 Poster: A snowHead
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| Astontech wrote: |
I am concerned we may get bored with the skiing if we are there for 3 weeks.
How easy is it to get over to Meribel/VT from Moriond?
How many kms does the Courchevel side have? |
It is very easy to travel out of Moriond. 3 lifts away (Ariondaz, Aiguille du Fruit and Suisses) from the top of Saulire, from where you drop down into the Méribel valley. Add 2 lifts (Platières and Roche Brune) and you're ready to drop down into Val Thorens.
Also, the local Courchevel slopes are very varied. They're my favorite part of the area, there's a bit of everything.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Not sure how you could get bored with 3 weeks in the 3 valleys.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You will not get bored of the 3 valleys. I bought a place here for that reason - it’s massive, varied and a great lift system.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Maybe he will get bored with skiing...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Great, I’ll book the hotel. Let me know if anyone wants a beer at any point!
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Also, I forgot to mention that there are some very good, quiet slopes on the Moriond side. The reds off Chapelets are a real delight, super easy to lap and very quiet. Jean Pachod off Chanrossa (or the black) is also great for something a hair more testing.
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| Quote: |
@MHskier, VT has one of the longest seasons in the Alps and is open until May 3rd this season.
You will have absolutely no issue skiing their w/c 28th March. I will actually be there myself (staying in Les Menuires).
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Thanks - we've now booked wohoo - staying in the valley 12 min drive from Orelle so really loking forward to trying 3V for the first time. For fast intermediates (think 18 and 21 yr old lads who've skied a lot and like to cover a lot of ground) is the Val T and Les Menuires pass plenty in such a vast area and actually more realistic not to get stuck too far towards the other side ahead of last downloads to Orelle?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@MHskier, if you are first lift people you will probably want the full 3V pass. People comfortably ski from Courchevel to Orelle and back in a day, so the reverse should work equally well. But you can wait until nearer the time, just in case it turns out to be a really bad snow year
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| Quote: |
skied a lot and like to cover a lot of ground
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Definitely get full 3V pass.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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+ 1 for the 3v pass
We've been going to the area for 20 years - initially when the kids were really young. We used to stay in La Tania and would regularly leave the kids with a nanny, grab first lift from La T, ski over to Val T / Les Menuires and be back in time to take the kids out skiing / sledging at 1400hrs.
I think it's definitely worth the extra Euros for the 3v pass
Have a great time
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Another benefit of the 3V pass, even if you don't intend to travel far, is that it reduces navigational stress (you won't accidentally stray into areas for which you don't have a pass), and that it lets you travel along the ridge above Les Menuires using the better, north/northeast facing runs towards the Meribel valley rather than the sunnier, often icier/slushier runs on the Les Menuires side.
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Historically the cost of upgrading an area pass to a 3 Valleys pass for one day was more than the cost of the full 3 Valley pass for the week.
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You know it makes sense.
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One final thing, assuming no fresh snow for another week or 2, where is typically best to on piste ski?
I came out a couple years ago after a 2 week WARM dry spell and Courchevel seemed to hold up pretty well whilst meribel was boiler plate.
Where is typically best to head?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Lots of Courchevel holds up well, the pistes on the Meribel side of the ridge above St Martin hold their snow well and tend to get missed by punters, or Val Thorens or La Masse.
They generally look after the snow very well across the area and it has the best lift system in the world. It just makes it really easy to go anywhere quickly.
You can be unlucky - eg Chapelets in 1650 is a great run in good snow, but doesn't have cannons and can be utterly horrible.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Having gotten back recently from 3V, I can say the cost difference between the 3V pass and a local pass seemed minimum. And as alluded to already, it was never clear what lifts belonged to what area, unless you were obviously deep into an area and far away from any other. Sure, at certain spots you easily know you are in Maribel, or VT, or wherever. But in many areas it is not easy to know where one area starts and one ends. It truly is one large ski area, as opposed to different areas interconnected.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Skied last day yesterday.
Absolutely superb skiing all week.
