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Sunshine and fresh snow in Meribel
Meribel enjoys wonderful conditions
Has spring finally sprung? I woke this morning to the sound of birds singing and, for the first time this winter, I was too warm on the slopes. Has the 3-month long stretch of wintery weather finally come to an end and the time for picnics and drinking rosé on sunny terraces arrived? I do hope so - much as we’ve loved all the amazing snow this season, we’d appreciate a bit of sunshine and warmth now.
The temperature has shot up around 20ºC since last week’s Arctic blast. A dump of snow on Friday and Saturday softened the pistes and has given us fabulous snow at all altitudes. Snow depths are still a sensational 300cm on the summits (90cm on the lowest slopes) and the snow on piste has been soft and gorgeous over the past two days. I’m told there is excellent powder off-piste too.
My “piste du jour” was the red Campagnol run on Mont Vallon, which had the softest and smoothest snow from top to bottom. The majority of skiers choose the main Combe Vallon piste but it’s worth seeking out the entrance to this lesser-known and quieter run instead. The first section along a narrow path can be a little tricky but, once you have negotiated this, the run soon opens out to a wide and beautifully swooping piste which benefits from more sun than its neighbour.
Le Mont Vallon has always been an iconic peak for Méribel skiers. Not only does it dominate the valley with its characteristic pyramid shape but it also offers the highest skiing point in the valley at 2,952m. For intermediate skiers, it provides a great challenge: there are only red runs on this mountain and both of them are long and testing. It also tends to have great snow thanks to its high and mostly north-facing aspect. The Mont Vallon slopes a great test of your fitness – if you can ski from top to bottom without stopping, you know you are properly ski fit. And, of course, for a super-long descent you can continue along the Mûres rouges, Ours and Truite pistes all the way to Méribel la Chaudanne, a continuous descent of 1,500m.
Next time you are skiing on this mountain, may I make two suggestions? First, at the top of the gondola lift, turn left and walk a few metres to the steep edge. Here you will discover a breathtaking view over the Gebroulaz glacier and the Vanoise National Park. A viewpoint table to your left gives you the names of all the surrounding peaks. Second, if you are planning to ski any of the many off-piste routes from le Mont Vallon, do ask the ski patrollers in their hut at the top for advice. They are the most knowledgeable people about which routes are safe and which shouldn’t be attempted due to local avalanche risk.
Finally, when you have exhausted yourself skiing on the mountain, it’s a good idea to stop for lunch or a drink at the excellent Plan des Mains restaurant at the foot of it. The upstairs restaurant has good food and a wonderful sun terrace (it’s popular, so it’s best to book in advance). Downstairs, there is a snack bar with lots of comfy deckchairs. Inside, there are activities for children and a rest area, nice loos, an exhibitions space, boot warmer and even a mini-library of books about the mountains. It’s a good place to spend some time to warm up on cold days or lazy about on sunny ones.
The forecast for the next week is for rather mixed weather. Milder temperatures, snow, a little sunshine and possibly some rain at resort level are all forecast. It doesn’t look as if my craving for sunny lunches out of doors will be met just yet but at least we won’t be battling against frostbite this week…
