Skiing The Three Valleys

Only beginners should get a single valley ski pass because you never know where you might end up when your ski legs have a mind of their own and you need to make sure you can get home. Encapsulating Courchevel, La Tania, Meribel, Mottaret, Brides Les Bains, Les Menuires, St Martin de Belleville, Val Thorens and Orelle you will experience everything from a dedicated nursery slope area to the famous Grande couloirs.

The valley faces north meaning that it is not as sunny as Meribel but there is plenty of sunshine to be had in Courchevel when the weather is permitting. The ski area is split into five areas, 1850 is a great place to learn with a dedicated nursery slope but also the main hub of activity in Courchevel due to it is the best place to gain access to the other valley’s and you cannot forget the couloir’s. 1650 is the furthest point in the three valleys and usually the forgotten area, but it shouldn’t be with the fantastic off piste and tree run around the chapelets area. 1550 is directly below 1850 and the smallest area in Courchevel because you only need one chair lift to get back up to 1850. La Tania (1400) is a picturesque village surrounded by trees and offers enchanting tree lined pistes down to the town, which are known as some of the prettiest runs in Europe. Le Praz (1300) has two of the best black runs in the three valleys. Meribel is soaked in sunshine and is a good base because of gaining access to the rest of the three valleys, however because of the sunshine the snow nearer the village can become quite slushy quite quickly. The trickster skiers and boarders among you will visit Meribel because of the two snow parks that offer rails, walls, jumps and a border cross, but Courchevel has invested in a family park with lots of rails which is certainly worth a visit. Val Thorens is predominantly above the tree line and is a popular are with skiers used to wide open pistes and has a longer season due to the glacier. You will also gain access to Orelle, the forth Valley a must for anyone after a tranquil ski in a picturesque setting.