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

 

 

More Pics of New Praz Gondola and Top Station in Courchevel 1850

Posted Fri 23 Aug 2019

Work continues apace on the new Alpinium Building, underground car park and the new bigger, faster, more comfortable Praz Gondola up to Courchevel 1850.

The top gondola station is now in place and the top station for the Tovets chair from 1550 has been moved down the hill a bit to accommodate it (it will still be a run down to the track to Plantrey but could require some pushing when conditions are heavy / sticky we reckon to get right across to the Plantrey chair.

More pictures of the work going on below – the lake is still drained and the first cables have now been put in place on the pylons.

Meanwhile Hôtel Le Chabichou is having its rooms refurbed…

…and the view from the Hôtel La Pomme de Pin terrace (where the above shot was taken) is a bit grim at the moment due to the reshaping and remodelling of the Stade competition area.

I’m sure it will all be ok by December………

But who would be a pylon monkey? See below:

Gros Murger Drag Lift in La Tania – Top Pylon Failure

Posted Wed 21 Aug 2019

Lots of work still to do on the Alpinium Building, Lake and Gondola in Le Praz for opening in December plus there’s the lift & piste down to Aquamotion and the huge earthworks on the Courchevel Stade going on too. Courchevel 1850 and Le Praz really has been a big building site this Summer…

With all this work going on as a priority to get it finished in time it looks like the replacement Creux Noirs lift, dismantling of the old chair and the new green run promised in La Tania (plus the changes to the snow front, beginners area etc) aren’t going to happen in time for this Winter.

We could be wrong, but there’s no sign of any work going on with these projects yet although once things start they’re surprisingly quick and huge amounts of hardware and human resource are used.

To add to the work required this Summer we’ve noticed that the top pylon on the Gros Murger drag lift out of La Tania has partially collapsed with the area around the concrete base becoming waterlogged – it’s unclear if cables snapped or partial dismantling took place. Currently the main cable is anchored in to the ground and tension remains all the way down.

The area is taped off like a crime scene but it looks like replacement cable and some parts have been delivered so work must be happening soon. Although not used by many, this lift is a short cut to the Bouc Blanc chair (or more likely a run down to Le Praz on a powder day as the chair is never open by the time the first people arrive) and essential if there is any issue with the La Tania Gondola.

Ski Job Recruitment Day at The Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead

Posted Tue 13 Aug 2019

Get out on the slopes more – do a season!

Our friends at Cool Ski Jobs are once again running a Ski Recruitment Day at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead on Saturday 7th September .

There’s a morning or afternoon session and all attendees will have the chance to hit the real snow slope at a great discounted rate before or after the events.

Each session will consist of industry experts from different aspects of the ski industry who will be running workshops on everything from chalet hosting to ski instructing.

This is a great opportunity to meet with individual ski companies who will be actively recruiting on the day plus you will also be able to chat and find out more about life in the mountains and “doing a season”.

There’ll also be live music in the evening hosted by Après Ski Bands who supply much of the live music in The Alps during the Winter season.

More information on the event here

Click here for (free) tickets and select the morning or afternoon event

The Snow Centre is the closest indoor real snow facility to London with a huge 160m main slope as well as the largest indoor ski lesson slope in the UK. Both ski and snowboarding slopes are over 30m wide and maintained with a perfect snow surface.

There’s also the Schuss Bar on the slope with free tea & coffeee during your session and The Lodge Bar & Kitchen overlooking the slope with traditional and alpine dishes served.

Hemel Hempstead is only 26 mins from Euston and The Snow Centre is located just a few minutes off the M25 & M1.

