Video of how things are in the winter..................

We love hearing from guests from a quick "thanks we had a great time" as their car leaves Les Allues to the repeat bookings which are starting to appear in our in-box. We shared a couple of weeks last season with a pair of Australians and although they are now back living the beach lifestyle in Sydney they sent us this video, thanks guys come back soon.

April skiing

Although there is just 2.5 weeks left of the season here in Meribel we are enjoying fabulous snow conditions. As to be expected by this time in April the lower runs have softer snow but thanks to recent snow falls we have been enjoying fresh snow over much of the area. These pictures were taken on Easter Monday:

Meribel sits at the heart of the largest connected ski area in the world but size is not everything. Meribel benefits from a great aspect giving the choice of sun and shade skiing through most of the day, and more than 70% of the ski area is found above 2,000 metres which means snow sure conditions throughout the season. Having said all of that the maintenance of the runs is something which the area takes very seriously both in winter and summer and is what makes the difference between a good resort and a great resort.

Every night a team of Pisteurs in their amazing machines groom, soften and spread the snow so next morning we have the pleasure of the best conditions possible. During the summer while the area is a playground for walkers, cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts  the ski runs are prepared, in some cases this involves being re-shaped, de-stoned and re-grassed so as to ensure the best possible snow cover in winter. The condition of a run impacts the level of difficulty, the picture below shows the targets the Pisteurs work towards. Notices are posted around the resort and at lift stations to show which runs have been groomed the previous night, you can also access this information on-line to help you plan your day. Just all part of the great service we receive here in The Three Valleys.

Worth getting up early for

During February and March the Meribel Lift Company; Meribel Alpina offer their "Matinale" activity which we participated in this week. Each Tuesday a group of 25 skiers have the pleasure of skiing on empty slopes above Meribel for an hour before the lifts open to everyone else. As if this is not enough temptation a delicious breakfast of cold meats, cheese, bread and pastries is served at the summit of Tougnette just as lifts become open to all


The 18 Euro cost and the effort to get up to Meribel by 8.00am is truly worth it, the sun is just making an impression on the pistes, there is silence aside from the whir of the Lifts and skiing piste after piste of untouched corduroy almost alone was an amazing experience. Next season we will be encouraging our guests to seize the opportunity to participate in this activity, in the meantime here are a few pictures we took.

The sun just starting to warm up the pistes

Empty, perfectly prepared pistes

The icing on the cake - a delicious breakfast

Recognition for Chalet Vache Bleue

Chalet Vache Bleue has been awarded the "Label Meribel" by the Meribel Tourist Office, this prestigious award is an independent classification system specifically for the Meribel valley that gives recognition to elements such as comfort, ambiance and decoration. Whilst many of the valley’s apartments and chalets already benefit from inclusion in the national tourist accommodation rating system (Chalet Vache Bleue is classified as 4 Star) this classification is based mainly on quantitative criteria (size of rooms, equipment etc), and does not sufficiently take into account the quality of accommodation.
The Méribel Label gives more importance to the quality of floor and wall coverings, It also takes into account the harmony of furniture, textiles and lighting as well as up-to-date bathrooms and kitchens. By going beyond the normal technical specifications, the Méribel Label guarantees quality apartments and chalets. We are very proud to have achieved this and are loving sharing what we have created with our guests.

 As most people would know Europe has been shivering lately and Meribel is no exception. The last 6 days have been incredibly cold requiring interesting ski tactics to survive a day in the elements. The snow is amazing, the deep base remains in great condition thanks to the cold temperatures, so it may be cold but it is worth venturing out. The pistes are quiet and although it is cold enough to freeze a finger to the camera here are a few a shots taken during the (ongoing) cold spell.

On the way home Chardonnet run

Aiguille Du Fruit taken from Ours run into Mottaret

Weather and more weather

An extraordinary amount of snow has fallen in Meribel since the second week of December but the last 24 hours has still caused surprise. Yesterday morning we skied on a soft layer of fresh snow in reasonable visibility on the lower slopes of the valley. 

Limited visibility especially higher up

In the afternoon we crossed over to Courchevel and by the time we had decided the visibility was not too great and the wind was increasing the lifts had started to close. As a result we endured a difficult descent from Saulire in high winds and almost zero visibility. By the time we reached Les Allues heavy snow was falling and abandoned vehicles were blocking the road. News from  Val d’Isère  was that the road from Bourg St Maurice was closed due to high winds and avalanche risk, by the early hours of the morning the storm reached Meribel causing mini cyclones of wind blown snow up and down the main street in Les Allues. At 4.00am power was cut and by morning everyone was realising how dependent they were on electricity and mobile phone connection.

Early morning snow clearing required to free the residents from this Les Allues Apartment

Sitting at home in the decreasing temperature seemed pointless so we set off for Meribel Village and skied away a couple of hours in soft fresh snow which continued to be topped up with ongoing fresh snowfalls. Loud explosions reverberated around the valley as the Pisteurs blast away the potential avalanche risk. Off Piste today was rated 5/5 which is extremely dangerous due to the amount of fresh snow and the added danger caused by the effect of the high wind overnight.
The following pictures were all taken around the Altiport and Meribel Village, not too many people about but an awful lot of snow. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

the snow keeps falling...........

Another snowy week in Meribel, the snow depth at the top is now over 2 metres. At any point in the season this is remarkable, to occur before Christmas is well like Christmas for everyone involved in the snow business. The conditions have created much work for the Pisteurs who not only have to groom the slopes but keep skiers and boarders safe from the threat of avalanches. the current risk is 4/5 and we have woken many mornings to the sound of blasting as detonators are set off to dislodge potentially unstable slabs of snow.
As safety work is in progress linlks in and out of the Meribel valley have been closed or at best slow to open in the mornings. Not to worry there is plenty of skiing to be had in Meribel and with such amazing conditions no one is complaining. One of the advantages of these conditions is that you explore areas you may have forgotten about or usually just fly past. On our last ski day the pick of the runs was la piste des animaux which is a lovely run through the trees at the Altiport. Complete with information posts and model animals it is a fun "bendy" run which is a bit more interesting than just flying straight down the wide Altiport run. It's tricky to find, the start is alongside the Col de la Loze chair but well worth seeking out and links straight into Lapin which ends in Meribel Village.

Start of Lapin run down to Meribel Village

Meribel Village looking very picturesque

Les Allues has not escaped the snow and we are woken every morning by the sound of the snow plough passing by. This morning the heated pavement in front of the office of the Marie was struggling to remain clear against the huge snowflakes which were falling. Last night a Carol service was held in front of the Village Bread oven - which was thankfully alight. Vin Chaud and mince pies were served until the cold got too much and most retreated to the pub to thaw out.

Carol sing a long Les Allues