A few runs are getting a little packed low down but generally excellent skiing for anyone heading out.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Yeh had a look now and buying at Orelle for a day at a time (hopefully if conditions good we'll be exploring some other areas too) the cost to full 3V area compared to VT only appears to be 10 euro pp which is fine.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@MHskier, It'd be worth comparing the cost of paying per day vs a longer 3V pass IMHO.
From a quick look its 71 Euro for a day VT pass, 6 day 3V is 409 ie 68 euros a day .....
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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First day skiing in Courchevel today, broadly great piste conditions. Especially around and above 1850.
The runs down to 1550 were icy this morning and not particularly enjoyable.
Same with a couple of runs on the far end of Moriond, it seemed quite wind scoured but easily avoidable.
Certainly enjoyed day 1 and looking forward to exploring more of the area.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I seem to recall there was a glacier area you could look into/under the ice last season? Is that still around and relatively safe to go look at? And then where is it 
cheers,
Greg
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Staying up in VT this week, so far it’s been extremely windy with hard packed, icy runs up that side of the valleys and gondolas not running. Went over to Meribel and Les Menuires today after being blown back up a run by 36 km/h winds (quite an odd experience!), and it’s completely different further down, much more enjoyable conditions.
Gotta say though, there were some absolute lunatics out in Meribel this afternoon - all 3 of our party got taken out from behind on the same busy run in to town by folks riding at dangerous speeds. We’re all pretty nippy advanced riders ourselves, so who knows what was going on there! Have the mountains gotten more savage or am I just getting olllddd?
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@YetiWrangler, definitely getting worse... everywhere.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| kitenski wrote: |
I seem to recall there was a glacier area you could look into/under the ice last season? Is that still around and relatively safe to go look at? And then where is it
cheers,
Greg |
There was, we visited it last January with our instructor. I went on the same trip this year and the same instructor thought that it had been "blown up" to stop people exploring.
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@kitenski, We checked back in December-it’s not there now, though whether that was by natural causes or blown up I don’t know!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks @stevew, and @Perty,
I'm out next weekend which looks snowy! but in case it changes I'm just checking over my 2024 escapade route.
I see on the latania website they say:
NEW FOR 2026 IS THAT GRANDES COMBS AND TORTOLLET ARE ADDED
I can see Tortollet lift in Les Menuires, does that help the route at all, or is it a mandatory lift?
Last time I did it I just stayed on the Violettes piste to Point De La Masse, would Tortollet speed up getting to Point de La Masse?
and is Grand Combes an additional mandatory lift now vs going down to Tovets which I did last time?
Cheers for any advice!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Another great day over Courchevel way, pistes still in good condition except for down to 1550. I’m in the gondola back up to 1850 right now and heard multiple loud scrapes and witnessed falls as people try to make their way back down.
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| Astontech wrote: |
| Another great day over Courchevel way, pistes still in good condition except for down to 1550. I’m in the gondola back up to 1850 right now and heard multiple loud scrapes and witnessed falls as people try to make their way back down. |
That's such a shame as that is a really fun piste in half decent snow. You do mean 1550 and not 1300?
It featured in the original 3 Valley Rally race one year in the early 90s. It was mogulled, but had a foot of fresh stuff on top - that was 'interesting' trying to ski it as fast as possible.
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You know it makes sense.
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| JDL65 wrote: |
| Astontech wrote: |
| Another great day over Courchevel way, pistes still in good condition except for down to 1550. I’m in the gondola back up to 1850 right now and heard multiple loud scrapes and witnessed falls as people try to make their way back down. |
That's such a shame as that is a really fun piste in half decent snow. You do mean 1550 and not 1300?
It featured in the original 3 Valley Rally race one year in the early 90s. It was mogulled, but had a foot of fresh stuff on top - that was 'interesting' trying to ski it as fast as possible. |
yep 1550, the ones that leads to the gondola. Was very tricky.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Astontech wrote: |
| JDL65 wrote: |
| Astontech wrote: |
| Another great day over Courchevel way, pistes still in good condition except for down to 1550. I’m in the gondola back up to 1850 right now and heard multiple loud scrapes and witnessed falls as people try to make their way back down. |
That's such a shame as that is a really fun piste in half decent snow. You do mean 1550 and not 1300?
