Great
snow, never-ending trails, fantastic mountains, storybook villages,
the price is right and the French Alps are easy to reach. In liftlines,
cafes and boutiques, a smile and a “Bonjour, comment t’allez vous,”
is the common greeting. Vin du table is the drink of choice for
lunch and various plats du jour fill tables around crackling fireplaces
or on spreading decks in the mountain sun.
The
French residents of this corner of the Alps enjoy sharing their
mountains with visitors and they let you know they are glad to
have you there. For any skier or snowboarder searching for the
perfect ski vacation, where downhill skiing is the focus, France
is the place to go. These are the majestic Alps and they don’t
let you forget it – Endless interconnected lift systems, spectacular
rugged mountain vistas, mindboggling verticals, vast trail networks,
designated halfpipes and natural snowboard parks, unlimited off-piste
(out-of-bounds) possibilities and charming mountain restaurants
are de rigueur.
The
atmosphere off the slopes is everything one imagines when they
dream of France – romance, passion and magnificent food. France
is the perfect rendezvous. Here, visions of the ideal vacation
become reality.
Snowboarding
champion Mickael Dunand in Les Menuires
Everywhere
small villages and towns evoke fantasies of moonlit winter evenings
and gorgeous sunny panoramas. Wooden chalets lie nestled in narrow
valleys. Breezes carry a whiff of woodfire. In the French corner
of the Alps, everyday life delivers more than most dreamers could
ever imagine.
For
savouring cuisine, a vacation to France is an exploration of the
exceptional. From famed gourmet restaurants to rustic slopeside
eateries, the culinary constants are excellent taste, careful
presentation and pleasant service. Indulge yourself with a dinner
in Michelin-star elegance, enjoy a mountainside lunch in a rustic
bergerie or treat yourself to a patisserie breakfast of croissant
and cafe au lait.
The
largest interconnected ski region in France is the Trois Vallées
with the resorts of Méribel, Courchevel, Les Menuires and Val
Thorens linked by hundreds of kilometres of trails and a network
of hundreds of lifts.
In
the Trois Vallées, from wherever you stand, you have vistas of
snow-covered mountains stretching as far as the eye can see. And
whatever you can see, you can ski or snowboard down. And in most
cases, there is a lift that will take you to a starting point
from which you can glide down any slope. It is truly amazing.
The
Trois Vallées is beyond imagination for skiers who have only visited
resorts in the U.S. and Canada. It can not be explained. It can
only be experienced. But even a lifetime of experience won’t allow
a skier to search out all that the Trois Vallées has to offer.
It is that big, that vast, virtually endless.
Another
way to look at the expanse of this region is to take a look at
how many of the largest ski resorts in the United States can fit
into the Trois Vallées region. The late Snow Country magazine
once did some of the calculations that resulted in the conclusion
that the six largest ski areas in the United States could fit
inside Les Trois Vallées. That means that Killington, Vail, Heavenly,
Steamboat, Squaw Valley and Park City could all fit inside the
space covered by Les Trois Vallées with almost 10,000 acres of
room left over. So you can throw in Jackson Hole, Taos, Sun Valley,
Keystone, Crested Butte, Alta, Solitude, Cranmore and Stowe and
still have space left over. The expanse is breathtaking. The scenery
is spectacular.
And
the overall skiing is unmatched.
This
region is the heavyweight king when it comes to destination, lift-served
ski regions. No other national region comes close to these vast
peak-studded skifields and valleys and the interlocking modern
lifts that link them. True experts will have virtually unlimited
off-piste itineraries that will test any skier and offer heart-stopping
adventure.
The
Trois Vallées consists of three roughly parallel valleys dotted
with seven major village centres. Skiers starting in Courchevel
can drop into the relatively new village of La Tania or over the
ridge to the adjacent valley anchored by Méribel. From Méribel
lifts rise to the next ridge that offers slopes descending into
Les Menuires and St. Martin de Belleville or to Val Thorens. From
Val Thorens a fourth valley, the Maurienne, beckons with long
trails towards the Italian border.
The
region is sprinkled with excellent restaurants ranging from Michelin-star
eateries in every valley to dozens of small atmospheric traditional
restaurants that specialize in the local Savoyard specialities
of tartiflette, fondue and raclette. Long lunches on the slopes
are a national passion. In the cold weather refuges offer warm
fireplaces surrounded by tables and in the spring skiers pack
the sun-drenched decks. Scores of mountain restaurants offer everything
from gourmet meals to spaghetti. All promise a great meal, wonder
views and, on most days, brilliant sun. Each resort has its own
character as well its own ski area.
Courchevel The
largest and most upscale resort in the Trois Vallées region is
Courchevel. This is the land of the beautiful people – the glitterati,
movie stars and models of France. This is the top spot to see
and be seen.
Courchevel
is actually a series of five villages at different levels along
the side of the mountain. Courchevel 1850 is the most prestigious
and has most of the late-nightlife, but the other villages all
have excellent access to the slopes, convenient lifts, fine restaurants
and their own personal flair. Plus, as you drop down the mountainside
so do the prices.
You
don’t need to arrive in a Bogner ski suit. Courchevel has something
for everyone. The skiing literally surrounds the town. Ski down
the wonderful bowls beneath Saulire back toward the village or
down to Les Creux. Test yourself down groomed expert runs beneath
Chanrossa. Wind down the narrow Les Suisses. Or ride to the peak
of Col de La Loze and cruise down to the sister village of La
Tania.
