 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
Going to St Martin de Belleville for the first time (10th-17th Feb). Would like advice on blues/greens in the Les Menuires / St. Martin valley and over into Meribel and beyond. It's a mixed group - are there any tricky blue sections?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Loads of options, so it’s a bit difficult to know where to start. How many weeks/what are the ages of your less confident skiers. If the snow conditions are good then the steeper sections should not be a problem earlier in the day, but in a busy week things might be harder later.
First day warm up, I’d suggest getting St Martin express to the top, turn right and ski the blue Gros Tougue down to the Granges chair and Grand Lac Restaurant, then turn right and head down Pelozet back to the St M express chair. Or, you could carry on to the bottom, the only more difficult bit is the last pitch before the tunnel under the road…this can be harder at the end of the day.
Or.. from the top you can carry on past the Grand lac restaurent down Gros Tougne which trundles gently into Menuires.
In Menuires, the Mont de La Chambre blue is lovely. There’s also a quiet blue off the Becca Chair-lac des Combes which is good.
Another option from the top of St M express -turn left and head down Cretes (down the ridge past the Maya Altitude restaurant) for Jerusalem. Turn left at the crossroads and jump on St M express again. Repeat the run down Cretes, head past Jerusalem for a lovely blue called Choucas on the Meribel side. To get into Meribel in a stress free way, take the drag lift on your right at the bottom of Choucas. At the top, ski to the Tougnette mid station then follow the green run around the back of the lift station. Part way down there is a red run to your left called Combe Laitelet. Take it from me that, contrary to its grading, it’s one of the nicest quietest pistes to take into Meribel and far less challenging than the main blue runs. It’s our special secret (shhh!) and brings you out onto the green run Truite along the valley.
Also the piste Grand Lac from the top of Granges chair..one steeper narrower section towards the end.
I could go on…others will no doubt make their contributions!
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Most blues and greens in St Martin & Les Menuires are okay. On the Meribel side of the ridge the blues are generally a bit steeper, and someone usually skiing greens could find them challenging. If you can get to Meribel (perhaps downloading on a chair if necessary) the altiport area has some runs you would probably all enjoy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
I've spent many years dealing with an extremely nervous skier in the 3Vs. The routes down into Méribel from the St Martin side are challenging, even if marked blue (Faon-Lièvre, the most obvious blue piste routing from St. Martin down into Méribel Centre, are fairly steep and prone to iciness in the afternoon: once spent 2 hours coaxing my better half down it). Much better to download on the TS TOUGNETE 2 chair (which is totally fine, it is a designated pedestrian lift and the liftie will get you situated), which takes you to the green Perdrix into Mottaret (or you can use Combe Laitelet as @Perty notes, but it is sometimes shut) and then the lovely green Truite into Méribel Centre. Unlike Perty, however, I don't love Choucas, it is wide, but steep in places, and like the other pistes on that side of the valley, prone to iciness that can be tough for beginners.
But once you're down at Méribel Centre, take TC RHODOS 1/2 to the top and you're in the Méribel Altiport green network, which you can lap via TS ALTIPORT, which is fantastic. When you're done with that, you can head back to St. Martin via TS ALTIPORT, head down via Blanchot to Rhodos (go right around the TC RHODOS 2 topstation to follow the green through the trees, avoiding Geai) and hop onto the TC RHODOS 1 midstation to download back to Méribel Centre (the blue Doron can be tricky towards the bottom), then from Méribel Centre, head up TS LEGENDS, ski down the very easy blue Grives to TS TOUGNETE 2, then follow the signs to Jerusalem, which will make any level of skier feel like a hero.
