 Poster: A snowHead
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| Dyrlac wrote: |
| Sigh. All models lining up for a positively hot HT week. My fair weather skiiers will be delighted but hope Alpina/CdAs are using the temps this week for snowmaking to good effect. |
From a quick glance at GFS it's only forecasting about 5 above average so should be a great weeks skiing with a chance of sitting in the sun with a beer/coffee at the end of the day!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Forecast still looks reasonably cold in VT next week. Between -3 and -8 until Wednesday (15th) at least, so this will be cold enough to have the cannons running overnight if needed.
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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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| kitenski wrote: |
| Dyrlac wrote: |
| Sigh. All models lining up for a positively hot HT week. My fair weather skiiers will be delighted but hope Alpina/CdAs are using the temps this week for snowmaking to good effect. |
From a quick glance at GFS it's only forecasting about 5 above average so should be a great weeks skiing with a chance of sitting in the sun with a beer/coffee at the end of the day! |
Hence my fair weather skiers' delight (although I personally will count myself lucky if I don't talk myself into some acquiring some skinnier skis). It would be helpful though if we could also arrange to avoid a thaw-freeze cycle on Faon -- Lievre so my missus doesn't have a repeat of last time (usual sheet ice the whole way down, nearly caused her to give up skiing entirely) for the return from our annual en masse trip to St Martin for lunch on the Friday. @Raceplate, you're always amazing with routings, is there an achievable download option/gentler alternative to Faon (which is going to be scraped all to hell with Choucas being closed) into Chaudanne from the top of St Martin 2; zigzagging up toward Val T is fine as long as the intervening pistes are suitable for someone who really would prefer to spend all week lapping Jardin Alpin in 1850 in between coffees?
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I've asked on the other thread but had no responses. But does anyone have any red piste recommendations in VT for my wife, who is a intermediate lacking confidence and mainly sticks to blues. She's expressed a desire to begin to push herself again, as she happily skied reds when younger.
Would be good to start with an "easy" red to help build confidence?? Any suggestions? I know that a lot of it is in her head but if she can get a few laps under her belt it will help.
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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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| Roscoe wrote: |
I've asked on the other thread but had no responses. But does anyone have any red piste recommendations in VT for my wife, who is a intermediate lacking confidence and mainly sticks to blues. She's expressed a desire to begin to push herself again, as she happily skied reds when younger.
Would be good to start with an "easy" red to help build confidence?? Any suggestions? I know that a lot of it is in her head but if she can get a few laps under her belt it will help. |
Don't tend to spend much time in Val T proper, but from several Escapade attempts, consider Mauriennaise over on the Orelle side, several bail out options onto the blue Gentianes and they both start and end up at the same places.
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| Dyrlac wrote: |
| Roscoe wrote: |
I've asked on the other thread but had no responses. But does anyone have any red piste recommendations in VT for my wife, who is a intermediate lacking confidence and mainly sticks to blues. She's expressed a desire to begin to push herself again, as she happily skied reds when younger.
Would be good to start with an "easy" red to help build confidence?? Any suggestions? I know that a lot of it is in her head but if she can get a few laps under her belt it will help. |
Don't tend to spend much time in Val T proper, but from several Escapade attempts, consider Mauriennaise over on the Orelle side, several bail out options onto the blue Gentianes and they both start and end up at the same places. |
Thanks, thats a good shout. If she's not feeling it and can rejoin Gentianes that will be a big safety net.
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@Roscoe, I'm not the best at looking at the piste map and remembering what piste was what so apologises if this doesn't work out fully..
The reds off Mont Vallon usually have good snow and are interesting pistes, they do have a steepish section at the top but iirc, Campagnol has a track to avoid it. But both nice long runs.
Portette
Boismint/Plan de l-eau
Fred Covii off Massse
4 vents
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@Roscoe, it's been a while since I've been to the 3 Valleys but I recall the Mont Vallon runs being quite steep. I would avoid them.
What about Lac Blanc off the Peclet gondola?
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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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@Dyrlac, You can download the Tougnette 2 chair if you want to avoid Faon and Choucas. From there you can either download Tougnette 1 or take the Perdrix then Troute to avoid Lievre.
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| denfinella wrote: |
@Roscoe, it's been a while since I've been to the 3 Valleys but I recall the Mont Vallon runs being quite steep. I would avoid them.
