 Poster: A snowHead
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I Ski all around the world, but when the snow is good, I think Meribel, when you know it, can compare to the best around for off piste skiing,.
Why, in reviews does it always fall short in this area?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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thebrownslug, welcome to sH. Not skied of piste in Meribel - but thought the terrain looked good when I visited all too briefly last month.
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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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Thanks Achilles, I dont think there have been many Meribel visitors on this site!
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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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thebrownslug, A few of us went over to Meribel from Val Thorens at various times during the EOSB. My brief, solo, visit really was brief- just a drop down to Mottaret- and conditions for off-piste skiing was not great at the time.
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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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| thebrownslug wrote: |
| Thanks Achilles, I dont think there have been many Meribel visitors on this site! |
Welcome to snowheads. If you substituted Cerro Castor for Meribel you may be right but I've got a feeling that plenty of people have skied Meribel though it is fair that the 3 vallees don't tend to have the same rep for offpiste as neighbouring areas - no idea why this is.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Agreed Cerro Castor looks like its worth a visit, I rate Snowbird in Utah as the best Off Piste area I have visited!
I should have compared Meribel to the better known European Off Piste resorts Cham, St Anton, Verb - It is just as good and when the powder is there, the off piste routes are very quiet!
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thebrownslug, probably because it is thought of as an intermediate resort? Quite often such places are all the better for off-piste skiers - because the areas readily accessed by the lifts don't get trashed so quickly.
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I am a 99% Verbier person as we have a shack in the vicinity.
Verbier has a top reputation for off piste as we know.
This season I stayed a few days with a friend who has a house on Lake Annency and we drove to Meribel three days, two of which were powder, pure powder.
I have to say I was very impressed with Meribel/Mottaret for off piste, it took a lot longer to get tracked out than Verbier would have. The huge number of punter skiers who stayed on piste at all times meant that you really didn't have to go far to find the goods.
I've never seen so many skiiny skis. My Factions, which are 112 underfoot, attracted lots of "waterski?" comments, they were by far the widest things I saw, my friend tried to rent some fatties and Black Crows (100 underfoot I think) were the widest he could find anywhere. In Verbier those Factions wouldn't get a second glance, even on an icy day!
So in my limited experience thebrownslug, I'd agree....it is underatted, but don't tell evrybody if you want to enjoy it!
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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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thebrownslug, there is loads of off piste skiing in the Meribel valley, just keep it to yourself 
FYI There is an excellent guidebook on classic offpiste descents in the Three Valleys. look up Les Cles des 3 Vallees by Didier GIVOIS it may show you some routes you didnt know about. Also one of our contributors here offpisteskiing runs tours and lessons in Merible and surrounding valleys.
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poo-poo! Glad you agree with me! I think I should remove this chat - the cat is out - moderater
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Too late. But really I am surprised anyone should think it little known. I have skied it now and then for about 20 years. It gives access to the other two valleys quite easily as well, especially Val Thorens which I think is at least as good off piste, but doesn't have the advantage of being the hub. In particular there is good off-piste off the ridge between Meribel and Courchevel (including the top end by the Col du Fruit) and there are some nice descents off Mont Vallon.
Purely for the skiing I suppose the Mottaret part of the village is in the better position.
And yes, in conjunction with a 1:25,00 map, the Les 3 Vallées Hors-Piste book (dual French/English) is good - though occasionally slightly ambiguous.
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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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I have located the les cles des 3 Vallees on the net, does 42.5 Euro sound about right?
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It's a long time since I bought mine but that sounds rather high - perhaps they have made a coffee table version with lots of photos - like the one for La Plagne/Les Arcs I bought recently, or perhaps I'm just out of touch with prices. If it is still by publishers Vamos I suppose it is the only one now. Anyone know? Mine is 6 1/2" tall and could go in the back-pack (though to be honest I'd hesitate to use it as the only guide on a new route.
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You know it makes sense.
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thebrownslug, there are two versions, a black and white small one and the larger colour coffee table one with better photos... if it the the big one 40 Euro is about right
i would get the big one and use it to help route plan with your proper maps....
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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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ok, good advice thankyou i will wait untill my next visit to les 3 Vallees and purchase there!!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In resorts not known for off piste a good guide will usually find you untracked powder weeks after the last snow if the weather has allowed any to survive anywhere.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 21-05-09 22:04; edited 1 time in total
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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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Yes fair one! I noticed that was the case in Zermatt, but i put that down to the fact the Zermatt crowd just wanted to cruise the pistes and say they were skiing on the Horn! I guess its similar in the 3 v's!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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And the 3 valleys and Zermatt are, to different extents, known for their off piste (thus the books). If you go to areas like the Haute Maurienne you practically don't see another track, except near the pistes.
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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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Adrian That link is going to provide loads of interesting reading thanks!
Snowball I'm not having much luck researching Haute Maurienne - can you point me in the right direction please?
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double post
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Sun 24-05-09 3:08; edited 1 time in total
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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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great, I have located a Saturday to Saturday hut to hut trip around the haute maurienne with Jagged - globe! anyone think this is a good or bad idea?
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In Kitzbuhel I was finding fresh powder during half term all the way through the day after a storm. Of course you won't find extremely gnarly terrain like at Val D'Isere but you can find a couple of gnarly chutes and couloirs.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hey I noticed a couple of you guys have had a tele chat! Check out you tube 'kenneths stag 09' the second half of the vid is quite interesting
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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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I must admit I didn't know there were huts are in the Haute Maurienne. I've just stayed at Val Cenis and been mini-bussed around by our guide. Or there are local buses you can use.
Why not give us the URL link for the youtube vid.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Yes It looked like it was a mild day
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FAQ
I would have expected it to have lasted for the whole day, like Wengen... 
But hats off to the skiing. Oh, he didn't have a hat? Well, something else, then 