If your party is up for a full day of it, once you get to the Méribel Altiport sector, you can take TS LOZE up, head along Col de la Loze to Anémones (a steepish but wide blue) then the green Loze Est winding your way down into Courchevel, which takes you to the Courchevel 1850 green network (the finest in the world, the Méribel one, while very good, is a distant second). TC CHENUS back up, down Arolles then up TS DOU DES LANCHES (maybe pop down to La Tania by way of Folyères first), then ... and this is important, have your beginners download on TS LOZE (as above, a designated pedestrian lift, more confident skiers can take Pic bleu and meet at the bottom) back to Altiport and carry on as above. The blue Boulevard de la Loze back to Méribel is (a) sometimes shut, which means a very difficult for beginners Pic bleu and (b) even if open has a tough drop down (part of Geai, which is woefully under-graded) to the top of TC RHODOS: marked blue, but quite steep (often easier to go through the side piste, but you need someone who knows where they're going).
NB: I have a trip report in my sig for last year's HT trip to the 3Vs with all manner of info.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Perty wrote: |
Loads of options, so it’s a bit difficult to know where to start. How many weeks/what are the ages of your less confident skiers. If the snow conditions are good then the steeper sections should not be a problem earlier in the day, but in a busy week things might be harder later.
First day warm up, I’d suggest getting St Martin express to the top, turn right and ski the blue Gros Tougue down to the Granges chair and Grand Lac Restaurant, then turn right and head down Pelozet back to the St M express chair. Or, you could carry on to the bottom, the only more difficult bit is the last pitch before the tunnel under the road…this can be harder at the end of the day.
Or.. from the top you can carry on past the Grand lac restaurent down Gros Tougne which trundles gently into Menuires.
In Menuires, the Mont de La Chambre blue is lovely. There’s also a quiet blue off the Becca Chair-lac des Combes which is good.
Another option from the top of St M express -turn left and head down Cretes (down the ridge past the Maya Altitude restaurant) for Jerusalem. Turn left at the crossroads and jump on St M express again. Repeat the run down Cretes, head past Jerusalem for a lovely blue called Choucas on the Meribel side. To get into Meribel in a stress free way, take the drag lift on your right at the bottom of Choucas. At the top, ski to the Tougnette mid station then follow the green run around the back of the lift station. Part way down there is a red run to your left called Combe Laitelet. Take it from me that, contrary to its grading, it’s one of the nicest quietest pistes to take into Meribel and far less challenging than the main blue runs. It’s our special secret (shhh!) and brings you out onto the green run Truite along the valley.
Also the piste Grand Lac from the top of Granges chair..one steeper narrower section towards the end.
I could go on…others will no doubt make their contributions! |
Many thanks for your suggestions.
1 week (from Feb10th)
Group is:
2 adults in 40's / 4 teenagers - confident on blues and most reds.
2 adults in 50's - confident on greens and most blues.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Another vote for the Altiport area above Meribel.
I'll have to beg to differ@Dyrlac, re Choucas. It's high and north facing, so the snow keeps well. Yes-it is can feel quite steep in places, but innumerable Meribel ski instructors use it for their early intermediates.
If the conditions are good, another quiet and lovely run is Verdet which take you back to the St M side from the top of the Olympic chair (access on the Meribel side-turn left at the bottom of Choucas, then follow the blue piste to the Olympic chair). At the top follow the Roc de Fer blue piste off the lift and then turn right onto Verdet which half way down the first steeper pitch. Note that it is south facing, and has no snow cannons on it, so can close relatively easily if it's been warm, but if it is groomed and open, it's a lovely very quiet and gentle piste back to the St M express lift.
Over in the Les Menuires areas-from the top of the Granges chair, the 3 Marches blue and then the green La Violette.
You will be there in a peak week, so crowd avoidance is also key. The forecast suggests some snow at resort level, but maybe it will be a bit wet. If there is a decent dump down to 1400m, follow the directions above to the Olympic chair, but then ski past it onto Gelinotte and after about 50 metres, the Raffort blue piste is off to your left. If it is open, this quiet little run is an absolute joy to potter down on a snowy morning. At the end you cross the road to the Olympe bubble which takes you back to the Chaudanne.