What about Lac Blanc off the Peclet gondola? |
Is that also known as Beranger??
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Roscoe, the Asters red from the top of the Thorens double-cable car (reached from the Portette chair) is often quiet as most people seem to use it to go on the blue Lory piste into the fourth valley.
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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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| Roscoe wrote: |
| Is that also known as Beranger?? |
No - Lac Blanc, a bit further left on the Val Thorens piste map. Sorry, edit: It does merge with Beranger lower down, at which point you could keep left on Boulevard Lauzes (towards easier territory) if your wife has had enough by that point!
Beranger from the top may be OK too. Looks marginally steeper on topo maps as it's more direct.
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much  on Tue 7-02-23 17:25; edited 3 times in total
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You know it makes sense.
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| denfinella wrote: |
| Roscoe wrote: |
| Is that also known as Beranger?? |
No - Lac Blanc, a bit further left on the Val Thorens piste map. |
Thanks for clarifying.
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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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@Roscoe, whoops, edited my post above just as you were replying!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| snowrider wrote: |
| @Dyrlac, You can download the Tougnette 2 chair if you want to avoid Faon and Choucas. From there you can either download Tougnette 1 or take the Perdrix then Troute to avoid Lievre. |
Amazing, never knew you could download on Tougnette 2 and I've been going for years. (nb: various members of our crew will be seeing your PL colleagues next week)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Why would you want to download on Tougnette 2?
The snow was fantastic on the runs down from the chair last week. Maybe download on T1 in the bubble. There's a choice of reds and blues to T1.
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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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| JDL65 wrote: |
Why would you want to download on Tougnette 2?
The snow was fantastic on the runs down from the chair last week. Maybe download on T1 in the bubble. There's a choice of reds and blues to T1. |
Because Jerusalem represents the absolute outer edge of my wife's performance envelope that she painstakingly builds up to all week, just so we can do our annual lunch at Le Montagnard in St Martin on the Friday of half term with our mates. No amount of private tuition or lunchtime rosé has been able to rectify this in the 8 years we've been skiing as a family; as she hates heights, the cold, the sensation of sliding, speed and the possibility of falling. The words "if you ever make me ski down that much ice again, I'm filing for divorce" were uttered after a memorable excursion down Faon and Lievre that took 90 minutes of coaxing, cajolling, guided snowploughing, me backmarking with Lad 3 pathfinding, tactical side piste, threatened removals of skis, threatened removals of my head and other organs, etc., when both were sheet ice from top to bottom. A situation which is not uncommon given the aspect of the slope in skied out afternoons in mid February. Most years, we've booked a taxi back to Méribel from St Martin. A download is considerably cheaper on the wallet if not the pride.
But back to the weather, at least it looks like the wind shouldn't be a problem. When I was there in January, even TS Altiport was shut one morning.
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| Layne wrote: |
@Roscoe, I'm not the best at looking at the piste map and remembering what piste was what so apologises if this doesn't work out fully..
The reds off Mont Vallon usually have good snow and are interesting pistes, they do have a steepish section at the top but iirc, Campagnol has a track to avoid it. But both nice long runs.
Portette
Boismint/Plan de l-eau
Fred Covii off Massse
4 vents |
I wouldn’t put boismint in the ‘Easy red’ category - at least not the first steep section, on an icy day/early morning. Made that mistake with my wife as her first red of the holiday last March - cue one blood wagon and a busted Acl.
Definitely second the choice of Mauriennaise - there’s basically an opt-out onto the blue every 3-400 metres - but probably not needed as it’s mostly very nice, though would suggest she uses the blue to avoid the the last steep pitch down to the lift - other than start of day that always seems to get scraped and bumpy.
I also recall Venturon being quite pleasant and straightforward - I’ve lapped that a few times in succession.
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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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Good advice from @Pejoli, Mauriennaise is a great run but there is a steep bit near the end, so good option to use the blue to go round it.
