I have often wondered who these type of families were.

Eating

In the UK there is no trust between restaurant owners and dinners, which is why we have seen a sharp decline, almost to the point of extinction, of the humble tablecloth. In France there is little evidence of the disappearance of either trust or tablecloths. For one lunch we headed to Le Refuge a favourite restaurant of mine that is full of tables with tablecloths on and delicious pizza.

I am the sort of parent that winces at badly behaved children in restaurants, when in fact it isn’t bad behaviour it is normal behaviour in an adult environment. When it comes to my own children I tend to eat fast, over compensate with politeness, while paralysed with embarrassment. With our children inevitably under the table tugging on a table cloth with more glassware than we currently own, I ate fast, apologised profusely and left with redder cheeks then I went in with.

Skiing

Outside of ski school I wanted to do some skiing with my daughter. The experience was similar to sledging in so much as I decided to return to the same location. Unsurprisingly after only two lessons she wasn’t quite ready for that mildly challenging red despite what my bravardad feelings were telling me. I spent a very happy afternoon towing my daughter up a mild incline and watching her straight line the slope while avoiding everyone that cut across her line.

Our 2 year old had made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t happy with the lack of skiing at the nursery he was attending. To make up for this I negotiated a loan of kit from my older child. He was thrilled and much better that I expected… maybe good enough for a difficult green?

Riding the lifts

It was agreed between us that on some of the afternoons one parent would head off and go skiing leaving the other to entertain the children. Sensibly, during her turn my wife opted for cake and games in the sanctity of the chalet. I thought I would show them the mountain. My goal was a voyage of discovery through the snowy peaks on gondola ships with a final destination of La Folie Douce. As a whole family we boarded the Saulire in Méribel centre.

Once at the top the doors opened and the wind rushed in to violate the safety of the telecabine. I realised quickly that this may not be the place for a 2 year old. Especially one that has a tendency to run towards the most perilous thing in the room, or beach, or field and now mountain top. As my wife skied away I bundled the children back into the lift where we spent an hour or so going round and round while we ate a picnic and spotted mummy an incredible amount of times.

For those of you that don’t know the Saluire Express passes over the top of the Folie Douce. We passed over it at least 6 times before I decide that it wasn’t my best idea to take the children there. They seemed happy enough in the bubble lift.

Just who you want share lift with!


There are loads of other things to do with your children when you are in Méribel : Ice Skating, swimming, soft play, Bowling and more. We were just too busy having our own fun to get round to doing it all.


Weekly Snow Report and Events in the 3 Valleys

The skies are looking moody in the 3 Valleys this week, as we eagerly anticipate the next snow fall. Conditions are still very good, with on-piste skiing compact and well groomed.

As we move into February, in preparation of the school holidays the children’s fun zones are really taking shape across the 3 Valleys. The Piste Inuit in Meribel’s Altiport is now up and running with lots of fun features and activities to entertain the whole family. The NEW Elements Park at the top of the Plan de l’homme chair lift, is also starting to take shape and we are awaiting the opening.

Temperatures are varied over the next 14 days with highs of around 8 degrees and lows of -3. However, towards the weekend we are seeing temperatures plummet with highs of -7 and lows of -11. Wind chill is forecast at a body shivering -18 for Saturday – don’t forget your ski buff!

Credit to: Snowforecast.com
Credit to: Le Meteo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credit to: Le Meteo

The Meribel valley currently has a reading of 23cm of snow at resort level (1450m) and 100cm at Altitude (2700m).

The Courchevel valley currently has a reading of 80cm at resort level (1850m) and 170cm at Altitude (2700m).

Avalanche risk is 2 out of 5

We want to keep you up to date with weekly events and happenings in the 3 valleys so here are some of the best bits to get you in the winter holiday spirit…

What’s on this week in Meribel

Monday 30th
Live Music
Jacks Bar: Jay Tamkin – 5pm
Meribar: Conor Owen – 4:30pm
Evolution: Mardy Johnny Depps – 10pm

Tuesday 31st
Market day in Meribel centre

Live Music
Jacks Bar: Daisy B – 5pm
Lodge du Village: Bring Your Sisters – 4:30pm
Meribar: Hobo Chic – 4:30pm
Evolution: Hobo Chic – 10pm
Scotts: Sian Hayley-Smith – 10pm
Doron Pub: The Slopes 11pm
O’Sullivans: Bring Your Sisters – 12am

Wednesday 1st
Live Music
Jacks Bar: The Mardy Johnny Depps – 5pm & Wingmen – 6pm
Meribar: Bring Your Sisters – 4:30pm
The Rond Point: Bubble & Crisp – 5pm
Lodge du Village: Hobo Chic – 4:30pm
Doron Pub: Wingmen 11pm

