Meribel Snow Report: 2nd January 2014

I’m delighted to report that it’s snowing again in Méribel. After a rather dry and sunny start to the season, the weather has reverted to a more typical mixture of snowy and fine days. A good 10cm has fallen already today and more snow is forecast over the weekend so snow conditions should get better and better just as the slopes become quieter in January.

Virtually the entire ski area is open – in Méribel, just five minor runs are closed – and the snow on piste is generally good though there are still some stones here and there and a few hard areas on some low runs. The off-piste areas look very enticing but require great prudence at present – rocks and boulders lurk just beneath the surface of the snow and the avalanche risk is considerable.

A few centimetres of snow fell on New Year’s Eve so the few early birds on the slopes next morning enjoyed swooping through a layer of fresh powder on groomed and empty slopes. During the busiest week of the season, the morning of 1^st January is the quietest and most lovely time to be on the snow. As well as the pleasure of empty pistes, there’s also a degree of schadenfreude in imagining the hangovers being suffered by those still in bed.

Today, fat flakes of snow are whirling from the sky and visibility is poor. If, like me, you prefer to enjoy the fresh snow once the sun has re-emerged, a day like today is the perfect time to try something different. Méribel offers a host of non-skiing activities for the sporty and slothful alike. If you want to be outdoors in the fresh air, you can try your hand at everything from snow shoeing to husky sledding, via tobogganing or inflatable tubing or skidoo-ing.  If the weather is really unappetizing, there are plenty of indoor activities too; swimming, ice-skating, indoor climbing, spa-visiting, cinema, art galleries and shopping, to name but a few.

My favourite bad-weather activity is walking on Méribel’s winter hiking paths. Wind or poor visibility is not a problem when you are on foot and in the calm shelter of the forest. Twenty-five km of specially groomed paths stretch all around the valley, linked by the free bus service. These paths are maintained throughout the winter and you don’t need any special equipment to use them, though slip-on ‘grippers’ for your boots are useful if the snow is hard.

Méribel abounds with wildlife, thanks to our own Tueda Nature Reserve and proximity to the Vanoise National Park, and the walking paths are the ideal place to spot animals. On our walks, the snow dog and I often see red or roe deer and red squirrels and spot tracks of wild boar. We sometimes hear woodpeckers hammering and in the evening have even heard owls hunting.  The paths take you to many of the prettiest parts of the valley, past old shepherds’ huts, water mills, around frozen lakes and to spectacular viewpoints and picnic spots.  For the culturally-minded, the walk to Les Allues is particularly worthwhile, leading past ancient chapels and picturesque hamlets en route to the valley’s main village with its Baroque church, museum, restaurants, characterful narrow streets and traditional houses. And if you can’t face the walk back up the mountain, simply jump on the Olympe gondola or free bus to Méribel. You can pick up a free map of the walking paths from the Tourist Office or download it here.