If you haven't already, download the 3V app which will give you info about what runs are open each day, or, more importantly, which of those I mentioned are shut.I'd certainly do that re the Raffort run, because if it is shut, you are committed to skiing down Gelinotte to the bottom-which can be quite hard and icy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Perty wrote: |
| I'll have to beg to differ@Dyrlac, re Choucas. It's high and north facing, so the snow keeps well. Yes-it is can feel quite steep in places, but innumerable Meribel ski instructors use it for their early intermediates. |
I know, but I spend the entire week building my wife up to the point where we can ski to St. Martin and back from Méribel or La Tania by the end of the week (by Tradition, my syndicate always meets for lunch at Le Montagnard on the Friday of HT week) and so I am extemely conscious of, and long experience with, the difficult bits on this very route. We have only in the past few years managed to avoid putting her in a very expensive taxi home. I hope OP's party doesn't have anyone who, while theoretically willing to ski and notwithstanding weeks of private lessons, hates heights, speed, cold, the sensation of sliding, and the possibility of falling. 
We're going to be there the week of the 10th as well. I'll be on my second ever week of snowboarding, so I expect I'll need to follow my own scaredy cat routing for a few days.
Completely agree with the balance of your advice, although I do wish CDA would put cannons on Verdet as it is a handy bail out if you've gone too far, and it will need a change of weather to get Raffort open (which I've never actually seen every time I've tried).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
@Perty, I agree that Choucas is probably the least steep of the blue runs crossing into the Meribel valley (compared to Faon and Lac de la Chambre). And confident blue run skiers should have no problem with it. But the steepest pitch is long, straight and fairly unrelenting, so nervous skiers are worried that if they fall and slide it could be for a very long way.
The OP may wish to check it out before taking the rest of the group that way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
I agree-there is no "easy" way down to Meribel for nervous skiers-which is a shame. In fact I think the red run to the left just after the top section of Choucas is probably the gentler and notably quieter way down. It's very gentle at the top, but is narrower with a couple of winding sections, before popping out on to the Roc de Fer blue. I know heading down a red run is always going to freak out a nervous skier-I was one once (still am, but in more challenging environments!  ). The OP might want to check it out.
@Dyrlac, for what it's worth-as I've been off games so far this winter with a fractured humerus-I've made good use of the pedestrian option on the lifts to meet my gang for lunch over in Meribel-St M express and Tougnette 2 are both pedestrian accessible chairlifts (though I assume that the passenger has to be without skis). Takes about 40 mins to get over.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dyrlac wrote: |
| Perty wrote: |
| I'll have to beg to differ@Dyrlac, re Choucas. It's high and north facing, so the snow keeps well. Yes-it is can feel quite steep in places, but innumerable Meribel ski instructors use it for their early intermediates. |
I know, but I spend the entire week building my wife up to the point where we can ski to St. Martin and back from Méribel or La Tania by the end of the week (by Tradition, my syndicate always meets for lunch at Le Montagnard on the Friday of HT week) and so I am extemely conscious of, and long experience with, the difficult bits on this very route. We have only in the past few years managed to avoid putting her in a very expensive taxi home. I hope OP's party doesn't have anyone who, while theoretically willing to ski and notwithstanding weeks of private lessons, hates heights, speed, cold, the sensation of sliding, and the possibility of falling.
We're going to be there the week of the 10th as well. I'll be on my second ever week of snowboarding, so I expect I'll need to follow my own scaredy cat routing for a few days.
Completely agree with the balance of your advice, although I do wish CDA would put cannons on Verdet as it is a handy bail out if you've gone too far, and it will need a change of weather to get Raffort open (which I've never actually seen every time I've tried). |
@Dyrlac, Many thanks for your advice. Your info is great so that we can plan for our slightly nervous skiiers - and know when to try out some of the routes for them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Perty wrote: |
| ... I've made good use of the pedestrian option on the lifts to meet my gang for lunch over in Meribel-St M express and Tougnette 2 are both pedestrian accessible chairlifts (though I assume that the passenger has to be without skis). .. |
Without skis? Elsewhere on this thread it was suggested you can download with skis on Tougnete 2, and on another thread the same on Bouquetin from 3 Marches. Agree it would need some care n getting on and off as there may be no snow in the dismount area.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
| Dyrlac wrote: |
| Perty wrote: |
| I'll have to beg to differ@Dyrlac, re Choucas. It's high and north facing, so the snow keeps well. Yes-it is can feel quite steep in places, but innumerable Meribel ski instructors use it for their early intermediates. |
I know, but... I hope OP's party doesn't have anyone who, while theoretically willing to ski and notwithstanding weeks of private lessons, hates heights, speed, cold, the sensation of sliding, and the possibility of falling. . |
Hats off for perseverance, though. I'm pleased for you that she still gives it a go but I can understand your frustrations...