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@Dyrlac, how to avoid Lièvre into Meribel. Don’t tell anyone…
If you manage to get your beloved down Faon, head around the bottom side of the top of the Tougnette 1 lift station onto the green towards Mottaret. About half way along (so head down the steeper bit of the green and onto the flatter section) there’s a “red” run (it really really isn’t) called Combe Laitelet. Hardly anyone ever skis it. It’s wide, gentle, winds down though the trees in the shade just below Mottaret and is usually empty, and spits you out onto Truite. No idea why it’s graded red. Only caveat is whether it’s open as it has no snow cannons. Last week it had a few stony bits. To say it’s miles nicer than Lièvre would be an understatement. Just don’t tell anyone….
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@Roscoe, “easy” red..has to be Pramint from the top of Tougnette/St Martin express. Mild steep section at the top then nice cruise to the end. Also, the “old” top section of Jerusalem, now called Cheferie. The plus side of the latter is that if you get there and it looks cr*p (I.e not been groomed), you just take the blue bit of Jerusalem to your right.
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| Perty wrote: |
@Dyrlac, how to avoid Lièvre into Meribel. Don’t tell anyone…
If you manage to get your beloved down Faon, head around the bottom side of the top of the Tougnette 1 lift station onto the green towards Mottaret. About half way along (so head down the steeper bit of the green and onto the flatter section) there’s a “red” run (it really really isn’t) called Combe Laitelet. Hardly anyone ever skis it. It’s wide, gentle, winds down though the trees in the shade just below Mottaret and is usually empty, and spits you out onto Truite. No idea why it’s graded red. Only caveat is whether it’s open as it has no snow cannons. Last week it had a few stony bits. To say it’s miles nicer than Lièvre would be an understatement. Just don’t tell anyone…. |
 I had to laugh when I read this because my first reaction was, "that's a blue!". But I've checked old piste maps and it's been regraded to red, sometime between 2016 and 2020. Total nonsense. I can only assume they've done that to scare absolute beginners off it, it's not the kind of run that piste patrol would bother checking. When I did my BASI shadowing around Meribel in 2005, we regularly took the little kids down there to get away from the crowds in half term. So yes, a considerably easier route back to the Chaudanne than Lievre and not even navy blue, let alone red.
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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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| Dyrlac wrote: |
| @Raceplate, you're always amazing with routings, is there an achievable download option/gentler alternative to Faon (which is going to be scraped all to hell with Choucas being closed) into Chaudanne from the top of St Martin 2; zigzagging up toward Val T is fine as long as the intervening pistes are suitable for someone who really would prefer to spend all week lapping Jardin Alpin in 1850 in between coffees? |
I appreciate the recognition but I'm struggling with this one. Best I can do is give my view on a couple of other posts.
I'm not sure you should rely on being able to download on Tougnete 2, though you can definitely download on Tougnete 1. I have seen people download on T2 but they've always been crying kids with broken skis or OAP pedestrians in spring. I don't think it's something that is actively encouraged because they've got to fully stop the lift twice per download. It's arguably Meribel's busiest lift so I can't help thinking that if an adult skier turns up in half term and wants to download because they don't fancy the ski, they're just going to get told to "Allez!". I could be wrong, and snowrider spends more time in Meribel than me so he should know. But equally there may be a totally different response to a moniteur in uniform asking for a download for a pupil and an alcohol sodden Brit punter who's had a good lunch. Not saying you are but I'm sure you get the point.
My recommendation would be to ask a liftie a day or so before whether it's possible. You might have to pretend that your wife's binding is broken or something. You can always manufacture a broken binding by just going to the tool bench at the top of St M 1 lift and temporarily removing the brake from one ski, it's usually a single screw. Then tell the liftie that your wife's brake broke off and you don't want to risk the ski coming off and careering down the mountain injuring other people...
If you take a taxi from St M, you could just go to Brides les Bains and take the gondola up instead of all the way to Meribel to reduce the cost. Cuts about 15km and 20-30mins off the journey.
You "could" go back towards Jerusalem from the top of St M 2 and turn sharp right at the top of Cherferie lift onto the red Buse path. I haven't been down it for a couple of years but for sure the first section is blue gradient. From memory, there is about 50-75m of bumpier bits before it joins the bottom and flatter part of Faon. It's the kind of thing you probably want to recce first on another day but it would replace most of Faon's long lumpy bits in return for long flat paths and then a much shorter lumpy bit. I guess you could also ask for a download on Cherferie which is a much quieter lift so maybe a better chance than T2? From there, the beginners' Caves poma and down to T1 for download into the Chaudanne.
