Courchevel Archives - Page 8 of 8

Spring Skiing Q&A

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Jim Duncombe

The Spring Skiing Q & A

Is the skiing a bit rubbish in the spring months?

Last Year it was fresh powder and blue sky for two weeks. It almost got to the point that we all wanted the perfect conditions to stop so we could have a rest from skiing and crack out the factor 50. If that doesn’t happen this year the resorts still work hard to keep snow on the slopes. It can be a bit wet, under ski, but if you get up early the runs are perfect and often empty.

3 offpiste

My friend says that skiing in the spring is like skiing on a slush puppy, what flavour can I have?

It has always been recommended that you should never eat yellow snow, maybe you should try it in the spring when it is a bit slushy. Take a straw, it may taste of lemons.

Doesn’t everything in resort shut for in the spring?

Nope. Well it does when the lifts close for the summer, but that won’t be until the beginning of May. Although, the closing of resort can be a blessing in disguise, especially if you like to party. Many of the local watering holes throw epic ‘Drink the Bar Dry’ or ‘End of Season’ partys. Keep an eye out for closing parties at the ‘Ski Lodge‘ in La Tania and ‘Jacks‘ in Meribel, as they are always worth attending. Also the ‘Folie Douce’, Meribel, is already trying to convince people to head back to resort for its own end of season bash. If we base this on the piste side Après they have been throwing this winter then it could be worth putting something in your calendar.

Is it hot enough to ski naked?

It can be, and feel free to try it, and we doubt the French would mind. That said,here are 3 reasons not to:
1, The air may be warm air but the snow is cold, ice burns can hurt
2, The Three Valleys still have some button lifts, need we say more!
3, Due to the altitude and the thin air the sun is stronger than your normal sea level nudist beach, you may prefer to only have one set of burnt cheeks.

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Are there special skis for spring skiing?

If it is fresh powder everyday, then you may want to pack your wideboys. However, there are no specific skis for the spring conditions. You will find that your normal gear will work just fine. The snowboarders among you will be pleased to find out that spring conditions are lots of fun on your board as you can carve some fun turns on the piste. For the fan of the Snow Blade you may find that the spring conditions are not ideal for you, length is best for gliding along the spring snow.

Can I go swimming in the Lake?

You can but it is not that hot just yet. You can take part in some water based challenges. Find yourself a large puddle or small pond that is near a slope. The challenge is to get a good run up and see if you can make it across without getting wet. Check out the video clip below for some inspiration.

Can the Easter Bunny find me out in the mountains?

Easter is pretty early this year so it is a worry that the snow won’t have thawed at that time of year. The good news is that the Easter Bunny has a network of heated tunnels that run across the alps, so it will take a lot of snow to stop your chocolate oeufs being delivered. The other bonus is that the late spring skiing won’t coincide with school holidays.

Can I get cheaper stuff, like ski hire, if I go late in the season?

You may not get cheaper hire but you will find that there are some great prices for this years spring dates, have a look at our availability to see how much you could be skiing for. It could even be your second ski holiday of the year.

Can you could sum up why spring skiing is such a good idea in one sentence?

It feels OK to après a little earlier.

If you have any more spring skiing questions or answers please pop them in the comments below.

Posted in La Tania, Meribel, Ski | Tagged Apres Ski, Courchevel, easter, La Tania, Meribel, Q&A, spring skiing, three valleys

The Morris Family Ski Holiday – Part 1, Packing

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Jim Duncombe

Every month we will be sharing with you the tale of the Morris family ski holiday holiday.

Part 1 – Packing – “Do you want me to ski with you?”

We are getting ready for our annual ski holiday, it is two days until we leave and most things have been organised ready for our departure. The only thing left is packing. Normally this is a family activity, mainly so no blame can be laid when we arrive in resort to find out an essential piece of kit has been left behind.

This year an unexpected event has occurred and I have been left with the task of packing for the whole family. This also puts me in the position of shouldering any blame for anything left behind. This set up will leave most readers expecting at least another three hundred words before I reveal what I calamitously left at home. I shall not keep you in suspense that long. What I left behind was £750 worth of pre-ordered Three Valley lift passes.

Nothing says organised more than pre-ordered lift passes. Last winter at the end of our week skiing, our rep comes round to say that we need to return out lift passes in order to get our €3 deposit back. Or we could keep them and charge them up online before our next ski holiday. Always keen to try out new technologies and to save minutes in resort not having to order them from the rep, I vowed unconvincingly to myself that I would pre-order them next year.

I am notorious in our family for poor packing. On one holiday that revolved around us hiring a car for a trip around Spain I forgot my driving licence. It wasn’t until we were cruising across the Bay of Biscay that I discovered my error. I am notorious in our family for poor packing. On one holiday that revolved around us hiring a car for a trip around Spain I forgot my driving licence. It wasn’t until we were cruising across the Bay of Biscay that I discovered my error.”Where is your driving licence?”
“Safe.”
“Where safe?”
“My useful document folder, in the spare room, in the paperwork draw.” During the rest of the plane journey I learn that to hire a car you are required to prove that you can drive, and that the car hire people don’t just assume you can drive. This point was pressed home further by the lady at the Hertz desk at Madrid International.

It was easy to see the fear in my two sons voices as they were bundled into the family car to go and see my mother-in-law. The last words of our 16 year old was, “I want the Westbeach outfit not the 1980’s Prince Charles faded onesie”.
“They are back in fashion” I say.
“Do you want me to ski with you?” And with that I was left with our family’s holiday happiness in my hands.

