 Poster: A snowHead
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I’ve been offered to join a trip to meribel
I’ve previously heard meribel is a soft resort, easy and well suited to beginners.
Is there anything around for advanced skiers??
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| sellerselectrical wrote: |
| Is there anything around for advanced skiers?? |
Plenty for all grades of skier across the Trois Vallees domain.
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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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| Quote: |
Is there anything around for advanced skiers??
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Tons and tons. Look at the piste map https://www.mottaret.com/piste-map-three-valleys/ There is also lots of off piste
May I politely ask how you got to be an advanced skier without coming across the 3 valleys?
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Mr Mogulski and I have skied for over 30 years with around 120 ski trips outwith GB. We live in Scotland so also ski here when conditions are good. Have been to 3V around 40 times and usually stay in the Meribel valley. We were FIS Freestyle judges (recently retired from that) and cannot think how someone said Meribel was a soft resort. Only area where I never get bored. Some great black runs, bumps and the couloirs are certainly not soft. Go and enjoy. If you want an off-piste guide contact Parrallel Lines in Meribel and hire my son Mike!
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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.
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| johnE wrote: |
May I politely ask how you got to be an advanced skier without coming across the 3 valleys? |
That's what I was thinking... 
Presumably not from Europe...
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Those ski tour docs are great - Mad Dog Ski used to have them in their resort guides and they're great for planning routes.
If anyone knows where I could find some for St Anton I'd be very grateful!
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to be fair they are a bit old and some pistes and lifts have changed but gives a decent idea of tours... soz never been to St Anton 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Actually, I would agree that the piste skiing in 3V is not very challenging for the size of the area, Bosses, down into Merbel is usually moguls and quite interesting, Grand Couloir is a must but a bit short. Offpiste in 3v is where it is at, hire a guide.
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@tangowaggon, surely there are others. What about Chanrossa, Bartavelle, Face, Dame Blanche and Combe de Caron?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm not very good at noticing or remembering piste names, but I don't regard any piste that has been pisted flat as challenging, yes a pisted black run that is sheet ice is challenging but not really enjoyable? The last time I skied Meribel, Bosses was the only piste that was left au naturale.
I think it was off the top of the grand fond lift in val tho and following the Chamois piste but dropping off the side & going straight down that we had some good skiing on the family bash this year, unusually it was really cold & most of the offpiste was melt & re freeze so like skiin on broken bricks apart from up top where it hadn't melted.
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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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| tangowaggon wrote: |
| I'm not very good at noticing or remembering piste names, but I don't regard any piste that has been pisted flat as challenging |
World cup races are held on runs that have been pisted flat so perhaps the challenge lies in the manner - and speed - at which you get down them.
The Ladies world cup run in Meribel (called Olypimic I think) is a good one if the OP (if she's still around) is after bashed snow
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Tue 26-11-19 12:16; edited 1 time in total
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Seems a reasonable question if the poster has never skied there. I’m not sure that any definition of being an advanced skier requires experience in the 3V either. As an incomer am I missing an in joke or is there some “attitude “ going on?
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You know it makes sense.
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GoPro Couloir (or whatever it is called this year) from the top of Saulire is a good challenge.
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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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| Captain Primrose wrote: |
| Seems a reasonable question if the poster has never skied there. I’m not sure that any definition of being an advanced skier requires experience in the 3V either. As an incomer am I missing an in joke or is there some “attitude “ going on? |
It's a bit odd because
#1 I would suggest 3V is one of the most well known ski areas in the world and therefore you would expect an advanced skier to know about it.
#2 It's what is often termed a "mega resort" i.e., a very large ski area. If there isn't any challenging skiing in the 3V then really there isn't any challenging skiing anywhere in the world that has a ski lift.
Couple of side notes, a quick glance at the OP profile shows he's been on bashes so he's not wet behind the ears. And also he doesn't state if he's purely talking about piste skiing or off piste skiing - not that it matters in this case, there is plenty of both in the 3V's.
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Poster: A snowHead
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There was a whiff of attitude tbh as if the op can't class him/ herself advanced and not know about 3V. On that assumption how has skimottaret, have over 10k posts and never been to St Anton? Scandalous, call the ski police!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Gainz wrote: |
| On that assumption how has skimottaret, have over 10k posts and never been to St Anton? Scandalous, call the ski police! |
Quite right, he's a slacker and should be punished with a ski pole.
Oh, hang on. I've never skied St Anton either. Let me go to my ski shed and beat myself.
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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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| tangowaggon wrote: |
I don't regard any piste that has been pisted flat as challenging[/...quote]
World cup races are held on runs that have been pisted flat so perhaps the challenge lies in the manner - and speed - at which you get down them.
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Just surviving the Birds of Prey downhill in Beaver Creek was challenging enough last season when we were on it. Pisted flat, very steep and icy as hell. Quite intimidating in parts, in fact.
There were warning signs at the top saying that the course was icy, folllowing a race, and I advised Mrs B that it was bound to be a typical US overreaction (given that we often laugh at what Americans/Canadians can class as icy - often hardpack to us; similarly, when they consider runs "crowded.")
Have you been a ski racer in your time Tangowaggon?  (Genuine question).
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@Gainz, @rob@rar, I am pretty sure skimottaret knows what St Anton is like.
It's not that someone who is an advance skier hasn't been to 3V more that they appear to know little about it. Or that they didn't do a five minute google to discover it's one of the largest and most prestigious areas in the Alps.
