January 29, 2026 – Hello skiers of the world,
We confirm it to you, the Skier’s Paradise exists, and it is here Aux Menuires that it is located. A bluebird day by a temperature near the freezing point with a good 20 centimeters of Champagne Powder fallen in the night. But what more could you ask for?
The day was perfect, in every way. Sliding, snow, preparation of the tracks, visibility, view, smiles, in short everything.
We started with a memorable first descent in the Pointe de la Masse. At the top there was a small residual cloud, but nothing to make it a case and everything had dissipated after a few minutes.
So it was in a beautiful blue trail full of new snow, almost not skied, that we started this unreal day. The conditions are magical and the view… Judge for yourself. It’s so beautiful, it’s moving…
Afterwards we returned to Les Menuires with the intention of skiing declared objective one of our favorite tracks, Jerusalem on the side of Saint-Martin. In the evening we even had the opportunity to participate in a guided torchlight tour in old Saint-Martin during which we were explained the original construction techniques of the houses of the time, always on site, and the whole history of the Vallée des Belleville.
Jerusalem takes its source at the top of the Saint-Martin Express. To get there we had to do two or three climbs, which allowed us to make a very long journey that we did not know to date, but which was quite a discovery. Starting from the top of Becca, we took the Bd de la Becca, followed by Grand Lac to finish in the Pelozet to get to the bottom of the lift. It was simply sublime! It is true that the circulation of skiers was dense in some areas, but the trick in these situations was to try to go a little faster than them, to take control of the situation.
Arrived there we went up on the Saint Martin Express and quickly on the Jerusalem that we went down twice rather than once.
This track offers a nice terrain variation with a breathtaking view of the mountains. It runs along the domain’s border between Saint-Martin, Les Menuires and Méribel. We have the impression of walking on the ridge of the mountain when in reality it is not the case. With the sun 🌞 and the clear weather, it’s magical.
After these two magical routes, at noon, it is at the bottom of the Saint-Martin Express lift that we settled, a small glass of white in hand, in full sun. We thought we were at the end of March in Quebec, in the middle of spring skiing. But here, it is possible to have beautiful winter conditions on the slopes with an end-of-season atmosphere on the terraces. It is the best of both worlds.
The area explored between the Becca, Roc 2 and Saint-Martin Express ascent is very interesting and a little less crowded than the rest of the station. The access seems less natural to us and we had to scrutinize the plan carefully to understand the road. Once there, however, only happiness.
Les Menuires also offers a host of other activities not to be forgotten. There is something for all family members, at any time of the day. You can train in the stadium, go mountain sledding, go to the various snow parks, go off-piste, go to the movies, go to the spa and swimming pool, go paragliding, accompany the track workers in BR, go snowmobile or go cross-country skiing. In short, about everything that may interest you during your stay.
For our part, the 15:00 activity was the meeting of a tracker (ski patrol for Quebecers) at the Montagnette immersive 2.0, just at the exit of the Menuires lift.
This conference is definitely worth attending and it explains the rudiments of tracking work and informs you about a host of mountain rules and precautions, even inside the domain. The activity is free and well presented on the station’s website.
They explained us, among other things, that ski slopes are considered public roads in France and that consequently, the responsibility for safety lies with the local director appointed by the mayor of the municipality. First responders are therefore very well trained and have incomparable instruments and infrastructure, all to ensure our safety and fast and effective relief if necessary. To see!
The days never end here. The last climb of Roc 2 (yes, we managed to take the very last chair) was at 16:25. Still full sun at this time and very good conditions for a last descent and to come back peacefully to our apartment. We are only in January; at home we are be able to enjoy such long days only in the end of March.
To close this dream day on a historical and cultural note, we had the pleasure of participating in the visit of the Old Saint-Martin with torches. Meeting in front of the church of Saint-Martin, right in front of the Office de tourisme, we toured the village with a guide who explained us the origin and history of the village on seven or eight stations before returning to the museum for an interior visit. Other historical information and a snack of Beaufort cheese and Savoy wine were also waiting for us.
We highly recommend this activity, which will explain you the history of the Vallée des Belleville and how the ski industry has transformed it over the past decades since the 1960s.
Surprising and counterintuitive for us in Quebec, the least busy days in the 3 Vallées are Saturdays and Sundays. One information to remember. They even offer a 20% discount on the price of ski passes for Saturday.
In conclusion, you must seriously consider taking the services of a guide, even for only one day, to travel the entire domain and to have the opportunity to discover sectors that you would not have suspected.
In addition, and especially on weekdays when it is busier, you will go through the access reserved for instructors. After a complete day, it can make a good difference. It is an expense that is worth all its weight in gold.
Finally, back home to prepare for a visit to Val Thorens and Orelle tomorrow.
Good skiing at home! Here we really have fun.
Hélène Racine and Philippe Laporte
Ski Média
