Meribel Snow Report: 9th February 2012

Today we skied mainly in Courchevel and discovered pistes that varied from heavenly to rather hard. There hasn’t been any fresh snow for over a week so some shiny patches are developing here and there, but generally the snow is still in great shape thanks to the recent very low temperatures. The best snow we found was on freshly-groomed Marmottes and Creux which were as good as I’ve ever known. Both of these slopes can be vile when the snow is poor, but today they had the sort of smooth and grippy surface that makes you think you ski like a champion.

In contrast, in Courchevel 1650 we found yesterday’s gales had turned the higher pistes into unpleasantly-hard, frozen corduroy. The slopes were much better lower down, though a few of the ungroomed runs were a bit scraped. The forecast is for snow around the middle of next week, so that should help soften any hard pack.

Lunch was back in Méribel and it was a bit of a revelation. I’ve been meaning to try the 4-star Helios Hotel Restaurants since it opened a couple of years ago but invariably end up eating in some distant corner of the Three Valleys instead. Today we were joining a non-skier so the Helios, located on the Doron piste just above the Tourist Office, was an ideal place to meet.

I’ve had many over-priced and disappointing meals on the slopes over the years, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Helios. The décor is modern and smart; the level of service excellent (I do love having my ski boots removed to a heater and being given indoor shoes to wear instead). The menu was full of interesting things I wanted to eat and the three-course set menu at €25 Euros was very good value. It was far too cold to eat on the terrace today, but on milder days this must be a glorious sun-trap. I’ll definitely eat here again. In case you are cynically assuming that I’m paid to plug certain restaurants, this (sadly) is not the case. If I recommend a restaurant in these reports, it’s because I like it and want to support good businesses.

To finish, here are my top tips for the busy French holiday period.

1) Ski when others don’t.

Try to be on first lift at 9.00 sharp. Arrive 15 minutes later and you’ll be stuck behind ski schools flooding onto the lifts. If you can get away first, you’ll arrive at all the subsequent lifts before any queues can build up.

Ski over lunchtime. The French are constitutionally-required to eat a two-hour, three-course lunch including wine, coffee and digestifs. This leaves us “anglo-saxons” free to enjoy much quieter slopes between 12.00 and 2.00.

2) Avoid the Chaudanne. If you are staying high up the resort, circumvent the queues at the main Chaudanne lift station by starting your day on the Adret or Morel lift. If you are staying in the lower part of Méribel, why not jump on the free bus to Méribel Village and start and end your day in this quiet area instead?

3) Ski where others don’t.

Avoid the main pistes and obvious routes between valleys. A quick study of the piste map will show you many quiet areas at the edges of the ski area. For example, Courchevel 1650, at the edge of the valley, is invariably quieter than Courchevel 1850. The slower Loze route over to Courchevel is quieter than the main Saulire route. The Raffort and Village runs below Méribel are never busy.

4) If you are an expert, capitalise on your skills by skiing black runs. Black runs are not only quieter; they often have better snow as they are less-used. For example, the black run Sanglier often is much easier to ski than the almost identical but more scraped Niverolle. The black run Tetras is rarely skied. The black Bosses must be the most underused run in Méribel.

5) Hire an instructor or guide. Jump the queues with a clear conscience and improve your skiing at the same time.

6) Get off-piste. Join the ESF or Bureau des Guides for a day in the backcountry, well away from the crowds.

7) If you really want to get away from your fellow man, try Cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. Both are wonderfully peaceful after the hurly-burly of the downhill pistes.

Two other suggestions.

If you want to eat somewhere nice for lunch, book your restaurant in advance.

Remember that collisions become more frequent as the slopes become busier. You will reduce your chance of an injury by following the ten rules of the slopes – it’s amazing how many people don’t know them. If you are skiing with children or beginners, please make sure they know the rules too.

If you are coming out for half term, I wish you a great holiday!