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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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@Layne, or, maybe, someone told them that it was a soft resort, but they were a bit skeptical, so they came on snowheads to check? It’s also possible they aren’t planning on getting 3V passes and so the Meribel bit is significant? I’ve skied several times in the 3V but hardly at all in Meribel so actually have no idea what Meribel is like.
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My own 3p worth; 3V is heavily tilted towards blue and red cruising, and the few blacks aren't really that challenging at all. I have the distinct feeling that some of the black labels have been applied to steep-ish reds in order give the impression of a certain % of blacks in order to create some appeal for advances skiers. Much the same way as many pistes in the EK have been downgraded in order to appeal to the learner/early intermediate market.
Off-piste is a different thing altogether of course. I'm aware there is loads and it's not tracked out as quickly as other places (St Anton/Verbier/EK), but I've only sampled a couple of days of it.
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@Dr John, Grand Couloir, Combe de Caron, Combe de Rossail, Cascades - do 'em all before lunch and I'll respect you enough to share my pizza with you 
Les Suisses and M may not be the toughest blacks ever but they're certainly not mis-badged red-runs. Similarly for Jockeys and Jean Blanc.
...and that's just off the top o me head.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@admin, So spread them all out and that's one tough-ish run a day in a weeks. Out of how many total piste miles?
ps. Table, mikeys and pisteurs before lunch in Val d'Isere. See you in Coin to swap notes.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 26-11-19 15:34; edited 1 time in total
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It's an odd notion that you can't challenge yourself on a piste, even a relatively moderate one. I can challenge my skiing on a green run and have fun doing it. However, I'd not want to ski on green runs all the time as its nice to have a wide range of terrain to choose from, which is something the 3V offers quite obviously.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Dr John wrote: |
@admin, So spread them all out and that's one tough-ish run a day in a weeks. Out of how many total piste miles?
ps. Table, mikeys and pisteurs before lunch in Val d'Isere. See you in Coin to swap notes. |
do you reckon pisteurs is the toughest in the lift served domain of the EK?
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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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@rob@rar,
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It's an odd notion that you can't challenge yourself on a piste, even a relatively moderate one.
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The reason you find it odd is because you are the antithesis of a willy-waver.
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@Mother hucker, for mere mortals, I'd say so if only for the top convex 20m and if you're not fit your legs might be shot on the hike up before you start it. Things like the Swedish couloir and Alaska are for mentalists (that said I'd have a crack at alaska in good conditions with a trusted guide to talk me down it).
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 26-11-19 17:40; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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On one level if you can't find skiing to excite you in 3V you should probably hang up your planks.
On the other hand, there aren't many long, steep pistes compared to say EK or St. Anton or Verbier (there are plenty of long runs and quite a few steep ones - it's the combination I'm talking about).
That is a matter of very little significance to me but if it matters to the OP....
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Clearly the OP was terribly misinformed.
Provides an excellent platform for the willy-wavers to dance on.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Most of the “difficult” runs referenced don’t actually seem to be in Maribel though.
* I’m not making any judgement on degree of difficulty.
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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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All depends on your definition of advanced. If it is reds and blacks but not bumps or off piste I see why Meribel might not be the most thrilling place in the world. But as to the wider definition obviously lots of shizzle to get your gnar on.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Bergmeister wrote: |
| tangowaggon wrote: |
I don't regard any piste that has been pisted flat as challenging[/...quote]
World cup races are held on runs that have been pisted flat so perhaps the challenge lies in the manner - and speed - at which you get down them.
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Just surviving the Birds of Prey downhill in Beaver Creek was challenging enough last season when we were on it. Pisted flat, very steep and icy as hell. Quite intimidating in parts, in fact.
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Too right. I went on the BoP from the SuperG start on severely undertuned wide skis. Small miracle I stayed upright to the small stand of trees where I could chuck in some shonky pivot turns.
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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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@Captain Primrose, That may be true but very few advanced skiers would only ski in Meribel if visiting the 3V. Meribel itself id often used as a base for skiing the whole area.
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Europe has very few supersteep resorts.
The elite tier-1s are the "big three" of Chamonix-Argentiere, La Grave, and Verbier.
The near-elite tier-2s are St Anton-Lech, Andermatt, and Val d'Isere-Tignes.
The sub-elite tier-3s are Courchevel-Val-Thorens-Meribel 3 Vs, and Zermatt.
Everything else, after those, is for intermediates and beginners, with occasional advanced challenges (like Avoriaz, St Moritz, Cortina, Kitzbuehel, etc.).
For a proper test, only Chamonix-Argentiere, La Grave, and Verbier truly tick the advanced box in (Western) Europe.
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My 2p, there is skiing for everyone in 3v, if the trip is with good mates then go for it! Even if the skiing isn’t the most testing for you personally (for me I believe that you can push yourself on most groomed runs if you try, and there’s plenty in 3v to try!) so go for it!
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If its not challenging enough just ski it backwards, with un done boots and mismatched skis after 12 pints. At night.
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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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Wendyjh & I are going to Meribel in early Feb, 1st time in 20+ years. Can anyone recommend an off-piste guide?
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| Dr John wrote: |
| @Mother hucker, for mere mortals, I'd say so if only for the top convex 20m and if you're not fit your legs might be shot on the hike up before you start it. Things like the Swedish couloir and Alaska are for mentalists (that said I'd have a crack at alaska in good conditions with a trusted guide to talk me down it). |
ive not done Pisteurs but my next sortie in the EK once ive took my chicken pants off and desensitized, im doing it.
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