PISTE MAP
SKI Area
- Easy access to the largest ski area in the world with a massive variety of runs and terrain.
- Fast modern lifts which allow you to maximise your ski time whilst reducing your queueing times.
- Great links to both Val Thorens and Courchevel, Courchevel being just one lift away from the Méribel lift base – Chaudanne.
- Has plenty of beautiful wide runs with some beautiful cruising to be had to make getting the miles in easier than ever.
- Great variety of difficult runs including plenty of blacks and some difficult reds spread across the 3 Valley’s including the Grande Couloir down into Courchevel from Méribel.
- Snowboarding paradise with such a variety to stay entertained and the infamous DC Area 43 Terrain Park to see if your tricks are up to scratch.
Making up a large chunk of the World’s largest ski area in the 3 Valley’s, Méribel is blessed with some of the best skiing and snowboarding on the planet all right on its doorstep. With over 600km of slopes in the 3 Valley’s and around 150km of which is in Méribel, it is pretty much impossible to become bored and definitely impossible to ski the whole area in a week let alone a weekend!
Méribel and the 3 Valley’s offer a great variety of both terrain and difficulty to keep even the expert skiers in the group entertained whilst also providing plenty for the first timers in the group as well. With Méribel being the central resort right in the heart of the 3 Valley’s ski area it offers incredibly easy access to both Courchevel and Val Thorens. While it may take a bit longer to get to Val Thorens, Courchevel can be accessed via just one lift, the Saulire Express. This, therefore, means that skiers and snowboarders alike can discover all the best skiing in the 3 Valley’s with as much ease as possible.
Take a look below at our breakdown to find out more information relevant to your ability:
Advanced
There are more than enough runs for all levels of skiers in the 3 Valley’s, but it’s fair to say that the expert skiers will have a blast on the varied terrain across Méribel and the 3 Valley’s. Whilst it would be recommended to get a 3 Valley’s lift pass, there is still plenty of challenges in the Méribel Valley such as the Couloir Tournier which runs underneath the Saulire Express gondola. This run is great after some heavy snowfall, but also provides a challenge with its moguls once all the powder has been skied!
Intermediates
An absolute paradise for intermediate level skiers, the 3 Valley’s offer a lot to skiers. If you are a skier that likes to get the miles in, then you won’t find better places than the World’s Largest ski area which is, of course, the 3 Valley’s. There are some great runs in the Méribel ski area such as the red run ‘Eterlou’ which is just off of the Plan de l’homme chairlift for the more confident intermediates. Another area to head for is Mont du Valon just beyond Meribel Mottaret for some gorgeous views and exquisite runs in an area that generally stays quiet offering some truly spectacular skiing. Guests staying in Mottaret get the best access to the rest of the resorts in the 3 Valley’s with fewer queues first thing in the morning which means you will be getting first tracks on those fresh groomers!
Beginners
Whilst there aren’t masses of green slopes or nursery slopes, Méribel does have a few great spots for beginners to build their confidence on. The ‘Altiport’ green is excellent for beginners as it is wide and doesn’t attract skiers hurtling down it too quickly and also has a couple of kids slopes either side of it, the ‘Inuit Park’ and the ‘Moon Wild Park’ which have some fun surprises to look at whilst you ski down them. Another area is up in Méribel Mottaret where there are magic carpet areas and draglifts to provide good skiing for beginners and can be accessed from Chaudanne via a 10-minute bus ride (D bus). For more confident beginners, they will be able to get back to the Chaudanne lift area from Mottaret via the green run ‘Truite’.
Snowboarders
The 3 Valley’s offer some superb snowboarding with hundreds of kilometres of slopes and a great range of terrain parks and also a great variety of off-piste* ready for those powder days! The 3 Valley’s and Méribel itself are very snowboard friendly with few draglifts and not too many flat spots to get caught on! This means that you can get around the valley with ease which means you can make the most of your short snowboard trips away. One run to try and avoid though is ‘Truite’ which takes you from Méribel Mottaret back to Chaudanne and can be difficult for the less experienced snowboarders!
Off-Piste*
With such a vast array of off-piste on offer in the 3 Valley’s, you will never find yourself becoming bored. Some of the best areas for off-piste are indeed in Méribel, such as from the top of the Olympic Express Chairlift either going down towards St Martin or trudging along the ridge off to the right of the chairlift at the top. If you continue along the ridge, you can then drop off and head down towards Raffort or Les Allues with both runs giving you a great mix of terrain, with open powder fields at the top descending into the trees for a truly exhilarating ride! There is also a patrolled off-piste area that runs down into St Martin which is best accessed by heading up the Tougnette 2 chairlift, which provides a really good area to improve your powder skiing. Whilst there may be a lot of off-piste, it does tend to get tracked very quickly, so if you are lucky enough to be there on a powder day be sure to make the most of it!
*Ski Weekends strongly advise that off-piste skiing should only be undertaken when in the company of a professional ski instructor or guide.
To find out more about skiing in Meribel feel free to contact one of our friendly Ski Experts on 023 8020 6971 or email sales@skiweekends.com