A reminder of the information available on latania.co.uk….

Daily Ski Area Bulletin, What’s On, Free Ski Bus Times, Special Offers, Daily Avalanche Bulletin, Live Lift Information, Airport Arrivals, Google Traffic, Speed Cameras, Essential Costs, Accommodation, Comprehensive Weather Information etc…

A Chalet Holiday after 20 years? I could be hooked…

So after owning an apartment in La Tania for nearly 20 years a group of mates decide they want to go on a Chalet Holiday…

There was even the risk it may not have been to La Tania so I had to bite the bullet and get organising (and at least rent my place out while I went on “holiday” to La Tania).

I remember my first Chalet Holiday somewhere near Arabba on the Sella Ronda circuit in Italy, 8 twin rooms, one chalet girl, one bathroom and a 25 litre wine box – the classic “Chalet Wine”!

All were couples and no one knew anyone else, but as this was before mobile phones, tablets and social media, conversations used to happen, and yes we all probably did lie about what we did in the UK…

And my last Chalet Holiday was care of Icicles in La Tania, just opposite Hotel Telemark (half built and named Chalet du Sud back then). Ian and Ronnie weren’t the typical chalet hosts, they were semi-retired, most of their guests were (or became) friends and their son TC was our Ski Guide (it was allowed back then). They became a major part of the La Tania community for many years and are now fully retired to the South of France.

So after all this time in an apartment how would I cope with my preconceptions of what I thought would be fixed meal times, limited choices, bossy & uninterested staff, more rules, restrictions and the inevitable discussion about cost?

I have to admit I was very wrong – the whole holiday was first class, a fantastic chalet, the customer really was put first, the staff couldn’t be more attentive & flexible, and the food was amazing.

When you consider the quality cooked breakfast, Nespresso, beers & specially selected wines on tap, the afternoon tea & home made cakes, the canapés and nibbles, a quality 3 course dinner then cheese & biscuits and a bottle of Port each night, it actually is very good value.

The pre-holiday Concierge service blew me away with the way things can be organised – the group leader no longer needs to chase money, sort out who’s having lessons, what passes are needed etc etc. All was done on-line and in a controlled way, managed centrally with visibility to everyone so we all knew what was going on.

Then on arrival we were told – “this is your place for the next week, we’re just here to help you enjoy your holiday” – and they did. Richard, our extremely talented, very entertaining chef from Oldham and the lovely Anna from Poland looked after us very well, making me realise the importance of good staff – they make or break everyone’s holiday.

So 20 years on we had boot warmers, a heated ski room, in-resort drivers (they even picked us up from a Peupliers Vin Chaud Après session in Le Praz), an outdoor hot tub of course, dressing gowns and slippers, designer toiletries, decent WiFi, UK TV and even a selection of mobile phone chargers in your room in case you’d forgotten yours!

So yes, we didn’t make it down to the Ski Lodge every night after dinner – but we did make up for it at Après Ski, and the staff were very flexible about dinner times and what we wanted – we even had a curry night on my Birthday which was perfect.

Sitting down to dinner with a group of your best friends and then lazing in front of a log fire with a few drinks really is a great way to finish a day’s skiing.

How do I persuade my wife to stay in the apartment for a week now?

We were guests of Alpine Escape in January 2018.
Many thanks to Jo & Neil, Scott, Richard, Anna and all their excellent staff.

The New Luge Run in Courchevel 1650 – Our first attempt…

While we’ve always loved the Luge run from 1850 to 1550 (and a bargain for things to do in 1850) this new 3km track from the top of the new Ariondaz Gondola down to Courchevel 1650 Moriond is a real step up. It’s 3km long with 450m of vertical drop, 8 tunnels and 6 hairpins.

The mix of fun, fear, screams and laughter (especially at the end) makes it a “must do” every season now…

If only it didn’t start so steep and with tight bends you could get a feel for the braking system and turning before you really had to! All adds up to the mess at the start…

Currently open from 11:00 to 16:00 every day (probably will be until 16:30 when the lifts open longer from 3rd February 2018) and from 17:00 to 19:30 on Tuesday and Thursday evenings as it is floodlit too.

Sledges are picked up from the top Gondola station and it costs €15 a go – if there’s 4 or more of you it’s €11 each (or one person descending 4 or more times would be €11 a go).

Helmets are compulsory and available with your sledge at no extra charge. A sterile hair net is provided which is a nice touch too.

If you’re a serious competitor then perhaps best not to do it in Ski Boots (it’s quite hard to loop both feet in the straps when wearing ski boots) but it’s perfectly possible as we found out a couple of weeks ago… Great fun and no injuries despite the crashes – lots of padding in all the right places!

BREAKING NEWS: Snow to stop fallling on Tuesday!