The World Cup Summer Ski Jumping this Friday & Saturday 9/10 Aug 2019

Posted Wed 07 Aug 2019

One of the highlights of Summer is the annual World Cup Summer Ski Jumping in Le Praz where the brave competitors land on plastic instead of snow! Of course there’s a beer tent and live music too…

Friday Programme:
Ladies competition on the main HS132 Ski Jump
09.00-10.00: Official training – 1st jump
10.00-11.00: Official training – 2nd jump
12.00-14.00: Free training – Men
16.30: Trial jump
18.00: Competition
19.00: Final
20.00: Prize giving ceremony
22.00: DJ set by DJ Fred

Saturday Programme:
Mens competition on the main HS132 Ski Jump
09.00-10.00: Official training – 1st jump
10.00-11.00: Official training – 2nd jump
11.00: Qualifiers
16.50: Trial jump
18.00: Competition
19.00: Final
20.00: Prize giving ceremony
20.30: Concert by the band Rock Cab
22.15: Fireworks
22.25: Concert by the band Dirty Doctors

Across the 2 days there is entertainment for children, a Club des Sports shop plus food & refreshments.

Also at 4pm each day is an Air Show by the French Air Force Aerobatics Team and Adrenalin Flights.

Dont forget live music this Thursday & Friday at Pub Le Ski Lodge in La Tania too! More in the What’s On?



More Summer Pics – Méribel & further afield with more work and developments going on…

Posted Tue 06 Aug 2019
L’Hévana Apartments on the approach to the Méribel Chaudanne area.
The 5 star complex is approaching completion and comes complete with pool, spa, bar and restaurant. More info here.
The 4-star hotel across from The Rond Point is also approaching completion.
The complex seen from across the piste near the Côtes beginners magic carpet lift.
The start of the new Col de Loze cycle track in Méribel just above the Rond Point.
More major chalet construction just opposite The Ronnie.
Jack’s Bar is back in Méribel!
On the site of the Meribar, the famous Jack’s Bar returns after a year out in this great location next to the Chaudanne.
We hear that owners European Pubs (who also run Copiña in Méribel and Courchevel 1650) plan to make this area on the left as you walk in the restaurant and the right hand side will host the stage for Après Ski bands.
LdV in Méribel Village is open this Summer offering some welcome shade under the massive umbrella on their extended terrace.
Cherferie above Méribel has new snow cannons and some gradient work going on.
New signage at Dicks (Sully’s).
Plenty of crane sections are dotted around the valley waiting to be moved.
New signage & boardwalk work has been completed at Lake Tueda above Mottaret.
Lac de la Chambre is now much easier via Mountain Bike as the new blue ski track can be used to descend in to the Méribel Valley from Val Thorens.
Beautiful Gentians growing wild across the Belleville Valley – notoriously difficult to cultivate and ofter reluctant to flower but in abundance here.
A Shepherd tending his flock above Les Menuires.
Méribel Chaudanne with skateboard & cycle tracks, inflateable slides etc.

Summer Pics around La Tania including latest work & developments

Posted Mon 05 Aug 2019

More photos from this Summer in and around La Tania…

New signage on plenty of lifts including the La Tania drag Gros Murger
Good to see the centre of La Tania getting all the weeds removed this Summer
Circus Top for the kids in La Tania
Tourist Office organising circus training and shows this Summer
Le Farcon Michelin starred restaurant has its own herb garden this Summer
Le Farçon is open all Summer for Lunch 12:00-13:30 and Dinner 19:30-21:30
The new chalet approaching completion just up from the gondola
The Ski Lodge terrace looking across to the Grand Bec
Last Summer’s relayed grass area dying – as predicted
More work was needed again this Summer on the La Tania to Méribel road
Work continues on Saboia B apartments which will be open this Winter
Landslip and subsidence had caused issues but remedial work and monitoring systems have been put in place to ensure everyone’s safety
External repairs in progress
More new signage in the forest this Summer
The Bouc Blanc is open Sunday to Friday (same as the free La Tania gondola)
Plenty of deck chairs to soak up the Sun
Rosé choices – de rigueur in Summer
Top of the Col de Loze with the new cycle track – a popular photo stop this Summer

Hoka Xtrail Podium & More Pics of Work around Courchevel

Posted Mon 05 Aug 2019

More pics of development work in and around Courchevel (our last post is here) plus the podium pic for the Hoka One One Xtrail on Sunday.

