Meribel Activity Review: 31st August 2011
The last week of the season but still plenty to do in Meribel
It’s the last week of the summer season and Méribel is slowly emptying of visitors and becoming quieter. Although the official season ends on 4th September, there is still plenty to do in the valley this month and it is, in fact, one of my favourite times of year.
In early autumn we often enjoy long, still, sunny days and ideal temperatures for walking and mountain sports. The walking paths are empty now and you are more likely to spot wild animals than other humans. I love setting out for long walks at this time of year, perhaps spending a night or two in the Vanoise National Park. The refuges are still open but no longer crowded, and even the busy GR (long distance footpaths) are much quieter than the peak August period.
If mountain walking doesn’t appeal, there are lots of other activities on offer in Méribel. For example, the golf course remains open until the first snows fall; the Chaudanne skate park, the Adventure Park, the clay pigeon shoot are all open, and various activities are on offer at the Olympic Centre. This week, for example, I’ve been on the 14m indoor climbing wall at the Olympic Centre which was scary but fun and surprisingly good exercise. My heart was certainly pounding at the top, though that may have been as much due to fear as effort. Méribel’s indoor wall is free to use to experienced climbers and beginners can make a first ascent with a mountain guide most evenings during the winter and summer season. There are also a couple of free, outdoor bouldering spots for climbers on the new Doron activity trail between Méribel and Mottaret.
More exciting still, mountain rivers offer a whole host of different sports to try: canyoning, white water rafting, canoeing and hydrospeed. This week I thoroughly enjoyed rafting on the Isère River with FranceRaft. Our guide, the aptly-named Raph, gave us plenty of instruction including the useful but anxiety-inducing “if you fall in, make sure you float feet-first, so you don’t hit the boulders with your head”. We all made sure we didn’t fall in after that. Dressed in wetsuits, helmets and life jackets, we were transported upriver, then spent a couple of entertaining hours covering the 22km back to base. Level 4 rapids, gorges, tranquil passages where you could admire the birds darting along the riverbanks and then more rapids – it all passed incredibly quickly with a great deal of laughter, a few exciting moments and heaps of cold water thrown over you. Top tip for female would-be rafters: wear waterproof mascara.
Rafting and the other white water sports are available on the Doron and Isere Rivers from May through to September for adults and families. You need to be able to swim and all the kit (other then swimsuit) is provided. Highly recommended.
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