The La Tania Ski Blog
Latest news, snow, pics, gossip and information from the locals in La Tania – latania.co.uk
All the latest news from around the Three Valleys from the La Tania locals. A real blog since 2006, not just endless re-posts for search engine optimisaton! Photos, gossip, snow reports, what's on and all the latest on the Apres Ski scene... Now fully optimised for iPhone, Touch and Android Mobiles - just go to latania.co.uk/blog and view on your phone. Our other past blogs & favourites here
Another Escapade Completed! Congrats to Dave & Karen
The Escapade in a Day continues… The route for 2022 could do with an update with the new lifts etc but it’s still a great challenge and a massive day out!
Congratulation to Dave Killip and Karen Shackleton who today successfully completed the Escapade in a Day on their 3rd attempt. The perfect conditions certainly helped!
What’s this all about?
The 3 Valleys Escapade was the lift company promotion of visiting (originally in 2006) 14 points across the Three Valleys and gaining a certificate & badge over the period of your holiday – then we had the idea of doing it in a day…
It’s probably the toughest day skiing ever for a recreational skier but lots of people have got involved over the years so we feature them in our Escapade in a Day Hall of Fame
This is no longer being promoted by The 3 Valleys but we’ll still stick you in the Hall of Fame if you complete it – send a Ski Tracks or similar trace in plus a pic of your group.
What started out as a late night “is it possible?” discussion became a challenge the following week – the history and our original route are here
Originally punch cards had to be stamped at each check point until electronic passes arrived – they could then be checked by the lift company. The original Escapade was 30 lifts, 13000m vertical and 70km and 2016 peaked with 34 lifts, 17000m vertical (twice the height of Everest) and around 100km total distance. It became a little less for 2017 and 2018 saw the use of the Roc de Tougne fast new chair instead of the drag plus we lost the Montaulever drag altogether. In 2019 we gained the new faster Legends chair out of Méribel and then an improvement in speed on the Mont Vallon lift too.
It’s certainly getting easier with the improvement in lift infrastructure and we should make it harder for 2022 – there’s now the new Pointe de La Masse and Orelle-Caron Gondolas too! However, it’s still a big, big day out with every run top to bottom and all the planning, chatting, moaning (and lunch) kept for the time on the lifts…
The 2020 PDF route with the 19 “Escapade Lifts” in bold
REMEMBER: You do this entirely at your own risk, act responsibly, take full ownership for your own actions and all of those with you, respect other people (& the mountain), ski & ride within your limits, always obey the skiers & snowboarders code, observe all signs, pay attention to all notices, advice & instructions from Pisteurs, only ski off piste if fully equipped & knowledgeable, it’s not a race (and you won’t be insured), think about the safety of others as well as yourself but above all, take care, don’t wreck things for others & don’t even think of blaming anyone else if it all goes horribly wrong…..
What’s On in La Tania this week beginning 6 Feb 2022
First Escapade of the Season
Well done to Jake and Lee. Some new lifts, some closed too but there or thereabouts! We’ll work on the 2022 definitive route soon.
What’s this all about?
The 3 Valleys Escapade was the lift company promotion of visiting (originally in 2006) 14 points across the Three Valleys and gaining a certificate & badge over the period of your holiday – then we had the idea of doing it in a day…
It’s probably the toughest day skiing ever for a recreational skier but lots of people have got involved over the years so we feature them in our Escapade in a Day Hall of Fame
This is no longer being promoted by The 3 Valleys but we’ll still stick you in the Hall of Fame if you complete it – send a Ski Tracks or similar trace in plus a pic of your group.
What started out as a late night “is it possible?” discussion became a challenge the following week – the history and our original route are here
Originally punch cards had to be stamped at each check point until electronic passes arrived – they could then be checked by the lift company. The original Escapade was 30 lifts, 13000m vertical and 70km and 2016 peaked with 34 lifts, 17000m vertical (twice the height of Everest) and around 100km total distance. It became a little less for 2017 and 2018 saw the use of the Roc de Tougne fast new chair instead of the drag plus we lost the Montaulever drag altogether. In 2019 we gained the new faster Legends chair out of Méribel and then an improvement in speed on the Mont Vallon lift too.
Certainly getting easier with the improvement in lift infrastructure and we will make it harder for 2022. But, it’s still a big, big day out with all the planning, chatting, moaning (and lunch) kept to the lifts…
Updated 2020 PDF route with the 19 “Escapade Lifts” in bold
REMEMBER: You do this entirely at your own risk, act responsibly, take full ownership for your own actions and all of those with you, respect other people (& the mountain), ski & ride within your limits, always obey the skiers & snowboarders code, observe all signs, pay attention to all notices, advice & instructions from Pisteurs, only ski off piste if fully equipped & knowledgeable, it’s not a race (and you won’t be insured), think about the safety of others as well as yourself but above all, take care, don’t wreck things for others & don’t even think of blaming anyone else if it all goes horribly wrong…..
La Tania Tourist Office Weekly Programme
The animations for La Tania:
– Chamallow party, in front of the Tourist Office, Wednesday 19, from 4pm to 5.30pm.
– Fête vos jeux, Salle de spectacles, Friday 21, from 4pm to 5.30pm.
For cheese lovers:
– Fondue Party, Courchevel Moriond Snow Front, Thursday 20, from 4.30pm to 6pm.
– “Dégustez la Savoie”, La Croisette Courchevel 1850 , Thursday 20, from 4.30pm to 5.45pm / registration required: https://www.billetweb.fr/degustation-de-fromages
To reserve for the World Cup finals in March: https://www.worldcupfinals2022.com/billetterie/
Box office for 2023 World Cup will open in February.
