Exciting news for American visitors to Meribel

Meribel has long been considered a "British" resort and whilst it certainly is popular with British visitors their dominance is challenged now by visitors from throughout Europe and beyond. Since opening Chalet Vache Bleue we have welcomed guests from far and wide including; Russia, USA, Holland, Ireland and of course Australia in addition to Britain.

The USA is home to a wide variety of ski resorts however the Three Valleys has been steadily gaining popularity with American Skiers and Riders and this week that received a boost with the following announcement:

"The 2013-14 Epic Season Pass from Vail Resorts recently added five free days of skiing and riding at Les 3 Vallees in France, an area that includes resorts at Courchevel, La Tania, Meribel, Brides-les-Bains, Les Menuires, Saint Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle."

For visitors from USA the journey to Meribel is not quite the hop it is for British guests but we promise a warm welcome at Chalet Vache Bleue and like our Australian visitors the longer journey time is the ideal excuse to stay for longer than the usual one week. When we designed Chalet Vache Bleue one of the key factors we had in mind was our own experiences of "long stay" ski holidays. The result is a Chalet in which you can happily stay for more than the usual one week so we are delighted to hear about this change to the Epic Season Pass and look forward to hearing more American accents out on the slopes.

Winter is just around the corner

First day of Spring today in Sydney which means the first day of Autumn in France, winter is not far away! In Meribel the summer season is drawing to a close and although that usually means a quiet period before the winter preparation commences in ernest we do have some winter related news to share.

No new lifts for Meribel Valley this season which is hardly surprising given the huge investment over the preceding few seasons. Changes will occur to some of the runs and an improvement to facilities. Regular readers of this Blog will know I love to ski the Moon Wild Piste at the Altiport which is populated with life sized animal models and useful facts about the animals and their habitat. Great news then that even more animals will be added this season and that the start of the Piste will be changed slightly - hopefully to avoid the confusion which currently exists between the start of the Piste and the Loze chairlift.

New animals will be arriving soon

Also over at the Altiport another one of my favourites the Louveteaux Piste will become the base for an Inuit Village. This sounds like serious competition for the Indiens Piste over in Courchevel 1650!

The Doron Piste which leads to Chaudanne from the upper areas of Meribel will benefit from widening this year. It's never been a pleasant run so lets hope this eases some of the problems caused by the traffic it receives and the way the conditions seem to move from icy in the mornings to soft snow once the sun hits it.

Over on the other side we have a brand new Piste thanks to the World Cup events. Originally Grand Duc and the bottom half of Escargot this Piste is now to be known as Roc De Fer. In 2015 this will be the site of the World Cup Finals so take the opportunity to Ski/Ride it now before the experts are let loose.

Finally not a Piste change but something we have long been hoping for; the addition of a covered area where you can eat a picnic or simply wait to meet up with friends out of the elements. Situated within the Saulire Express building at Chaudanne this rest area is a great move forward and hopefully means in the future we can see more being provided throughout the Meribel Valley.

Love a picnic but a warm spot will be appreciated when the weather is not kind

Next winter starting to take shape

It may only be the first day of August but as the temperature is heading north slightly here in Sydney and we have experienced our first electric storm for quite a while it must be time to start thinking of the next ski season. During the summer months there are a huge number of activities to enjoy in the Alps, this weekend is traditionally one of the busiest but it's not just holidaymakers out in the sunshine there is a tremendous amount of work being done getting the Three valleys area ready for next season. 

Last year the Courchevel ski area announced a seven year plan which included investing over €118 million in lift improvements, piste improvements and enhanced facilities. Given the economic situation across Europe this was seen as a significant investment plan. The first changes were seen last season and included the new Biollay Chair with increased capacity and speed and a slightly changed arrival point which opened up more possibilities when reaching the top. The seven year plan is continuing this year with significant changes around the La tania sector. Not all changes will be in place for next season but when complete will see the old La Foret Gondola, Cretes Chair and Praz Juget drag being removed completely. Of particular interest to Meribel based holidaymakers is the likelihood that the old (and slow) Col de la Loze chair will be dismantled. We use this chair on a regular basis on the way back to Meribel and whilst it is slow - and the exit point somewhat precarious - it is a lovely spot in the sunshine so it looks like just one season left to enjoy the quaintness before it is put into retirement.

Some of the improvements in the Courchevel area are distinctly "cosmetic" and of course there is nothing wrong with improving the visual improvement of the resort. Last month the 2nd Saulire cable car was taken off site for a little glitz to be added to its appearance. Not something you want to get stuck behind on your way down to the shops.

The good news is not restricted to investment in Courchevel. The Société des Trois Vallées (S3V)  who operate the Méribel-Mottaret ski area have announced a € 62 million investment plan. The details are not yet clear but such a significant investment shows the level of confidence in the future of the area which is a clear sign that things will just keep getting better for Meribel. This latest news means that S3V are the leading investors in ski areas across the whole of France.  


