Date(s) Skied: March 31 to April 6
Resort or Ski Area: Meribel and Courchevel, France
Conditions: Powder and packed powder, with corn at the base
Trip Report: I spent a week in the French Alps skiing "the world's biggest ski area" - the Three Valleys. Talk about truth in advertising -
the place is HUGE. Six days of skiing and I didn't even make it to the third valley, Val Thorens.
It was a banner year in the Alps, so the mountain was 100% open with excellent conditions. Four days of sun with two days of snow mixed in, including one blue bird day with almost knee-deep powder off-piste. The week we went was not one of the French school holiday weeks, so the place was virtually empty - no lift lines and untracked stashes with minimal effort. Sweet.
If blacks are your thing, there's great skiing off of the Creux Noirs and Chanrossa lifts at Courchevel, and excellent stuff off of the Mont Vallon and Cote Brune lifts at Meribel. What's nice, though, is that the whole family can ski relatively close to one another and easily meet for lunch without anyone feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. Truly steep/extreme stuff tends to be off-piste, but, with only six days, I didn't feel the need to hire a guide or go with a group.
The town of Meribel is OK, but not very pedestrian-friendly or quaint. Also, it's a haven for the Brits, so if you're looking to experience "France", this isn't the place. Our hotel, though, the Yeti, was fantastic, with nice staff and truly superb food.
Some pix:
