Look before you drop like a stone AKA mega brain skis off small building

A snowHead

So there we are, skooting around Meribel, when observe a few people taking short cut to another piste. A couple of this group do a little jump up, jump off on a big lump of snow. A very rectangular lump of snow, which was a bit of a clue. G/F follows the non jumpers around but yours truly decides to follow the jumpers but he can't be bothered to turn 90 degrees for their jump off point, he'll go the quick way. At this point he discovers the reason for the 90 degree turns is the large drop on to flat landing spot. It's actually a hut half buried in the snow.

So, at no miles an hour, our hero (that's me btw) makes a last second attempt to throw himself forward far enough to avoid landing like a dart. This works enough to avoid really bad landing but he doesn't exactly land it or, if I'm honest, even attempt to.

G/F and watching French group give me a cheer and round of applause. In my head I tell myself this wasn't sarcastic. G/F takes pictures:

A snowHead

Nickski,

Snow looks rubbish wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Still the "posed recovery shot" though... Wink

and wot, no video ?!

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Frosty the Snowman, snow was the best I've experienced in Europe bar none. Have a great time out there. (Incidentlly there's a 'red' run that links from bottom of VT to Les Menuires. Just in case you ever think of taking it. Don't, it's a cross country path in drag.)

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Nickski, We are in Meribel next week any recommendation gratefully received.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Nickski, Hmmm had planned on trying it to save uplift. Crossed off list big time Very Happy

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Nickski, I can't understand why they colour it Red - doesn't make sense to me as there isn't anything remotely difficult about it. As you say, best avoided. (Boulevard Cumin, IIRC, for anyone else who wishes to cross it off).

Much better to take the lifts up to the top of Mont de la Chambre and come down the very enjoyable Mont de la Chambre blue into Les Menuires - unless you lose concentration and break your collarbone at the top rolling eyes

.

After all it is free

Alastair, Another excellent tip to remember wink

kevinrhead, hopefully next week is aftere this one !

Pistes: not sure of your level so usual caveats apply, especially regards off piste:

Saulire cable gets few queues and it's fast moving. Useful ski locker option (week = 53 euro inc. 10 euro depoit on keys). Some nice easy stuff off the first stage or stay on to get to the steeper stuff or over to Courcheval.

If coming back down towards valley from top of Saulire and want to avoid the Mottaret-Meribel link run at bottom, Truitte, cut right (as face down valley) before the first stage of Pas Du Lac cable (two options but from memory neither were signed).

Off first stage head right (as face down the mtn) go far right. Dent de Burgin chair gives you access to a blue, a red (that nobody seems to ski) or, if you head even further right under chair, some great off-piste. Nothing ridiculous, it seems to get amazingly under skied and there are a couple of variations. You have to ski it under the chair lift judges but they're probably wishing they'd got there first. And you can always bug out on to the piste if cond. aren't as great as I had.

Further down is the Loze chair. Never busy when I was there. This also gives you access to Courcheval side, an unpisted black and quite a bit of off-piste. Again, near the black, so you can bug out at any time. Don't take the blue 'pic noir' round the back, it's bizarrely icey (and I was there in a great snow week). There's a restaurant at the top called Le Roc Tania. Not the cheapest but I thought it was good value for what you got, well worth a visit. There's a path of the Loze back towards Saulire but if there's fresh snow take it, the whole of the area off to the right is reasonable off-piste.

If you carry on down in to Meribel village, past Loze chair, there's a good reastaurant on the other side of the roundabout (virtually the only place to go).

On the other side to Saulire in Meribal is Tougnette bubble, longer queues but also shifts people.

Plan De L'Homme chair also a good option. Choice of runs including a black they sometimes leave mogulled, a great red and a blue (never tried).

In Mottaret there's a chair, Ramees, that nobody takes. The first run, immediately to the left of that is often in great condition and you can scream down it . . .

Personally I thought the best grooming was on the Courcheval side. In good conditions Grand Couloir really isn't that bad. The path to it is pretty intimidating though so wait till all the heroes, straight off tre Saulire cable, have headed down.

Virtually all the runs down off Saulire are great. Go right (as face down mtn) on Creux, past first pair of lifts, then take Aiguille Du Fruit up on left. Suisses is one of the nicest blacks you will ever try.

If you find yourself at the top of Verdon bubble try going to left (as face up mtn) and then cut left. There's a great series of undulations and big bumps to mooch around on.. We christened it the golf course.

Apart from that the runs back to 1850 off either Cogs chair or Chenus bubble give access to an incredibly under skied load of powder.

Off top of Cogs you can either take the crappy Col de Loze chair (to get back to Meribel) or drop down to La Tania and get Dou Des Lanches chair. From the later you can see some great off-piste but fairly serious gradient so transceiver territory I think (I didn't try it).

Whatever you do, if you get to the top of the valley, coming back from VT in to Meribal, don't take Lac De La Chambre. It's another cross country course pretending to be a red.

Off Mont Vallon, there's a little cut through that gives you access to some well known off-piste. Basically keep to the right of the ridge on your left when you've come through it.

If go over to Les Menuires, do not take Gros Tongue, yet another crappy virtual cross country path. A lot of the runs on this side, particularly towards St Martin are deserted and nice. Bruyeres cable virtually no queue and a quick way out from Les Menuires. Get Menuires chair and head off right (as face up the mtn).

Have a great time. We had amazing snow (and poor viz. to go with it at times).

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Nickski, Thats great really appreciate it. We are off this weekend.

snow reports

kevinrhead, I would second The St Martin area, and you have to do La Masse on the far side of Les Menuires, best way down is from the top of La Mont de la Chambre and head for the start of le Bruyeres bubble. As you pass Reberty on the right (give us a wave) keep looking for the piste that shots off to the right signed la Masse. Runs through a built up area and over a snow bridge down to La Masse bubble. Some of the best and quietest skiing in the 3v. IMHO the best way back from VT or LM is from the top of the Mont de la Chambre and take the red Lac de la Chambre down , and then the Plan de Mains lift up and down throught the snowbark, keeping hard right to go over the rollercoaster bumps and then the boardercross.

Nickski Nice photo but you have to work on that lazy inside leg wink

Frosty the Snowman, well done, I'm impressed. Wondered who would be the first to point that out.

You know it makes sense.

Jerry, er . . . that'll be a golf course then. Oh and the next time I'll plan my fall/jump off small building so can be videoed for your amusement. See you at EMA ?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Nickski, and I'll keep well out of the way Wink

EMA - yup, see you there.

Help!!

Look before you drop like a stone AKA mega brain skis off small building

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste