Mountain Guides Meribel — 10 of Our Favourites

Since its creation in 1945 by a group of instructors from the valley, this ski school has grown to become one of the largest in France. All 450 instructors are professionals, trained at the National School of Skiing and Alpinism in Chamonix, with extensive knowledge of Meribel and the Three Valleys ski area. They are passionate about sharing their love of skiing and the mountains with you. Whatever your age, technical level, or goals, skiing with them is sure to be a fun and enjoyable experience.

These lessons are designed for experienced skiers or snowboarders looking to explore freeride terrain in Meribel and the Three Valleys. With their in-depth knowledge of the area, instructors know where to find the best snow and hidden spots away from the crowds.

All instructors are fully qualified to lead groups off-piste and have extensive experience in freeriding. They also speak English, along with several other languages, so communication is never a barrier.

If you want to explore the incredible off-piste terrain of the Méribel valley, hiring a mountain guide will help you get the most from your day on the slopes. Guides can meet you at any ski area in the valley, allowing you to maximise your time on the mountain wherever you’re staying.

The team consists of individual experts, each with a world-class background in snowsports. Every guide has extensive experience in their speciality - skiing or snowboarding - as well as a broad knowledge of the sport overall. The international team means you’re likely to find a guide who speaks your language, with fluency in English, French, German, Italian and more.

These guides understand that skiing in fresh, untouched powder is an unforgettable experience, and they aim to make it a highlight of your off-piste adventure.

Their professional instructors know the Three Valleys inside out and will help you ski or snowboard on all kinds of terrain - from fresh powder to spring slush and wind-packed snow - so you can make the most of the mountains in any conditions.

They’ll guide you to the best spots for your level, giving tips and advice along the way. Whether you’re an experienced off-piste skier or snowboarder, or trying it for the first time, your instructor will tailor the lesson so you get the most out of it.

For the ultimate off-piste adventure, heli-skiing is also available. Fly over the peaks and escape the pistes and lifts as your pilot takes you to some of the most remote and beautiful places, ready to be explored with just you and your guide.

Make the most of each powder day. If you want to explore the true terrain of the mountain, learn how to ski across powder and ride the line of the season, they are there to help. They offer sessions for those that are just starting to explore off-piste through to those that already have plenty of experience and want to find the best powder spots in the valley.

All their mountain guides are fully qualified and have plenty of experience in the local terrain. They all speak English (other languages are also available) so you can relax and communicate with ease. They take safety seriously.

That’s why when you book one of their off-piste and guiding lessons, they provide transceivers, shovels, probes and ABS bags completely free of charge. At this school, they know how to handle the mountain with care.

FT Outdoors will take you on a thrilling off-piste adventure where you will get to discover remote areas and ski in fresh powder away from all the crowds. Skiers and snowboarders wanting to go off-piste should be confident on both red and black runs.

Their fully qualified guides and off-piste specialists have years of experience which helps minimise risk. To further ensure your safety, they provide small backpacks containing an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel for each off-piste client. ABS backpacks are also available upon request for a small additional fee.

With FT Outdoors you don't have to worry about any communication barriers, they have some British guides as well as instructors who speak Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and German. There will also be no waiting around in lift queues, their clients have the fantastic advantage of lift line priority.

In summer you can go hiking, mountaineering, canyoning, climbing and try via feratta. And in winter there is snow shoeing, ski touring, winter mountaineering and ice climbing.

They cover the whole of the Tarentaise but also lead guided tours to other popular mountain destinations such as Chamonix and Mont Blanc, Zermett and the Gran Paradiso in Italy.

On the beautiful slopes of Meribel and with 100 km labelled mountain bike trails in the Three Valleys, the girls will quickly learn how to ride like champions!

Courses run with Fast Riding People

Clement likes to take his students to places with beautiful panoramic views to enjoy the local scenery which is just as important as improving your performance!

He offers advice on electric mountain bikes as well as regular ones, and you can book to go out with him for a half-day, full day or even longer. He also covers family groups as well as individuals.

• half day or full day in summer
• group of up to 6 people maximum
• accessible to all levels of riders
• mountain bike rentals are available