 Poster: A snowHead
|
We have booked an apartment in Mottaret for the second week of March 2024. All but one of our party are experienced skiers but we have one complete beginner (who may by then have a few hours in a snowdome). This picks up from another thread which became off topic.
I'd appreciate opinions and experiences around ski lessons for our beginner. Whether to have them in Mottaret or to take them over to Chaudanne (by the green run Truite or perhaps initially by bus). Which are the English speaking ski school providing good tuition but at a reasonable cost?
Outside of lessons, where are the best places to take her and options to get her back to Mottaret (avoiding the bus after the first day or two).
We have had hotel accommodation near La Chaudanne in the past and are more familiar with that area. Does Mottaret have similarly priced supermarkets, bars, restaurants and take away options or will we be better off hopping on the bus early evening? I'd hope not to do this too much but just wondering if economic options and choice exist locally.
Thanks in advance for all opinions and advice.
Wallport
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I'd think Chaudanne may be a good option for lessons because the terrain is easier although you may be able to arrange lessons meeting at the beginner runs to avoid the bus ride.
The Meribel Altiport area would be a possible place to take her via the Pas Du Lac 1 lift out of Mottaret another option is the Courchevel Jardin area but this would need the Saluire cable car being open to avoid some fairly steep blue runs. Another down side of Courchevel is the need for a full 3V pass which seems excessive for a beginner.
The blues into Mottaret from both sides are relatively steep from memory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Im sure you will get lots of great advice. One bit of advice from me, you have the best burger bar in the 3 Valleys on your doorsep. Next to the supermarket in Motterat is a hole in the wall which serves amazing burgers. Its called Mountain Burger. It gets busy so get there early or late.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
@Henwc, The entrance to Mottterat from the Les Menuires side has been regraded and actually has a beginner area now. It used to be quite nasty but is fine now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| turboblackbeard wrote: |
| @Henwc, The entrance to Mottterat from the Les Menuires side has been regraded and actually has a beginner area now. It used to be quite nasty but is fine now. |
That's good news the old entrance was a nightmare for beginners.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| turboblackbeard wrote: |
| @Henwc, The entrance to Mottterat from the Les Menuires side has been regraded and actually has a beginner area now. It used to be quite nasty but is fine now. |
I'm curious about this statement. Which run has been regraded and where exactly is the beginner's area?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Je suis un Skieur, Many years ago you had to go down Martre to get into Mottaret. Where it finished was a real bottleneck. There is now a much better route to get onto the yetipark beginner run.
Wow, just looked up when it was regraded... 2015!
https://www.seemeribel.com/snow/snow-report-19th-january-2015-valley-679533
'1) The “Chemain tranquille/Easy Way” route through Mottaret avoiding the busy Martre run. I personally loathe the blue Martre run, as it is invariably horribly icy or tiresomely slushy and usually crowded too. If you want to avoid it, do try the newly re-graded “Easy Way” down. Just above Mottaret, the Martre divides into two, the main run down to the right and a narrow, flattish path to the left. Take this left path, continue across the red Fouine run and carry on towards Le Hameau at the top of Mottaret. You’ll see a wooden sign on your left confirming you are on the right path. Follow this path all the way down into Mottaret centre to avoid all the traffic and tricky snow on the main piste. “Un grand Merci” to lift company S3V for this improved alternative route.'
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| turboblackbeard wrote: |
@Je suis un Skieur, Many years ago you had to go down Martre to get into Mottaret. Where it finished was a real bottleneck. There is now a much better route to get onto the yetipark beginner run.
Wow, just looked up when it was regraded... 2015!
https://www.seemeribel.com/snow/snow-report-19th-january-2015-valley-679533
'1) The “Chemain tranquille/Easy Way” route through Mottaret avoiding the busy Martre run. I personally loathe the blue Martre run, as it is invariably horribly icy or tiresomely slushy and usually crowded too. If you want to avoid it, do try the newly re-graded “Easy Way” down. Just above Mottaret, the Martre divides into two, the main run down to the right and a narrow, flattish path to the left. Take this left path, continue across the red Fouine run and carry on towards Le Hameau at the top of Mottaret. You’ll see a wooden sign on your left confirming you are on the right path. Follow this path all the way down into Mottaret centre to avoid all the traffic and tricky snow on the main piste. “Un grand Merci” to lift company S3V for this improved alternative route.' |
Yes - but you still have to come down Sittelle / navigate the top section of Martre. The best route into Mottaret for a beginner is form the top of Tougnette ... down Faon and then the green Perdrix. If the beginner were to have lessons in Meribel then the best route back would be up Legends and then down Perdrix via the flat blue on the side of the boardercross track (think it's called Grive).