Genuine question:
We seem to hear a lot on here about cases like this. Are there (m)any on here who are strong skiers but encounter this fear in their hubbies or boyfriends? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ecureuil wrote: |
| Perty wrote: |
| ... I've made good use of the pedestrian option on the lifts to meet my gang for lunch over in Meribel-St M express and Tougnette 2 are both pedestrian accessible chairlifts (though I assume that the passenger has to be without skis). .. |
Without skis? Elsewhere on this thread it was suggested you can download with skis on Tougnete 2, and on another thread the same on Bouquetin from 3 Marches. Agree it would need some care n getting on and off as there may be no snow in the dismount area. |
It was confirmed by snowrider, who is a Meribel instructor, that skiers can download on pedestrian designated lifts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| ecureuil wrote: |
| Perty wrote: |
| ... I've made good use of the pedestrian option on the lifts to meet my gang for lunch over in Meribel-St M express and Tougnette 2 are both pedestrian accessible chairlifts (though I assume that the passenger has to be without skis). .. |
Without skis? Elsewhere on this thread it was suggested you can download with skis on Tougnete 2, and on another thread the same on Bouquetin from 3 Marches. Agree it would need some care n getting on and off as there may be no snow in the dismount area. |
You need to take your skis off (the topside lifty hands them to you at the top as you set off and you hand them to the lifty at the bottom) and they slow the lift right down for mounting and dismounting, but for the avoidance of doubt, your skis go with you! (We thought my wife would need to feign an injury or equipment failure the first time we tried this but it was no problem at all. Note, TS TOUGNETE 2, TS ST MARTIN EXPRESS and TS LOZE are OK for sure but not all chairlifts can be used by pedestrians (carrying skis or otherwise in either direction); if you look at the summer trail/lift map, that should show the pedestrian-accessible lifts but I don't think it is shown on the main winter piste maps).
| Bergmeister wrote: |
Hats off for perseverance, though. I'm pleased for you that she still gives it a go but I can understand your frustrations...
Genuine question:
We seem to hear a lot on here about cases like this. Are there (m)any on here who are strong skiers but encounter this fear in their hubbies or boyfriends? |
I don't want to hijack OP's thread, but it is common. Sometimes it's just not the sport for some people. And any sense of frustration on my part was completely unintentional. I am just glad she comes with us (me and my (younger) Lads are mad keen skiers and, this year, snowboarders) and I try my level best to make it as stress free and--at least part of the time--enjoyable. She still fantasises occassionally that she gets injured enough to beg off skiing forever, but truth be told, she's so cautious and has such good underlying form (all those lessons have helped!), I don't see it happening.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| Dyrlac wrote: |
| You need to take your skis off (the topside lifty hands them to you at the top as you set off and you hand them to the lifty at the bottom) and they slow the lift right down for mounting and dismounting, but for the avoidance of doubt, your skis go with you! (We thought my wife would need to feign an injury or equipment failure the first time we tried this but it was no problem at all. Note, TS TOUGNETE 2, TS ST MARTIN EXPRESS and TS LOZE are OK for sure but not all chairlifts can be used by pedestrians (carrying skis or otherwise in either direction); if you look at the summer trail/lift map, that should show the pedestrian-accessible lifts but I don't think it is shown on the main winter piste maps). |
The winter pedestrian (or skiers' download) map is here: https://www.les3vallees.com/media/download/foot-map-3-vallees.pdf
Under this section: https://www.les3vallees.com/en/activities/les-3-vallees-without-skis
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
