January 27, 2026 – Hello skiers of the great cold! 🥶
Because yes, we have news from home and winter seems to have resumed its rights in Canada with all this snow, but also an unprecedented polar vortex. For the skiers that you are, a few clothing adjustments are usually enough to keep you on the slopes to make the most of it, without waiting for the climbs.
Here in France, the temperature is always milder than in Quebec but the snow ❄️ is just as abundant. Again tonight, meteorologists predict a good 15 centimeters which should ensure us a beautiful carpet at the opening tomorrow morning.
Today was our tour of the 3 Vallées with our tout-aller package for the day. We may not have enough words or superlatives to translate all the emotions and all the pleasure we had on this tour from the 3 Vallées domain to the depths of Méribel and Courchevel.
So we left directly with the Doron chairlift followed by Mont de la Chambre to get to Méribel by a beautiful red slope in perfect condition, the Centuron, which brought us to the bottom of the Mont Vallon gondola which rises to 2,952 meters. We obviously went up to the top following Lloyd’s recommendations yesterday.
The 3 Vallées is the largest ski area in the world, with 339 slopes extending over 600 km served by 160 ski lifts. It has 6 glaciers, 25 accessible summits, 118 km of cross-country skiing, 74 snow groomers, 2 634 snow cannons and 63 high-altitude restaurants. It’s actually very big, and you really have to be careful not to get lost.
As mentioned above, Lloyd, our Monday guide, had strongly recommended that we go up to Mont Vallon to see the magnificent view, but also to enjoy the terrain. But what a crush we had in the Combe du Vallon, a long and regular red slope with a good inclination to allow us an endless radius course, with beautiful well-felt carving throughout the descent. The snow is smooth, firm, but never icy as we often see at home. This is one of the beautiful descents we have done throughout the season. But what a crush! Definitely to remember.
Afterwards, to get to Méribel-Mottaret and take the Pas du Lac lifts to Courchevel, we really had fun like children in this endless forest corridor, the Bear track. A great contrast with the previous red, but a magical set that we will not soon forget. But what a place!
At the exit of Pas du Lac, we are at the Saulire summit at 2,740 meters, at the door of Courchevel.
Courchevel is a chic resort of chics. You can feel very well the unique atmosphere of the place where skiers from another world defy the latest fashion. The popular place for movie stars and billionaires is filled with sumptuous homes, apparently often uninhabited. Visitors come from everywhere to enjoy this unique and popular place. Some even come there with their personal plane or helicopter, directly on the Altiport of the station. It is possible to land your aircraft in the resort, put on your skis and leave for the day of skiing when you get off the plane. That’s it, why not?
We are also told that pilots authorized to land here must be specially qualified for mountain piloting. The track is short, and the conditions are difficult. We just can’t believe it… Everything is possible in this world.
For our part, we explored the area and stopped at the bottom of the Aiguille du Fruit to have an aperitif and a good chocolate crepe. What a delight!
We then resumed the Altiport track to go to the heart of Courchevel, where we find all these more chic and exclusive shops than each other, that we find only in the major capitals.
With a little more time ahead of us, we would certainly have climbed to the Signal at 2,250 meters, the easternmost point of the 3 Vallées domain, but as visibility was worse today with this weather, we probably traveled less distance than during our last visit.
The return to the apartment was made according to the usual path via Verdons and Saulire, but it is also possible to return to Les Menuires passing lower through Courchevel-Le Praz, and by making several small forks to get to the same point at the foot of Tougnète 1 in Méribel-Centre. Next time, when the weather is clearer and we go faster, we will not hesitate to repeat this pleasant course.
Back on Les Menuires at the top of Saint-Martin, it’s the return home by Gros Tougne and La Violette (we’re starting to get a taste for it!) in Brelin… Wow, what a beautiful hike we offered ourselves, without ever taking the same track or the same ski lift throughout the day.
The 3 Vallées is also that: the constant change of scenery and the immensity of the territory. Today there was a paraski World Cup slalom race in Méribel in the stadium, also very close to the foot of Tougnète.
In Les Menuires there was a modernization of the Roc 2 chair to increase its flow rate as well as significant repairs on the Preyerand cable car.
A memorable day, to be repeated as often as possible. If happiness exists, we probably touched it today.
Good skiing in Quebec, and stay tuned for our next European column.
Hélène Racine
Philippe Laporte
Ski Média