Thursday 2nd
Himalaya by night: night sledging 5:30pm – 7:30pm Meribel Mottaret

♫Live Music♫
Jacks Bar: Hobo Chic – 5pm
Meribar: Blazin Strings – 4:30pm
Lodge du Village: Rob Cross – 4:30pm
Doron Pub: Gareth & Westy – 11pm
La Taverne: Bubble & Crisp – 10pm
Lodge du Village: Two Far Cajon – 10:30pm
O’Sullivan’s: Mountain Movers – 12am

Friday 3rd
♫Live Music♫
Meribar: Wingmen – 4:30pm

What’s on this week in La Tania

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Last minute availability

If you like what you see and want to escape rainy England for the snowy Alps, then check out our latest offers and availability. We have limited spaces in Meribel and La Tania from the 18th February onwards. Hopefully we will be welcoming you to the 3 Valleys soon!

 

 

 

 


First ski holiday with children : Part 2 – Guilt and Ski School

My first ski holiday with children

In my last blog about our first family ski trip I wrote about how we manage to miss the flight despite staying overnight at an airport hotel. This blog continues the story of our holiday and picks up the trip after we landed in France ready for our transfer to Méribel. 

READ PART ONE HERE

Part 2 – Guilt and Ski School

We arrived at Grenoble airport and were warmly welcomed by Alpine Action driver Eddie who my children instantly fell in love with and obsessed about during the duration of our trip. “I can’t wait to get back to see Eddie at the chalet”, “It’s kind of Eddie to let us stay at his house”, “Who are those people cooking in Eddie’s kitchen?” and “Let’s make a card to thank Eddie for letting us stay”. How much Eddie appreciated this admiration is a question for him and how much Jack and Emily, our chalet hosts, appreciated playing Carson to Eddies Earl of Grantham we may never know.

During our trip we stayed in chalet Trios Coeurs

Ski School

Once in resort there is always some pre-ski admin to do and after the flight fiasco I wasn’t expecting a successful outcome. However, getting ski hire for a 4 year old was simple, as was getting free lift passes for the children along with booking into ski school and child care. I doubt this success was down to us and the behaviour of our children so the credit should go to the wonderful resort staff that helped us along the way. As a result of my many trips to Méribel we were also spared the usual “where is my chalet” moment that we all get in a new ski resort. However my wife was determined to engineer this by repeatedly asking if I knew where I was going.

The next thing on the agenda was introducing our children to snow. The last huge snowfall in the UK was in 2009, way before my children were born, making this their first time experiencing snow. There are many things you can do with snow such as skiing, snowball fights, snowman making or even sledging. The main priority for my children during their first encounter with snow was to eat it and they were determined to sample it from as many locations as possible. Due to my children’s partiality to consuming snow we spent very little time near the resort ponies.

Children’s mealtimes were a success thanks to “Eddies staff” and I was surprised by the ease at which the children went to sleep. I was unsurprised at the time they woke up in the morning. I think the last time I was up before the chalet hosts was when I was one.  I also suspect that in some parts of the resort some people were only just heading back to their chalet. But why wouldn’t you wake up early on a ski trip, going skiing is exciting!

Even though I had been awake since 4am, when the minibus arrived to take us to the ski school we weren’t quite ready. Quite means, one child undressed with ski boots on, one child fully dressed no shoes on running around in the snow, one parent not dressed still packing children’s day bag and one parent fiddling with his snowboard while wondering why no one else is ready.

Guilt

We arrived at the children’s ski school 10 minutes late. A quick glance around told us that we weren’t the only ones. My daughter who is 4 was going into ski school for the morning and was incredibly excited about her first time on skis. My son who isn’t old enough to ski was in the creche. Prior to our holiday we had talked about going skiing, watched it on the TV and role played the holiday, which with hindsight was a bit cruel as when we dropped him off at the nursery he soon realised that he wouldn’t be doing much skiing.

They say there are no friends on a powder day. Maybe there should be a saying that implies similar when referring to offspring on a ski holiday. Shortly after 9.30 am we found ourselves on the first chairlift of the day with the sun on our faces and the combined feelings of guilt and excitement. After few runs we nipped back to the nursery slopes and replaced the last few embers of guilt with pride as we saw our daughter skiing for the first time. We didn’t check on the other one.

Just before lunch we returned to collect the two children for an afternoon of sledging and hot chocolate drinking. One was over the moon that she had mastered skiing and loved every second of her time. The other was less impressed and greeted us with the opening remark  “Go skiing now?”.

