Meribel Snow Report: 3rd April 2014

In the last few days, the snow conditions across the 3 Valleys have been incredible. My parents, skiing in the Mont Vallon area, could not believe how wonderful the snow conditions were, top to bottom – beautifully prepared pistes and very few skiers! In April, seasoned skiers expect the pistes to be crusty in the morning and rather soft in the afternoon but the current, relatively stable temperatures have kept the freeze/melt snow conditions to the very lowest slopes and left the upper slopes brilliantly smooth. With so few people around at the moment, it is possible to find areas where that lovely “corduroy” pisted snow is untracked well after lunchtime. Not only that, this season’s consistent snow falls mean the pistes will stay complete for weeks to come – time to book that last minute trip!

People often ask me, “Where should I stay in Meribel to be close to the piste”?
Actually, the answer is easy because anywhere in Meribel is close to the piste! Meribel is a whole valley of skiing and there are ski lifts from everywhere. From the lovely traditional villages such as, Brides les Bains, Les Allues and Raffort, the bubble lift whisks you up to the La Chaudanne area where many of the ski schools meet. From this point, you have to break out the lift map because the lifts go off in all directions! How about up the Saulire to over 2500 metres and a view to Mont Blanc at the top? Or ski over in the direction of Tougnette, up the bubble lift, then off up the fast chairlift, maybe even up the 3rd stage in one of the “graffiti bubbles” (do you know about these special bubble lifts?) and then a stunning view over the top of the Les Menuires/Val Thorens valley?
If you stay in the Meribel Village area, there is an easy start to the day on a chairlift which takes you up and onto the gentle Altiport area of Meribel where you can take more uplift on the Saulire side of the valley, maybe heading off to the Col de la Loze runs – or taking the gentle green run down to Rond Point area where there is a super ski school area for kids. Even “big kids” might enjoy trying out the magic carpet lift there!
The “original” Meribel – often called Meribel Centre now, is built on the hillside with the piste running alongside so that almost every chalet and apartment building, if not actually on the piste is just a short walk away. Magic! Have I mentioned Mottaret? It is the highest village in the Meribel valley – again built up along the side of the pistes so that from most of the accommodation you can ski virtually from the door of your accommodation. Just point the skis or snowboard downhill and off you go! Check out more details on our 'where to holiday guide'.

In such a vast area, the skiing and the sunshine, even with a lovely long lunch, can leave you pretty tired but don’t worry if your stamina runs out and home is several folds of the lift-map away. There is very efficient system of free buses that run throughout the whole Meribel valley, waiting to deliver you back to base at the end of the day.

In racing news, the Delancey British Championship speed races are over and the ESF have done an excellent job of maintaining the piste and getting all the races on the go. Chemmy Alcott and Dougie Crawford have ruled the top step of the podium in every speed race. Chemmy gave the spectators a great final show today in the Super Combined, completing her run in traditional a Austrian dress and still had the fastest time of the day! Today's Super Combined was her final race and I hope you will join me in wishing Britain's most successful ever female racer all the best in the future!