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Tougnette 2 is an advertised Pieton (pedestrian) lift so it is not an issue downloading it. The staff will help you get on and off as it gives them something to do. They will slow it down / stop it as necessary as frankly they don't care how long the queue gets.
For reference the Pieton map is here:
https://www.les3vallees.com/media/download/foot-map-3-vallees.pdf
This shows the lifts you can download. Cherferie is not on it so you would not be allowed to download that under any circumstances.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@snowrider, thanks for the clarification. But by definition, does that not mean that you have to be a pedestrian? A skier in full kit is a skier with a ski pass, not a pedestrian with a Pieton pass. Surely if they wanted skiers to download on it, it would be a gondola, not a chairlift?
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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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| Raceplate wrote: |
| @snowrider, thanks for the clarification. But by definition, does that not mean that you have to be a pedestrian? A skier in full kit is a skier with a ski pass, not a pedestrian with a Pieton pass. Surely if they wanted skiers to download on it, it would be a gondola, not a chairlift? |
Surely a skier with a "dodgy knee" carrying their skis should be considered a pedestrian...
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You know it makes sense.
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Buse joins onto the steepest part of Blaireau not onto Faon so not a route I would recommend. The easiest way down from the top of Tougnette is actually Gypaete even though it is marked as red! The first 90% is like a green and the last 10% is a couple of blue gradient switch backs that join onto the last bit of Roc de fer. From there up Caves drag and across to Tougnette mid station.
I do expect Choucas to be open by a week on Friday. It is being used for Super G and Downhill training but those events are done by this weekend.
You will not have a problem downloading on Tougnette 2 with skis, people do it all the time.
Plenty of pedestrians have snowshoes and poles so the attendants are used to people having kit.
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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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Can any of my fellow SH offer some advice / thoughts on how to get to the grandstand at Le Praz to watch the Mens' Slalom on the 19th from Mottaret? We know the 3Vs extremely well so i was thinking to either ski to 1850 and then head down via Amoreux / Brigues or ski to La Tania, leave our skis outside the Ski lodge and then jump on one of the free shuttles (I presume the one from Meribel will stop at La Tania?). Thanks
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Poster: A snowHead
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Heading to 3V on 26 Feb. We're staying in La Tania. If any experienced 3V-ers have any 'loosener' piste recommendations for our first day to ease us back into things that'd be much appreciated. Ideally at the Courchevel/L-T end. We're a group of decent intermediates (mainly stick to reds).
Likewise any lunch recommendations in those sectors welcome!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Anything down from the top of the Chenus bubble into 1850 will suit. The go under the 1850 lifts to the Plantry chair, and rinse and repeat.
Easy access from La Tania up the bubble and the Bou Blanc or Dou des Lanches chairs first up.
Alternatively head over to 1650. All great easy looseners there.
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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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| franga wrote: |
| Can any of my fellow SH offer some advice / thoughts on how to get to the grandstand at Le Praz to watch the Mens' Slalom on the 19th from Mottaret? We know the 3Vs extremely well so i was thinking to either ski to 1850 and then head down via Amoreux / Brigues or ski to La Tania, leave our skis outside the Ski lodge and then jump on one of the free shuttles (I presume the one from Meribel will stop at La Tania?). Thanks |
Pas du Lac bubble, down the Courchevel bowl into 1850, then either down on the Le Praz bubble or ski down the red (Brigues?) to 1300. You can't miss the grandstand at the bottom!
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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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| JDL65 wrote: |
| franga wrote: |
| Can any of my fellow SH offer some advice / thoughts on how to get to the grandstand at Le Praz to watch the Mens' Slalom on the 19th from Mottaret? We know the 3Vs extremely well so i was thinking to either ski to 1850 and then head down via Amoreux / Brigues or ski to La Tania, leave our skis outside the Ski lodge and then jump on one of the free shuttles (I presume the one from Meribel will stop at La Tania?). Thanks |
Pas du Lac bubble, down the Courchevel bowl into 1850, then either down on the Le Praz bubble or ski down the red (Brigues?) to 1300. You can't miss the grandstand at the bottom! |
Thanks, that's what I thought? Didn't realise the Le Praz bubble was open during the championships - that would be very convenient.