I climbed down from the loft with the bag marked “ski stuff” and proceeded to check off an outfit for each family member. In my jacket pocket I found last year’s Three Valleys lift passes and remembered the words of our rep “Why not charge them up online next time”. Twenty minutes later I had charged our passes ready for our week away. I safely stashed them in my jacket pocket ready to surprise the family with at our chalet.

The family return late Friday night with good news about Gran. This was followed by all of them extracting from me exactly what I have packed for them for the following week. After an exhausting hour of interrogation which resulted in me having to producing two pairs of yellow tinted, scratched, CEBE goggles, just to prove I hadn’t packed them, I was finally allowed to go to sleep.

A flight, a misunderstanding at passport control, a coach transfer and a dinner with strangers later, it was time for our first day skiing.
“What the hell is this? Who packed the faded Prince Charles onesie?” I demand. My son pops his head round the door of our room, “What’s the matter with it? You said they are back in fashion.”
“Where is my North Face?”
“I may have repacked for you” says my son, “does this mean you won’t be skiing with us?”
“It is looking unlikely”.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Courchevel, holiday, Meribel, packing, prince charles, Ski, three valleys

What’s On Guide – Meribel and La Tania

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Jim Duncombe

Hello, Salute, Bonjour and welcome to the Alpine Action blog. We have dabbled in the past, but this time we are serious. Serious about blogging, but not always serious blogs. What you can expect is a mixture of info about the Three Valleys, comment, ski news, useful articles, interviews with a good dose of humour. If you like the sound of that then add us to your RSS feed or follow the blog. Most important of all, join in by posting your comments.

Below you will find the first of our monthly ‘ What’s On Guide’ that will tell you all you need to know about the big events in the Three Valleys, as well as smaller events going on in Meribel and La Tania. Make sure you have a look at what is going on before you head out to the mountains to make sure don’t miss out!

February – What’s On Guide

It is worth mentioning for those that don’t have children and can’t remember that much about school that February is half term for most UK schools. This year it starts on the 16^th for one week. There are also some schools having half term the week before but so few it’s really not worth worrying about. Also during these weeks many French schools will also be on holiday. You can expect busy resorts during the middle of the month. To avoid the crowds ski early and over lunch time, also ask your chalet host where the quietest runs are.

7^th Feb – Meribel

After 5pm during Après hour, just outside the Méribel tourist office, the resort is throwing a street party. There will be free mulled wine and a DJ playing the distorted euro pop out of tinny speakers! Not much to get excited about, I hear you say, but there is also a live band called Willie and the Bandits who are a UK Blues Band. They are not your usual Après band and are well worth checking out. We have seen them many times in the West Country, as they are regulars in many pubs during the summer season.

8^thFeb – Meribel

It has been 25 years since the Mont-Vallon ski area opened to the skiing public. Many a guest has spent a joyous time on the Mont-Vallon slopes. Many a guest has also spent a lot of time on the old Plattieres gondola, although the time was not so joyous. Fortunately the Plattieres has been replaced, saving skiers lots of time. To celebrate both the 25^th anniversary and the demise of one of the most torturous lift journeys in the Three Valleys, the resort of Meribel will be holding a celebration in Méribel-Mottaret from 7- 8pm. Highlights include free hot chocolate, (with or without popular local nun juice, Chartreuse) and a torchlight descent.

Feb 12^th – La Tania

This winter the world’s most culturally diverse festival, Mardi Gras, has teamed up with ultra conservative batter flipping day, Shrove Tuesday, to provide the earth’s population with what may become known as Triple –entendre day. Not one to miss an opportunity to throw a party, The Ski Lodge is holding a fancy dress “Carnival Party”. So dust of your non-stick outfit/frying pan and get ready to toss a few pancakes. Free toffee vodka, one would assume!

14^th Feb – Three Valley

St Valentines Day. So you have taken her on a ski holiday, that should cover it. Probably not. Giving her a heart shaped cookie the chalet host knocked up for afternoon tea probably won’t cover it either. A vat of melted cheese with bread on a stick, in a traditional mountain restaurant? You are now on to a winner. Ask your chalet host to recommend the best venue. Treat this as a reminder and a warning!

Feb 21^st – Courchevel

It has been 4 months since you stared at the sky and shouted “Oooooo, Ahhhhh, Weeeee”. If you find yourself in Courchevel from the 21^st February, then get ready to say it all again. Only this time you will mean it, as Courchevel hosts the International Firework Festival. Guaranteed to be better than Granddad’s back garden display where only 50% of the fireworks leave the plant pot! No sparklers allowed…ok, they are, but it’s strictly BYO!

Feb 23^rd – Meribel

Finally your chance to appear on Ski Sunday has come. The Audi FIS Ski World Cup Womens downhill event rolls into town. Dust of your most flamboyant bobble hat, set the Sky + and go and find where Graham Bell does his piece to the camera. Our tip is to head to the Chaudanne area as this is where the competition takes place. If anyone does get on Ski Sunday please send us the evidence so we can share it on our Facebook page, Chemmy Alcott need not apply!

Whatever you end up doing, whenever you are on your ski trip, please get in touch and tell us about your holiday.

Posted in La Tania, Meribel, Whats On | Tagged Apres Ski, Courchevel, Fireworks, Half Term, La Tania, Meribel, Ski Sunday, What's on, Womens Down Hill

Tag Archives: Courchevel

Spring Skiing Q&A

The Morris Family Ski Holiday – Part 1, Packing

What’s On Guide – Meribel and La Tania

Meribel Chalet Holidays

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