Tourist Office Events – Week Beginning 02 Jan 2022
Tonight Sunday 02 Jan, at the Gilles de la Rocque Auditorium at Le Jardin Alpin:
• Jazz concert Tribute to Claude Nougaro.
There is still availability, free reservations on: https://www.billetweb.fr/pro/courchevel (Health Pass required)
Activities in La Tania next week:
• Tuesday 04 Jan: Tir à l’érable (making maple lollipops). From 16:00 to 17:30 in front of the Tourist Office of La Tania.
• Wednesday 05 Jan: Yooner Trophy (friendly sledge race). From 16:30 to 18:00 on the Snow Front of La Tania.
• Friday 07 Jan: Fêtes vos jeux! (wooden board games). From 16:00 to 17:30 in front of the Tourist Office of Tania.
1650 Luge Run – Opening Postponed plus latest from S3V
The “Moriond Racing” Luge run in Courchevel 1650 was due to open on Thursday but this has now been postponed until further notice due to Covid cases rising. Announcement will be made on the opening in due course.
S3V have been in contact with us with regard to lift closures in Courchevel and their staff shortages due to Covid infections and contact cases – they’ve been desperately trying to hire new staff and get cover but this is proving to be difficult and causing them significantly higher operating costs. They also remind us that they have 97 out of 102 pistes open, so the ski area available is just about maximised even if a few lifts (most of which are duplicated in their target areas) are closed.
Previous News from Tourist Office etc
News from the Tourist Office in La Tania (open every day 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00)
There are no more weekly flyers issued but events will be displayed on the office window and we’ll share on latania.co.uk.
New Year’s Eve fireworks and events organised by the Tourist Office are cancelled in line with the latest restrictions.
Additional Buses for New Year’s Eve throughout the night – Timetables here
Updated Covid testing centres and information from The Mairie (finally getting their act together): https://latania.co/3sET93R
Latest Covid Travel info: https://latania.co/CovidRules
In resort Covid Info: https://latania.co/3rwTW6G
Latest relevant news from Macron and Co is that there will be no curfew on New Year’s Eve, across France table service only from 3/1 (already in place in the Savoie), limits of events to 2,000 indoor and 5,000 outdoor, home working where possible, the Pass Sanitaire will become a Vaccine Pass (just test results won’t count) and an announcement on a new isolation period for contact cases will be made at the end of the week.
No news on a review of the current travel restrictions between France and the UK (although Germany relaxing their UK ban on 4 Jan 2022).
Other borders remain open with free movement across them throughout the Schengen area.
If you can get here or already in France or another EU country – there are some bargains to be had
Special Offers: https://latania.co/specials
Self-Catering Apartments & Chalets: https://latania.co/apartments
All Accommodation: https://latania.co/accomm
Transfers: https://latania.co/LTtransfers
Finally the image below shows our “elected officials” presenting the plans for a much smaller Tourist Office in La Tania with some new Public Toilets and room for a commercial business – somewhere that sells cigarettes perhaps? The Tabac no longer sells them!
Introducing Summit Sculpture…
For the skier who has everything…
If you’ve already got the framed retro ski poster on your wall and your shelves are full of coffee table books about ‘chalet-style’ interior design, but you’re still looking for a way to bring the mountains into your home, we’ve found the perfect thing….
Made of bronze and weighing over 6kgs, Summit Sculpture has a unique sculpture of the Courchevel valleys. Created by founder and sculptor Simon Gottschalk, Verdons, uses his knowledge of the Courchevel valleys, accumulated from almost two decades of skiing the area.
The bronze sculpture that takes its name from the rolling green piste that carries skiers back home to the resort at 1850. From the rocky peaks of Saulire and the Aiguille du Fruit, to the forests that flow down into La Tania, Verdons allows you to the finest ski areas in the world into your home.
With a footprint similar to that of a large coffee table book, the sculpture combines that level of detail needed to be able to make out your favourite pistes (or chalets), whilst still feeling like a piece of art. Delicate lines sculpted into the bronze show the roads that hairpin into each level of resort, and the jagged peaks of Saulire rise out of smooth pistes.
Being made out of bronze, the sculpture is big, heavy and impressive: it has a real physicality to it, and the different textures of rock, forest and snow make it very tactile. So, whether you want to use it to debate with friends which the best piste is, or simply look at it and think “I’ve conquered those mountains!”, Verdons is ideal for those whose heart is in Courchevel.
Verdons is available either direct from Summit Sculpture or via Etsy
Christmas in La Tania…
On Wednesday 22 December there will be a Christmas Parade through La Tania (time tbc) and on Christmas Day there will be a Father Christmas Village in resort.
If you go to the Courchevel 1850 Tourist Office reception desk you can enter a prize draw to win a trip to Disneyland© Paris!
Pub Le Ski Lodge in La Tania has a special Christmas Day menu…
Book now on +33 (0)479 08 81 49
And of course live music at Après Ski on Wednesday plus Santa and his full sack will be visiting late on Christmas Eve…
La Taiga also has a Christmas Dinner…
Book now on +33 (0)479 08 80 33
And live music this week too…
Lots of new Snow across The 3 Valleys…
The new Bouquetin lift, Plantrey and a check on how the snow cannon mounds on Folyères are doing…
First Down Suisses, the “new” Bouquetin Lift and Avalanche Danger…
Out and about across the 3 Valleys this morning our special correspondents saw lots of signs of avalanches and potentially dangerous spots in popular off piste areas – Avalanche Risk remains at 4 out of 5 (High Risk) off piste.