It featured in the original 3 Valley Rally race one year in the early 90s. It was mogulled, but had a foot of fresh stuff on top - that was 'interesting' trying to ski it as fast as possible. |
yep 1550, the ones that leads to the gondola. Was very tricky. |
Tovets? That is a terrible run in the best of times. As is Amoureux down to Le Praz ... unless it's covered in 30 cm of fresh snow.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| franga wrote: |
| Astontech wrote: |
| JDL65 wrote: |
| Astontech wrote: |
| Another great day over Courchevel way, pistes still in good condition except for down to 1550. I’m in the gondola back up to 1850 right now and heard multiple loud scrapes and witnessed falls as people try to make their way back down. |
That's such a shame as that is a really fun piste in half decent snow. You do mean 1550 and not 1300?
It featured in the original 3 Valley Rally race one year in the early 90s. It was mogulled, but had a foot of fresh stuff on top - that was 'interesting' trying to ski it as fast as possible. |
yep 1550, the ones that leads to the gondola. Was very tricky. |
Tovets? That is a terrible run in the best of times. As is Amoureux down to Le Praz ... unless it's covered in 30 cm of fresh snow. |
it was proveres
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I’m reading the piste map and a little confused when looking at the Jardin Alpin bubble. Is it indicating that there are 2 stops along the route before the top of the gondola?
Is it the same thing with Rhodos in meeibel? A stop along the way before the top?
I’m thinking of heading over to Meribel tomorrow with my nervous partner. Probably around altiport for ease. Can anyone recommend a good restaurant around there please? It doesn’t need to be overly fancy, just a good atmosphere, some good food and wine.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Astontech wrote: |
I’m reading the piste map and a little confused when looking at the Jardin Alpin bubble. Is it indicating that there are 2 stops along the route before the top of the gondola?
Is it the same thing with Rhodos in meeibel? A stop along the way before the top?some good food and wine. |
Yes, Jardin Alpin has two stops before the top. As well as the ski slopes it serves the many chalets along the route.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Astontech, yes, the Rhodos bubble also has one intermediate stop.
The Altiport area in Meribel is great for nervous sliers but it can be tricky to get them there from Courchevel. There are 4 choices. The easiest ski option is the Boulevard de la Loze piste, but it is often closed. The other two blue pistes (Pic Blue? and Biche?) both have a steep pitch which nervous skiers may not like. The 4th option is to take the Saulire cable car up from Verdons and then immediately take the Saulire Express bubble down to the mid-station, from where it is an easy ski down to the Altiport pistes.
There is a restaurant just down from the Rhodos bubble top station. Not been there for years, but it always seem popular.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thank you!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@sparkzter,
| sparkzter wrote: |
@offpisteskiing,
It was me and my friends that got the guy in equinox. We saw them coming along the ridge and watched them as we had an idea it was going to slide on them. |
Have dropped you a message via the messages function here - I am in the process of adding the avalanche to the data-avalanche.org database but wanted to confirm one or 2 details with you for accuracy.
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Was there last week and saw evidence of two avalanches in that area. Just out of interest, are you referring to the large one right down from almost the top, or the small one further to the left as viewed from the Pyramides drag-lift?
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I'm in Meribel from Fri until Wed. I'm staying up near Rond Point, any recommended evening restaurants around there?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| offpisteskiing wrote: |
@sparkzter,
| sparkzter wrote: |
@offpisteskiing,
It was me and my friends that got the guy in equinox. We saw them coming along the ridge and watched them as we had an idea it was going to slide on them. |
Have dropped you a message via the messages function here - I am in the process of adding the avalanche to the data-avalanche.org database but wanted to confirm one or 2 details with you for accuracy. |
I’ve replied. Get in touch if you need anything else.
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| kditrj2d wrote: |
| Was there last week and saw evidence of two avalanches in that area. Just out of interest, are you referring to the large one right down from almost the top, or the small one further to the left as viewed from the Pyramides drag-lift? |
It’s the one to the right we were involved in.
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FAQ
If you enjoy skiing it would be impossible to bore yourself there in a season! 
