Meribel Snow Report: 16th October 2012

In eight weeks’ time we will be skiing in Méribel and already snow is tantalisingly lying on the summits.

On a quick visit to Méribel this weekend I have been able to enjoy some of the joys of autumn in the Alps – golden light, yellow and red leaves, red deer noisily in rut – and also a foretaste of winter when snow fell right down to the resort. Today the summits are a brilliant white against the blue sky and I’m itching to get my skis out.

Today I went to check out progress on the new Saulire Express 1 lift at la Chaudanne. The ground floor of the original Saulire lift station building has been retained but the new lift loading area above it is open to the air and much more attractive than before. The entrance will be along a walkway at the front of the building so we will no longer have to queue inside. In addition, queuing should be much reduced as the lift capacity has risen to 2,400 passengers per hour. Lift company Alpina promise the new super-fast lift will be ready for the start of the season on 8 December.

I hear of two other interesting developments for the coming winter: a new refuge/restaurant at Lac Tueda in Mottaret and a shared minibus service connecting with the Saturday Eurostar train from London.

If you like to get away from it all, then the newly-restored Chalet du Plan may be the perfect place to enjoy some solitude and silence. The refuge is located just above the lake in the Tueda Nature Reserve at an altitude of 1750m. This winter it will be open for lunch, with an a la carte menu, and also for overnight stays. The refuge has four bedrooms with a total of 14 beds with a night costing from €22. Located around 20 minutes’ walk from Mottaret, Chalet du Plan is accessible only by ski off-piste, cross-country ski or snowshoe which should it retains its bucolic charm. To book, call Damien Raffort on +33 (0) 667 72 46 37.

As I am sure you know, the direct Eurostar train from London to Moutiers station is a very easy and popular way of travelling to Méribel. In the past, however, there has been no convenient public transport to take you from Moutiers station to the resort. This winter, taxi company Three Vallee Transfers will be offering a door-to-door, shared transfer service to coincide with the daytime Eurostar train. Seats on a shared minibus cost €20 each way, compared to around €75 for a private taxi. Passengers will be dropped off and picked up from their accommodation in Méribel or la Tania. Click here for more details or to book.

To read more on all the new developments in Méribel this winter, please visit our news page.

One of the best ways to get in the mood for winter is to visit one of the UK ski shows: the first is in Glasgow this weekend, followed by Birmingham and London. I will be back in Meribel in December with snow reports and video reports from your favourite resort. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the snow keeps on coming and this season will be as epic as the last…..