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

2012/13 - The season that really was very, very white

As we start to experience winter in Sydney - OK it's 22 degrees and sunny in Sydney but we have had 2 days of fog - and the Alps start to feel stronger rays of sunshine it seems a good time to look back on last season before moving onto the next.

When we arrived at the end of October there was already a decent covering of snow on the higher peaks and our swap from sandals to hiking boots was swift. By the time the lifts opened on 8th December more than 2 metres of snow sat at the top of the lifts and almost 1 metre at the resort level. Those wanting a white Christmas were not disappointed and snow chains were getting a good workout even at the Les Allues level.

First snowy walk in early November

January is always a special time; the slopes are quiet and it's a great time for those working in resort to catch their breath. For most I suspect lie ins were forsaken for frequent trips up the mountain as we enjoyed powder day after powder day. In January we also had our first taste of temperature inversions where it felt so cold getting on the bus at Les Allues that a short ski day was being mentally planned. As if by magic it was warmer the higher we went and those short days became long days enjoying magical conditions.

Temperature inversion - warmer at the top than in the valley

February can be summed up in two words - cold and snow. We experienced a minus 28 degree skiing experience in Val Thorens which presents an interesting dilemma of - do I ski faster to get to the hot chocolate stop sooner or do I slow down because the faster I ski the colder it feels. We didn't reach a conclusive decision on the best course of action except to say don't venture over to VT when it's already showing minus 12 on the thermometer at the base of the lifts in Meribel. The snow fell throughout February and many guests enjoyed the best half term skiing in memory. The resort was busy but the amazing size of the area and the efficient lift system kept everyone moving and away from the main centres  which meant we still found empty runs to enjoy

Minus 12 at the bottom of the lifts

Towards the end of February we did start to see the temperatures rise and thought "is this an early Spring"? No not at all, it lasted a few days and then started snowing, heavily, again. As Easter fell at the end of March/start of April the talk of the resort from confirmed Easter skiers was "never seen anything like it". Well into April spring skiing made an occasional appearance but as fast as layers of clothing were being discarded the clouds were gathering and more snow fell.

Ist April, Meribel Altiport and the snow keeps coming

The unpredictability of the weather is always part and parcel of a ski holiday. Whether you are a Skier or a Rider the changing conditions are what keeps you challenged and what makes the sport so addictive. We had dream conditions with so much snow but I think it would be fair to say many people took more tumbles than usual due to the huge amounts of powder and the sales of fat powder skis sky rocketed in the Alps. 

So looking forward to next season with a hope that it will be even better than 2012/13 or failing that half as good would do. One thing is certain the whole of the Three Valleys area will do everything possible to ensure you have a great experience and at Chalet Vache Bleue we will do everything within our power to provide you with a modern,comfortable base for your time in the snow. Look forward to seeing you next year.

Meribel - not a bad place to call your office

At the end of the first week of April and the snow continues to fall here in Meribel, Spring has definitely gone awol this year and we have been making the most of the superb conditions. last week we shared a chairlift with a member of the Ski Patrol who together with the Pisteurs and the Lift Attendants play a huge role in keeping our playground safe and in tip top condition. 

The huts where these workers are stationed can be a valuable source of information as has been mentioned in previous posts, they are also often decorated with a certain "personal touch" by the workers who call the huts their office. A bit like office workers decorating their cubicles at work the styles and intensity vary, here are a few pictures taken around the Three valleys:

Homemade but effective telescope set up to show piste users the highlights of the surrounding Alps

Fun for visitors from all corners of the globe, we couldn't spot any Australian locations though 

Always my favourite hut at the top of the Creux Noirs Chairlift in  Courchevel

Look carefully there is a "Avalanche Dog" inside this igloo. On bad weather days he was kindly taken inside the hut at Chatelet Chairlift and placed in the window

At the top of the Lagopede Piste in Meribel the workers have kindly provided "toilet facilities. OK the Ladies is just a door but at least they tried.

I can't explain this except to say it is in Les Menuires

At the end of the season the Pisteurs also take part in a race which showcases their incredible skills of being able to ski whilst pulling a sledge affectionately known as a "Blood Wagon" amongst piste users. They complete the race in pairs through a slalom course and are required to swap positions half way down the course. We managed to be on the Roc de Fer chairlift at the right time to see the spectacle.

At the start - no injured bodies required just bales of hay

Skiing down this piste is hard enough, controlling a "Blood Wagon" as well takes real skill

As we enter the last few weeks of the season the next post will be a round up of how the season went for Meribel, the Three valleys area and Chalet Vache Bleue.

How to avoid getting lost

The last post covered some tips to stay safe when visibility becomes limited, it proved to be quite timely as we have been dealt a few bad visibility days since the post was published. In between we have had more snow and some lovely sunny days which can tempt many to make the most of the huge skiing area here in the Three Valleys. So in this huge area how do you find your way around?

Piste Map:

Freely available everywhere, you can even get one printed on a lens cloth. The entire 3 Valleys is on one side of the map, the other side shows one of the Valleys in a larger scale which is much easier to read. The larger scale side will show the Valley where you picked up the map so as you move between the valleys it is a good idea to pick up a new map. The Piste Map also has the closing times of the lifts so no excuse to miss the last lift.

The 3 Valleys App:

This puts a wealth of information at your fingertips whilst you are on the go or sitting at home planning your day. It's a free App which includes webcams, suggested routes, weather conditions plus much more. Better than a brochure and it can track your progress around the ski area, available through the Apple App Store

Sign boards:

At the top and bottom of the major lifts there are signboards which give you information relating to lifts and the pistes they give you access to. Opening and closing times, status of runs, weather conditions, a clock (again no excuse to miss the last lift) the current avalanche risk rating and direction information to get to other valleys are usually included as standard. In addition you will often see blackboards or whiteboards as in the picture below, with additional information such as which runs are groomed and sometimes the Pisteurs suggestions for "Piste of the Day". If the weather turns nasty the blackboards are where information relating to the best way home are posted so be sure to read them. If bad weather is expected you will see messages relating to the sudden closure of links between the Valleys, pay particular attention to these as lifts can close as suddenly as the weather changes.

Lots of additional information written by the Lift operators each day

Maps showing the pistes available to you can be found at the base of each lift

Piste Markers

Probably the most obvious source of information about where you are can be found on the Piste poles. The colour of the pole tells you which grade of piste you are on and every couple of poles there will be a pole with the name of the piste on. Where there are numbers these count down as you move down the piste so if you are on a nasty black piste and the number reads "15" you have a way to go! The numbers are very important if you need to report an accident or summon help, also handy to identify exactly where on  a piste you are if you become separated from your group and someone calls you and asks that infernal "where are you" question.

Some piste markers also include the name of the ski are as this one does in Les Menuires

Finally one of the best sources of information are the people around you in particular the Lift Operators and Piste Patrols. They ski the area daily, most of them have lived locally for years so don't be afraid to ask for help or advice. All lift stations carry maps and will point out to you exactly where you are. In addition to staff at the start and end of each lift you will also see huts like the one below where the Piste Patrols are stationed, don't be afraid to knock on the door and ask, none of them bite - not even the Avalanche dogs who will often be inside waiting to be sent out to do their very important work.