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
@turboblackbeard, yeah, not sure I really agree with that article. I'm pretty sure that path was always there leading to Fouine, they just added an extension to it to get to the Yeti Park when it opened. I agree that the "Easy Way" path avoids the worst of Martre but it's not designed for beginners, it's just an escape route for people that can't cope with Martre's slush bumps. There's no logic to having a green run that can only be accessed by a blue.
The easiest way to get onto the Yeti Park is the way it was designed to be got onto, which is off the Combes chairlift mid point exit. You could make an argument though that that isn't suitable for beginners either unless someone shows them how to use a chairlift. The real loss for novice skiers in Mottaret was when they pulled the Sittelle poma out after they removed the Plattieres mid station. That was an ideal gradient for getting someone to progress from plough parallel to parallel.
| turboblackbeard wrote: |
| @Henwc, The entrance to Mottterat from the Les Menuires side has been regraded. It used to be quite nasty but is fine now. |
I thought by this you may have been referring to Lac de la Chambre being regraded from red to blue which was around 2018 I think. But the topography of it hasn't changed, they've just added an entrance escape route by adding a blue path to avoid the steepest first 200m or so of the run. It doesn't mean that there's an easy way back from Les Menuires. I view that re-grading of as a marketing exercise; it's still not a run that I would take a novice skier anywhere near in spring and all other "direct" routes into Mottaret from the Belleville valley are still red at the top.
You could get a novice back by going to St Martin and come back via the blue Faon into Meribel and green Perdrix back to Mottaret but the Pelozet blue to St M Express lift is a hard slog for novices. Not because it's difficult, but because it's long and flat and they'll be poling half the way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| franga wrote: |
| Yes - but you still have to come down Sittelle / navigate the top section of Martre. The best route into Mottaret for a beginner is form the top of Tougnette ... down Faon and then the green Perdrix. If the beginner were to have lessons in Meribel then the best route back would be up Legends and then down Perdrix via the flat blue on the side of the boardercross track (think it's called Grive). |
Ha, you posted while I was still typing! Agreed - my point exactly.
You can also access Perdix directly off Tougnete 1 if Grive is cut up. I would expect an adult novice in Mottaret to end up doing a circuit of Truit - Legends - Caves (a few times) - Grive - Perdrix.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Already some great tips here - thanks guys!
Any views on ski school in Mottaret or Meribel and which company?
TIA
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| wallport wrote: |
Already some great tips here - thanks guys!
Any views on ski school in Mottaret or Meribel and which company?
TIA |
I'd consider private lessons because she'll progress faster in a private lesson and it sounds like she will have your group to ski with at other times. If you go down that route then logistics will be a bit easier too. I'm sure someone on here can give you specific names (or possibly even put themselves forward).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Swings and roundabouts on private vs group imo.
I have only good experiences with Marmalade.
Private gets you up to speed pretty quickly, but can get information overload and be tiring unless you space one to one lessons out carefully.
Quite often the sizes of groups diminish through the week, you get a more shared experience at the beginning of the week, but you might get more one to one as people drop out … which they often do in the 3Vs where people often have more money than sense 
My experience is based around the Chaudanne. A private lesson might get you dropped off at Mottaret at the end if you ask.
Personally I find the runs into Mottaret quite scary for all sorts of reasons, and I would describe myself as an advanced intermediate
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| wallport wrote: |
Already some great tips here - thanks guys!
Any views on ski school in Mottaret or Meribel and which company?
TIA |
I work for Parallel Lines ski school. We provide the widest range of English speaking adult group lessons in the Meribel Valley.
Lessons are based out of the Chaudanne. For a complete beginner in Mottaret this would mean taking the bus the first few days but this only takes 7 minutes.
Once they are up and running they could then ski down the Truite green to join the lessons. The routes in and out of Mottaret would commonly be covered during the week.
Feel free to ask if you have any other questions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
I can recommend snowrider. Gave private snowboard lessons to my daughter and friend last season and they went from beginners to confident (until my daughter had a fall, but we wont go into that)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