Unprecedented snowfall this season so far (average snowfall for a whole season fell before the middle of January) but finally a decent break in the weather is forecast from Tuesday next week.

Looking like another difficult transfer weekend with heavy snow especially on Saturday afternoon and special equipment (chains / snow tyres) likely to be mandatory to get to resort, so be prepared (and practice putting those chains on – they’re bound to be a different type of fitting to the last time you tried!).

Should be epic when the weather does clear up and the mountain is secured. Currently off piste Avalanche Risk is 4 out of 5 (HIGH RISK) right across the Savoie at all levels on all aspects. THINK

And the Val Thorens pic…

The 3 Valleys Escapade (in a day) 2018 Update

The full size 3 Valleys Escapade in a Day image

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… Probably the toughest day skiing ever for any recreational skier but lots of people have got involved over the years so we featured them in our Escapade in a Day Hall of Fame

It is looking like this is no longer being promoted by The 3 Valleys for Winter 2018 – even though the Escapade lift points are marked on the 3 Valleys FatMap for 2018 linked from the S3V and Courchevel web sites. We’ll still stick you in the Hall of Fame if you complete it though and congratulations to Mike & Scott “The Engineers” who are the first we know to complete it this Winter. You’ll be in the 2018 Hall of Fame soon!

It all started out as a late night “is it possible?” discussion – 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 and 100km (twice the height of Everest). It became a little less for 2017 and 2018 see the use of Roc de Tougne new lift instead of the drag – still a big, big day out though with lunch on the lift…

For an easier 3 Valleys Day Challenge try the Selfies in a Day (note that Signal machine is at the top of Biollay and the Plan des Mains unit is at the top of the chair for 2018).

PDF list of lifts here for downloading to a smart phone – note Roc de Tougne chair not the drag now.

Mike & Scott’s route below…

PS. 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), ride within your limits, always obey the skiers & snowboarders code, observe all signs, pay attention to all notices & advice from Pisteurs, only ski off piste if fully equipped & knowledgeable, it’s not a race (you won’t be insured), 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…..

For anyone wondering why Boulevard de Loze is often closed

Boulevard de Loze from the top of Dou des Lanches chair on the Meribel side is the fast direct route down to the Folie Douce, Rond Point or Meribel centre.

This winter especially it has been closed regularly – sometimes Pisteurs standing guard persuading people not to enter this area when its fenced off – they do it for a reason, there’s at least 4 avalanches that have crossed that track – if you were caught you’d have little chance of survival being so low down below that amount of snow coming down.

Hands up, I’ve crossed that fence – thinking a beer at the Folie Douce was the most important thing that day…

It wasn’t until a local character Krab who was as crazy off the mountain as on it – stopped a group crossing the fence. The first time I’d seen him do anything remotely serious and responsible!

“It’s closed for a reason – not because they can’t be bothered to open it” – he said. Followed by “we can still get to the Rond Point via Pic Bleu and the rope tow near the Altiport chair without a 3 Vallées Pass – let’s go!”

I’ve never crossed it since. Even though it can be rather annoying in March & April when it often opens in the morning and then closes in the afternoon when it’s in the glare of the sun and danger returns. Better annoyed, than dead.

As always THINK!

Thanks to Charlie G for the pics.

After The Storm – Weather & Snow Update…

The unprecedented weather warnings and Storm Eleanor has finally passed following a couple of days of serious disruption. There are still many road closures in place and some routes may take a while to be re-opened following subsidence and landslides. A rescue of a family on the roof of their vehicle in the Breda Gorge, has led to a volunteer firefighter being swept in to a river due to a sudden landslide. Search operations are still in progress with specialist rescue teams and 2 helicopters deployed. The family are safe.

The road is flooded (possibly washed away), between Ugine and Faverges at the small village of Marlins – thanks to John at 3 Vallees Transfers for that one.

While may ski areas remained completely closed (people were even ordered not to go outside in Tignes until 10:30 this morning) there was some limited skiing on Wednesday and quite a bit open in Courchevel today with the La Tania Gondola and Bouc Blanc lifts opening for access to 1850. Links over to 1650 and the new Ariondaz Gondola was operating too. Nothing high up of course as avalanche safety work is completed – the 5 out of 5 Extreme Risk is not often posted – and all 3 Valleys links remain closed.

The complex situation of lots of fresh snow, then rain, more fresh snow and then more rain will give the Avalanche Geeks a real headache in predicting what lies ahead stability wise – that said, the area forecast is reduced to 4 out of 5 tomorrow (still High Risk) and some 3 Valleys links are expected to be open.

It will be interesting to see how much damage this storm has done to the general snow cover – probably largely irrelevant given the near 2m base high up – and with colder temperatures likely to return at the weekend and more snow forecast for the beginning of next week things should be generally very good.