New Alpinium Building in Le Praz
Alpinium Building from the main road up to La Tania
The new Praz gondola station
The large glass frontage of the Alpinium building overlooking the lake
The empty Le Praz lake looking across towards the village
The pylons of the new gondola above La Foret lift which takes you above La Tania
A view of the new piste down towards Aquamotion from just above 1550
New apartments in 1650 near the Funky Fox
More of the 1650 work
La Cortona in Courchevel 1550, one of our favourite Pizzerias, is now under new management
A view of the new bike track to Col de la Loze on the Courchevel side with the Courchevel Altiport in the background
The Hoka One One Xtrail Podium
The fastest person over the 54km route was Nicolas Pianet in a time of 6h48m30s

Hoka One One Xtrail Courchevel 2019 start this morning

Posted Sun 04 Aug 2019

The start of the Hoka 34km trail in Le Praz this morning . The 54km race started at 4am – good luck everybody!

Tovets Top Station gets moved and the work on Jockeys begins

Posted Fri 02 Aug 2019

The top station of Tovets up from Courchevel 1550 gets moved a little down the hill to make way for the new Le Praz top gondola station.

Meanwhile the planning signs have gone up for the work on the Jockeys piste for the 2023 World Cup.

No way some of those steep sections followed by flat spots could support a World Cup downhill race hitting them flat out – let’s hope they don’t ruin it for us “recreational skiers”…

S3V Update on new infrastructure in Courchevel

Posted Thu 25 Jul 2019

An update on the work on the new Alpinium Building in Le Praz, the snow front around La Croisette where the new Le Praz gondola arrives, the new piste and lift at L’Ecrin Blanc & Aquamotion plus Les Indiens Tribe return to the Indiens Piste in 1650!

The official update is available in English here

Artists impression of the new Le Praz development
The lake drained and work continuing apace

The new, fast 10 seater gondola direct to the centre of 1850, underground 500 place car park, lift pass & tourist office, reception area and ski lockers all to open this December.

Pylon monkeys…
The Tovets top station is being moved to accomodate the new Le Praz gondola top station
The new L’Ecrin Blanc residence approaching completion
The new Combes piste down from 1850 to the Aquamotion area

The Grand Combes 4-seater chairlift and blue run is still on schedule for opening in December this year. We believe this lift will link in to runs down to 1550 (Grangettes and Tovets) for access to Courchevel 1850.

The line of the new chair lift from L’Ecrin Blanc
The existing Creux Noirs chairlift (red) and the approx route of the new drag lift (black)

Great to see this area will still be accessible for the excellent off piste it offers – the 350m drag lift must be quicker than the long, slow chairlift it replaces and 18 less pylons too! The pistes here will remain ungroomed following fresh snowfalls as part of the Freeride LAB powder skiing zone.

The summer view of Creux Noirs with the current chairlift pylons top left.
The massive new earth works on the Stade down to 1850
From Plantrey Chair – hard to understand the scale of this work for the end of the Stade – even with a new club house, race control headquarters etc that is being constructed too.

Jim Ratcliffe of INEOS, owner of the Portetta hotel in 1650, now sponsor of the very successful Sky cycling team, financer of the British boat in the next America’s Cup race, owns Swiss football club Lausanne-Sport and is also said to be close to buying OGC Nice football club has donated some €17m towards this project.

The view of the new Stade work above 1850 from Tovets top station
Some more earth work at the top of Cherferie – more cannons we think rather then work starting on the tarmac bike track ultimately across to Val Thorens

Finally its been confirmed that the Indien Tribe will return to the Indiens piste/canyon for Winter 2020 providing hospitality, kids games, archery etc. Welcome back!

More updates soon from across the 3 Valleys and all will be gathered together for the What’s New in September/October 2019.