Après-ski
in Courchevel is delightful in dozens of bars just off the slopes.
But the nightlife at discos and clubs doesn’t get started until
late, very late by American and Canadian standards. If the nightlife
seems out of reach in havens of the rich and famous such as La
Grange or Les Caves, head to Le Kalico, L’Accord or Le Grenier.
Méribel This
village was founded by the British. It was conceived as a resort
where the chalet style would reign supreme. It has remained true
to its beginnings. Peaked gabled roofs over wooden chalets seem
to rise non-stop from the new Olympic complex to the altiport
and even the large hotels in Mottaret are true to the Alpine chalet
style. And Méribel is still the resort of choice for the British
in the Trois Vallées.
Some
skiers refer to Méribel as the hub of the Trois Vallées. The village
has two basic centres for both lodging and lift systems – Méribel
Mottaret at 1,700 metres and Méribel at 1,450 metres. Both are
excellent centres for any of the winter activities. These are
the two villages at the heart of the region. Both village centres
are well-connected with the other valleys.
The
skiing drops from the ridge separating the resort from Courchevel
and from the Les Menuires/Val Thorens area. The views at the top
of Saulire are 360 degrees of spectacular beauty. Skiers can only
dream of skiing all they can see. From the crest of the opposite
ridge, long cruising trails head to the traditional village of
St. Martin de Belleville or to the purpose-built complex of Les
Menuires and a bit further to Val Thorens. At the end of the valley
Mont du Vallon presides majestically with expert runs dropping
beneath the lift.
Méribel
is relatively quiet at night. But nightlife can be found at Dick’s
Tea Bar, a clone of the bar in Val d’Isère. Both Méribel and Méribel-Mottaret
have plenty of superb restaurants with excellent meals ranging
from gourmet to Savoyard country.
Les
Menuires/St Martin de Belleville These
villages are at the lower levels of the Vallée du Belleville.
They are an exercise in opposites. Les Menuires is modern and
purpose built. St Martin de Belleville is old and traditional.
Together they offer the best of both worlds.
Once
upon a time Les Menuires’ original buildings looked like a misplaced
spaceship resting on the snow. This isn’t a judgement of good
or bad, the resort works wonderfully and has been making dramatic
strides in blending into the environment and adding an Alpine
feel to the area. All new construction has been created with wood
and peaked rooves. Giant pines were planted at the entrance to
the area to improve the first impression, and covered wooden arcades
now connect the buildings adding a natural feel to the compound,
and inside the decor has been made much more Savoyard with plenty
of wood and farm influences. The original centre still serves
as an excellent village centre and is a most convenient main meeting
place for ski schools and children’s programmes.
In
Les Menuires you will find skiers travelling with families and
those looking for the steeps. The skiing is wide open on the west-facing
slope, with lifts running up toward Val Thorens. An abundance
of beginner and intermediate runs pass picturesque shepherd huts
on the way down the valley toward the traditional baroque village
of St Martin de Belleville.
The
east-facing side of the valley offers more challenging skiing
from Pointe de la Masse (9,213 feet), which can be reached rapidly
by riding a combination of two high-speed lifts. In the afternoon
the area is deserted as skiers follow the sun. The off-trail skiing
from here and nearby Cîme de Caron is exceptional, especially
in spring when skiers can drop over the backside of these mountains
with certified guides. The lifts taking skiers to the Roc des
Trois Marches and to Mont de la Challe provide the best connections
to Méribel and the rest of Les Trois Vallées.
Boarderweek
at Val Thorens
Val
Thorens None
of the Trois Vallées villages is more attuned to the single-minded
pursuit of winter sport than Val Thorens. From the moment you park
your car inside the indoor parking near this cluster of high-rise
apartments and hotels, you can feel the hum of sport activity.
At
2,300 metres, Val Thorens is designed for the young and restless,
or at least for the young-at-heart and active. Its altitude is the
highest of any European resort. Outside, the crowd is one teeming
mass of rainbow-coloured movement: snowmobilers, skiers, snowboarders,
parasailors, and monoskiers riding high-speed lifts and winding
through the apartment and hotel complexes. The real claim to fame
is the atmosphere of sport, sure snow and the lofty location of
this fun town. If you’re looking to have a drink of wine and a laugh
with the locals, then you’ll fit right in.
As
the highest resort in the Alps, Val Thorens is wide-open, with bowl-type
skiing above the tree line. The Péclet cable car takes skiers up
to the Péclet glacier, offering year-round skiing for intermediates
and above. While most of the skiing in the bowl-shaped area above
Val Thorens is intermediate and advanced, experts can find plenty
of challenges.
The
cable car ride to the top of Cîme de Caron, the highest point in
the three valleys, is spectacular if you are lucky enough to be
blessed with clear weather and limited winds. The view is worth
the trip, the rocks on top make a perfect picnic spot and the runs
seem endless. From here you can take a black run straight down,
or a slightly easier advanced intermediate. True experts will want
to ski over the ridge to the little-used fourth valley and the lone
Rosael quad chair that will bring you back.
When
skiing Val Thorens be ready for changeable weather. At this altitude
the winds can pick up in an instant and clouds can move in quickly.
Dress for winter conditions, even if the skies are clear and the
sun strong when you leave the base area for Cîme de Caron.
Val
Thorens over the past few years has added excellent accommodations
to supplement the original apartment complexes. Even the rich and
pampered can find lodging here that will provide hot tubs and luxury
suites. But those who come for the sport without the high price
tag can find excellent rooms in hotels and residences.
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