Meribel Snow Report: 4th April 2013

Which is your favourite part of the Méribel valley? Mine is Lake Tueda above Mottaret, known for its stunning views over Mont Vallon, rare Arolla pine forests and tranquil atmosphere. Because this is a nature reserve, you can only ski through it on one piste, the blue Ours. However, you are able explore this area on foot, thanks to the winter walking paths or on cross-country skis on the blue and green trails.

By the lake is a café and visitor centre where you can learn all about the local fauna and flora. (The visitor centre, called Maison de la Reserve, is open each day in spring from 12.30 with a guided tour on Wednesdays at 3pm). If you’ve never visited this beautiful spot, I can thoroughly recommend it. It’s the perfect antidote to busy pistes, bustling après-ski and thumping house tunes at la Folie Douce. You can see some shots of this area on our most recent video report.

It wasn’t scenery or tranquility which took me to the Tueda lake yesterday, but the lure of a good lunch in a new restaurant. Le Refuge du Plan opened its doors to the public for the first time this winter and I’d heard good things about this little, hidden-away mountain restaurant. It is run by local resident Damian Raffort. He renovated an old mountain hut, turning it into a mountain refuge, which will offer overnight stays from this summer. It opened this winter as a restaurant, where you can eat at lunchtime or, by reservation, in the evening. You can walk or snowshoe from Mottaret to the refuge in around 20 minutes or, as we did, cross-country ski to it. You can also ski to it off-piste from the Gebroulaz glacier or Aiguille du fruit.

The refuge is set above the lake, with gorgeous views over the nature reserve. The wooden interior is charming in an olde worlde Savoyard way, with an ancient stove and wooden skis hung on the walls. The menu was simple, with local staples such as goats’ cheese salad (13€), tartiflette (15€), steak (25€), savoyarde omelette (13€), and desserts such as apple tart and crème brulée (5€). All the dishes we tried were very good and presented with care and thought. If you want to get away from the crowds, this is a lovely little spot and it feels a bit special as it’s so tucked out of the way. It would also make a perfect venue for an evening meal-with-a-difference with a group of friends. Reserve on 06 67 72 46 37.

If you’re reading this to find out about the best snow rather than the best restaurants, there isn’t much change to report. The snow is still exceptionally good for April, with heaps of the stuff and very few piste closures. The snow on the upper runs has been in great shape this week with harder/slushier snow on the lower slopes. The slopes are very quiet indeed, despite it being the UK holidays. The French holidays don’t start until 13 April and very few French people ski after Easter – they all head to the south coast in search of sunshine rather than skiing. Tant mieux, as they say – all the more lovely empty slopes for us to enjoy in the last three weeks of the season…