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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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We are in The Three Valleys this week (based in La Tania) and this thread has been extremely helpful - thank you. Some additional observations/notes from our trip so far. To calibrate, we've been skiing for several years and like to think of ourselves as intermediates but, in reality, we're lucky to get higher than 95 on Carv's Ski:IQ on any given day. So interpret what follows through that lens.
There are a LOT of pistes that are extremely hard-packed, especially a few hours into the day when enough skiers have scraped them to bits. The blue down to La Tania (Folyeres) is miserable and the red Marcassin from Saulire towards Meribel Mottaret was even scratchier than I remember the reds in that area being normally. Indeed, Marcassin seriously freaked out a couple of our group. (Irritatingly, we hadn't even planned to take it as we were planning to download to Mottaret on Pas Du Lac but completely misjudged where the top station was!)
Probably the best way of describing a lot of the runs right now is that they viciously expose bad technique! For the first time I can remember, I've repeatedly experienced the horrible sensation of thinking I've moved all my weight onto my outside ski, only for it to slide out underneath me as I try to make the turn. Luckily we'd booked lessons and the instructor had us focus on a few drills that helped with this and restored our confidence. But that feeling of turning on very hard-packed snow and not being sure your skis will hold you is something we've all experienced this week, and really not enjoyed it!
However, I think we mostly just chose bad routes on our first couple of days. In reality, we're having a really good time.
The good news is that the pistes above 1850 and 1650 are better than we expected them to be given the lack of snow recently, and the main blue down to 1550 (Tovets) was also a nice surprise. The blues under the Biollay/Pralong chairs were as nice as always (as was the red Marquetty). Bel Air (1650), Chenus and Loze (1850) were also quite nice reds. Chapelets in 1650 looked as nice as always although we didn't get a chance to try it yet. (Although the tetras side-run there looked horrific... mogulled and full of people really beginning to wish they hadn't tried)
We ploughed on (sometimes literally) after our Marcassin experience and made it all the way to Orelle. It felt like we had an entire valley to ourselves. The Lory blue was delightful and we were sorry we didn't have time to linger there. The blues we did in Val Thorens were also really nice. And we were pleasantly surprised by Lac De La Chambre on our journey back to La Tania.
Net-net... it feels tougher than it normally does, but not hugely... and it has forced us to work on our technique!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Has anyone been down either of the mont vallon runs today? We're keen to try one or both of them on the last day of our trip tomorrow as we've built a bit of confidence having now managed a few other reds for the first time (Saulire skipping the top bit with an instructor, pramint in St Martin, roc merlet which we actually lapped a load of times). I'm guessing based on other forum posts that vallon runs might be within our ability but only if they're not a sheet of ice as seems to be increasingly the case this week especially in the meribel valley!
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Meteo Group forecasting 16c for Val Thorens midweek, that’s a typical daily max for May!
A February record high?
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| Fridge03 wrote: |
Hi all
Long shot I know, but it's worth a go.
I lost a silver ring on Friday in Reberty. I wore it in the evening when we visited La Ferme for dinner. I checked with them before I left but no joy. Had a scan around the area leading down the steps and path towards the chalets but couldn't see anything.
It's monetary value is low, but sentimental value high. If anyone spots it over the course of the next few days then please let me know. I'd be eternally grateful if it turns up.
Thank you! |
Hi all
Just bumping my post from last week in case anyone spots anything this week!
Thank you.
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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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Not that I expect random internet strangers to care but I'm happy to report I built up the courage and made it down Campagnol which had excellent snow most of the way down save for the slightly spicy narrow bit at the start  feeling quite accomplished and the teams here have done an amazing job keeping everything nicely skiable despite the relative lack of fresh stuff
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Snow in Couchevel/Méribel was way nicer than it has any business being today. Even the dread Pic Blue. Had a fantastic morning with the missus in the Méribel green network, she said it was conservatively 1000x better than Whistler. (We then somehow contrived to temporarily misplace 3 of our U12s  —only 33% of the total number of youngsters—and Lad 2 had a nasty ocular bone/pole interaction, which put something of a pall on the proceedings but still, was otherwise great).
@snowrider, I think you’ve drawn the short straw and have some of my crew on Wednesday. Looking forward to it!
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FAQ
) poudre there and worth a shout. And noted re recce-ing the route; I spend an awful lot of time on recce. Will need to check the 