More news on what changes will mean to visitors this winter season will be posted over the coming months.

The Tour features some serious climbing and news from Meribel

The Tour de France rolls out of Gap in a couple of hours time for a stage which involves climbing and not surprisingly some tricky downhill sections as well. The town of Gap is the capital of the Hautes-Alpes and is located on the Napoleonic route that goes from Golfe-Juan to Grenoble. The history of the town is certainly rich, a commemorative plaque on the rue de France marks the place where in 1815  Napoleon stopped on his return from the Island of Elba. In 1692 the town was set alight and destroyed by the Duke of Savoy's troops. Today things are a bit quieter, Gap is the business Capital of Alpes de Sud and is home to "The Domaine de Charance" a large garden where you can admire a collection of over 1,000 varieties of roses.

No time for the Tour riders to stop and smell the roses today as they have to climb Alpe d'Huez not once but twice. As with many routes where the Tour has passed before the road is painted with the names of many great cyclists who have gone before them. The climb of Alpe d'Huez is notorious and has been the scene of many decisive battles in Tour history. The addition of the extra climb and a potentially dangerous descent is making this stage much talked about and no doubt there will be a few blurry eyes turning up for work in Sydney tomorrow morning.

As the Tour rumbles on Summer is well and truly underway in Meribel with a huge range of activities on offer some more relaxing than others! The Tourism office publishes a 2 week program which is available in English as well as French and is available through their web site: www.meribel.net

The sun is shining in Meribel so why not consider seeing for yourself how beautiful the mountains are even without their snowy coats on

The Tour kicks off.........

The Tour de France is now underway; the race is currently in Corsica but will move to the French mainland tomorrow. This is the 100th Tour de France and comprises 21 stages making a total distance of 3,404 km. As usual there are several Mountain Stages including a couple of stages within easy reach of Meribel. 

Tour de France route 2013

The idea behind the race came from Géo Lefèvre, a journalist with L’Auto magazine. His editor, Henri Desgrange, was bold enough to believe in the idea and threw his backing behind the race soon to be known as The Tour de France. The first race commenced on 1 July 1903, sixty riders set out on their bicycles from Montgeron. After six stages including one of 471 km only 21 riders remained, and the Tour de France was born.


The Tour soon gained admiration from the public – sporting and spectator alike. The crowds that lined the route grew and the event became a great opportunity for the Villages and Towns the Tour passes through to showcase their individuality be it the scenery, their local food, wine or customs. The areas the Tour passes through are well aware of their role in the greatest free show on the planet.

The rules of the Tour and how a winner is decided are not simple; in fact the rulebook for this year runs to 41 pages. There are some obvious rules such as you must wear a helmet and it is forbidden for any rider to cross a closed level-crossing (riders who do so will be disqualified by the stewards). My favourite rule though is the very last one – Rule 32, which states that the rules will be written in French.As the sport grapples with the use of drugs in sport debate many feared that the Tour would no longer be able to attract the number of spectators and interest. It’s hard to say at the moment but the spectator numbers in Corsica certainly seem no less than one would expect to see. As the Tour reaches the area around Meribel we will post again with an update on how the race is shaping up. In the meantime late nights will be the order of the day for Australian Cycling fans eager to get their Cycling and French fix via coverage from SBS.

Corsica providing a beautiful backdrop 

Summer in Meribel - Mountain Biking

Just as with winter sports Méribel forms part of the huge 3 Vallees area for summer sports. One of the biggest summer attractions for many is the huge number of Mountain Bike Trails in the area with beautiful Alpine scenery thrown in including of course cows and their bells.

Just as with snow covered pistes there is a classification system to differentiate the easier trails from those more suited to the advanced riders.  Although the national Park is off-limits Meribel alone has approximately 100 km of Mountain Bike trails, within the other 3 Valleys resorts there is over 100km more, plenty to keep the most devoted Mountain Biker happy.

To make life easier there are a couple of hire shops that can help you out with a bike or other pieces of equipment you may need, including bike servicing if required. Don’t worry about how hard it can be to reach the summits during July and August the Tougnette 1 & 2 lifts and the Pas du Lac lifts are open. Check times with the Tourist office. These lifts are of course available to hikers or anybody who simply wants to enjoy the view from the top.

Les Allues is the location of one of the 3 Bike Washing stations and as a real village rather than a purpose built ski resort does not become a ghost town once the snow starts to melt. Chalet Vache Bleue is open for bookings during the Summer – weekends, short breaks or longer, if you would prefer to be a part of something a bit more organised for your Cycling experience we have contacts with catered Chalets who offer Cycling holidays get in touch for more information.

The forecast today for Meribel is a sunny 24 degrees, the air is clear and the mountains are simply stunning in the summer so what are you waiting for?

Lac Tueda Meribel