Looking like Saturday and then Wednesday will see some respite from cloudy / snowy conditions – feels a while since some blue skies…

La Tania Weather Page – with links to avalanche bulletins, Meteo France forecasts, our Weather Station, Wigglies etc.

Weather and Snow Update – Extreme Cold Warning

A lovely looking snowy La Tania once again this morning as unsettled weather continues with fronts repeatedly coming through from the Atlantic (and not breaking up, fizzling out or diverting northwards as in the last 3 seasons).

Temperatures are set to plummet overnight to possibly as low as -15ºC in resort. Although there may be some sun about on Friday morning it could be dangerously cold high up first thing, that extra layer and covering any bare skin will be essential especially for young ones. The skiing will be fab of course but off piste avalanche risk likely to rise tomorrow as higher winds pm effect the snow pack, North and East facing slopes likely to be more unstable. Currently the off piste avalanche risk stands at 3 out of 5 (Considerable Risk).

The weekend will see another big system move through bringing heavy snow on Saturday (could be a difficult transfer day and chains / snow tyres likely to be needed) but weirdly some warmer air will mean periods of rain from early evening in to Sunday at lower levels with a brief period of clearer weather before more snow from Monday then on and off during the New Year. One things for sure – it’s weather…

Bouc Blanc snow clearers above La Tania this morning

The 2018 Three Valley Piste Maps – further analysis

Finally we’ve got hold of the Les Menuires / St Martin PDF Piste Map and can confirm a few differences from previous years.

The Chat Frère blue piste linking Cretes on the Méribel / St Martin ridge and crossing Pramint to link to Pelozet seems to have disappeared. Leaves more space around the Liberty Ride area with lots of options for gentle off piste riding around here (but don’t get stuck in a flat spot).

Further Analysis of the new Piste Maps here

All the 2018 Piste Maps for browsing or download

Other differences spotted since the original look with the help of Alan Wallis:

Piste Bleue above 1650 has disappeared from the Courchevel piste map (but still present on the 3 valleys map). Looks like on oversight as a bit cluttered here with the new Luge run and Gondola.

Further changes around 1650 are discussed in the original analysis link above plus news on the 2 completely new pistes in Val Thorens:
– The new blue piste named Croix d’Antide hooks under the Peyron chair and down to join the bottom of the long Lory piste running down from over the back of the Thorens Funitel.
– The new Corniche piste linking from the VT Folie Douce area to the Stade for another (easier) route down in the 5pm rush to Aprés Ski.

The new “Easy Way” blue piste linking to Grand Bosses from the top of the Signal chair – this is a track down towards the snow cannon reservoir, a get out for the flat spot if you drop off the back of the Signal Chair.

The Rama piste name has reappeared (from about 5 years ago?), graded blue, from top of Aiguille de Fruit chair – Last year it was the bottom part of Park City red.

Latest News on The La Tania Medical Centre – good to know we’ve got this team backing us…

About The La Tania Medical Centre
* Situated next to the Crèche just along from the La Tania Gondola Station.
* Open full time including inter-season.
* During Winter open every day from 09:00 to 18:00.
* Joining Doctor Aude Joncquiert Latarjet this season is Doctor Arthur Andre, English speaking, understanding and very professional – his passions are both skiing and mountain medicine.
* Jacqueline, multi-lingual (Dutch, English, German, French) is now a full time assistant.
* Elodie, a professional Fire Woman works in the Medical Centre 2 days a week.
* New website: www.centremedicalcourchevel.com

About Doctor Aude Joncquiert Latarjet
I had a new professional opportunity and worked as an emergency practitioner for the private hospital of MEDIPOLE DE SAVOIE, the reference centre of the district for breast cancer, orthopedic and visceral surgery.
I work every summer for the Emergency Rescue Service in the south-west of France.
I followed clinical training in gynaecology and am able to do a smear test .
I followed a clinical training in management of resuscitation of new-born and young children call EPALS (European Pediatric Life Support)
I have the honour to be one of the Héli-Doctors of the Alpine Skiing World Championship in Courchevel on 19/20 December 2017.

About Your Health
La Tania belongs to the district of Courchevel.
In case of injuries and ski rescue by the ski patrol even if you are in an other part of the district, you can choose your medical centre and be repatriated with an ambulance to the Medical Centre of LA TANIA. Moreover if your insurance is a private insurance (International CB insurance for example which covers you if you paid your ski pass with your CB) communicate your choice to the ski patrol and choose your practitioner.

Docteur Aude JONCQUIERT LATARJET
Centre Medical Courchevel Le Praz-La Tania
Bâtiment La Grandzeta
73120 Courchevel

Tel: 0033 (0)479 08 29 60
Mail: dr.joncquiert.latarjet@gmail.com

Further Information on the latania.co.uk La Tania Medical Centre Page