Coming up in part 3 we relieve our guilt of spending the mornings skiing by attempting to do far to much stuff as a family in the afternoon.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page and the Alpine Action blog to find out how we got on during the rest of our ski holiday. To make sure you don’t miss the next instalment sign up to the Alpine Action Newsletter.


First ski holiday with children : Part 1

If you love skiing and love your family the inevitable will happen –  A family ski holiday.

I have been blogging for Alpine Action for many years and have been skiing for even longer. During the five winter seasons I did and the numerous ski holidays I have been on, I’ve been lucky enough to experience much of what the mountains have to offer. From backcountry to park, snowboarding to snowblading, I have never shied away from a challenge despite my limited ability. To be clear I am no Travis Rice or Bode Miller but I expect that even they may have met their match when it came to taking their children skiing for the first time.

I recently took my children, 2 and 4 years old, to Méribel on their first ski trip and it was probably my biggest and most rewarding ski challenge to date.

Part One : Catching a plane with children

Overnight in a hotel

I come from a place where the northern part of the county accounts for less than 0.001% of the UK population. As you can imagine we are not spoilt for choice when it comes to local flights to the Alps. We opted to drive to Gatwick Airport. As this was our first time flying as a family, and the departure time was early, we decided on an overnight stop in a hotel, just a mile from the airport. You can get a family room with 8 nights parking for less than £80.

We arrived at the airport just after 10pm, re settled the children and bedded down to an anxious night sleep. As I lay in the hotel room, semi asleep and refusing to empty my bladder in case I woke a child up, I recalled how we had traveled across Russia several times without calamity or missing a train, and safely navigated around India on public transport. However, we didn’t have 2 children when we did it.

“Can’t sleep to excited”

Getting to the car

As we were staying such a short distance from the airport we set our alarms, allowing ourselves two and a half hours to make our way to the departure lounge via the carpark, baggage drop, security checks and other airport distractions. Surely this was plenty of time.

Top tip : Shower the night before. No one knows why we all decided to shower in the morning. Possibly it was the convention of staying in a hotel room that everything must be used and evaluated. Time stolen 10 min.

Following the showers there was the predictable tantrum from a child that we still don’t really know the origin of. It could have been that she was woken up three hours earlier than normal, or that the only food we saw fit to provide was definitely not breakfast food. Time Stolen 7.5 min.

At home I know that even if the whole family only has shoes to put on before getting in the car it will still take over 5 minutes before we can leave. Somehow the reality never sunk in that room 568, the room we were in, was located at the exact furthest point away from the far corner of the car park where our vehicle was located. Time stolen 10 min.

Parking at the airport

The car had to be moved from the hotel car park to the longstay car park. Despite a short detour this part of the journey was achieved without incident. By this time we started to pay more attention to the time and realised we may not make the flight. As we pulled into the car park the shuttle bus was leaving. Time Stolen 1 min.

Frustratingly we were directed to zone X to park. We unloaded, made a note of the location and headed of to the bus stop. Panic started to set in as the time ticked on while we waited for the shuttle bus. When a bus did arrive all available space had been occupied and so it drove straight past us of to the airport. Time for an adult tantrum. 6 long minutes passed and another bus arrived and we headed to the terminal. Time lost 20 minutes.

We alighted the bus swiftly and with children on shoulders and baggage hanging from any available body part, the fast walk combined with short sprints was underway. With time ticking away the race with other passengers that I normally contain in my head became incredibly competitive and threatened to spill over into reality. During the journey to check-in one of our children presses the wrong floor on the lift, no one notices. Time lost 3 minutes.

Checking in

We had already checked in online and our e-tickets were on an app on my phone which meant that all we had to do was drop our big bag off at the bag drop. As the bag drop came into view so did the queue but that was never going to trouble us as the minute hand on the giant departures clock signaled that our check-in had closed 5 minutes ago and so ended our chance to get our bag on the plane.

The airline staff were great but there was nothing much they could do and it really was our fault that we had missed our flight. Of course we did consider abandoning a bag in an airport and making a dash for the departure gate although this course of action could have resulted in much bigger problems.

We arranged a flight for the next day and booked back into the hotel where we sat around feeling slightly embarrassed at our own incompetence. The next day we were at the airport 2 hours before check-in closed, relaxed and ready for our holiday. It also gave me a chance to research a future blog, “What to do in an airport with 2 children if you arrive 2 hours early”.

Despite all this we went on to have one of the best family holidays we have ever been on and are already planning our next family ski trip to Méribel.

READ PART TWO HERE

Keep an eye on our Facebook page and the Alpine Action blog to find out how we got on during the rest of our ski holiday. To make sure you don’t miss the next instalment sign up to the Alpine Action Newsletter.