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 Selfie Cameras on chairlifts confirmed
In addition to the new selfie camera on the Biollay chairlift in the Courchevel Valley being installed this Summer we now know of two others in the Méribel Valley (with some in the Belleville surely to be announced too).
Firstly the new Legends heated and covered chairlift in Méribel that starts from La Chaudanne (replacing the current lift and the slow fixed 4-man Roc de Fer Lift). The current lift being moved up the mountain to access the Cherferie area and replacing this classic dog leg drag lift that followed the ridge.
Secondly on the Combes chairlift out of Méribel-Mottaret.
We’re hoping that the original selfie zoom machines are being kept and that a route using the new chairlift ones can be worked out to enhance the Selfies in a Day Challenge.
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La Tania Medical Centre now open all year round
Confirmation that the La Tania Medical Centre is now open all year round (via appointment in inter-season).
Dr Aude Joncquiert-Latarjet is assisted by Dr Arthur Andre and they both speak English.
Dr Joncquiert-Latarjet and her team are actively working on providing a full range of medical services to better answer and support locals and tourists needs and questions.
Dr Aude now has the European Paediatric Life Support certification and this year she’s currently training in Gynecology.
From an administrative standpoint, Jacqy works as the Doctors’ assistant and manages the reception of patients. Jacqy speaks French, English, Dutch and German. An extra person will also be employed for the forthcoming winter season to support the patient reception.
The Latest Opening Hours will be published on social media and on our La Tania Medical Centre page plus the What’s On in La Tania & The Three Valleys page.
Note that the La Tania Medical Centre is known as the Centre Medical Courchevel on social media.
Facebook facebook.com/centremedicalcourchevel
Twitter twitter.com/MedicalCourch
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La Tania to Méribel Village road to close (again)
The D98 road from La Tania to Méribel Village will be closed from 24 September 2018 to 16 November 2018 for essential repair work.
The closure will be to all vehicles in both directions and access to La Tania will be via Le Praz only.
Huge cracks appeared during the Winter as this problem road once again struggled to cling on to the side of the mountain as landslides continue to occur.
Only a couple of years ago this road was closed for 2 consecutive Summers as major reconstruction work went ahead. We were told that a “bridge” solution pulling the road away from the side of the mountain was being looked at so landslides could still occur without effecting the road. This didn’t happen however.
Hope they got a guarantee from the architects / contractors!
There is an off road route suitable for hikers and bikers via the Teppes picnic area from the back of Saboia to the Ball Trap (clay pigeon shooting area).
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Another 26 new Snow Cannons for the Courchevel Valley
Last Summer Courchevel brought forward a three year plan in to one Summer of work when 115 new generation snow cannons were installed (which doubled the snow production capacity in the Courchevel Valley). This Summer Courchevel is installing another 26 of the latest snow making machines…
The Lac des Creux and Rama pistes will now have snow cannon coverage for this Winter improving these sun exposed slopes for access down to Marmottes & Chanrossa lifts plus the loop back around to Suisses.
With nearly 700 snow cannons on the Courchevel ski area and more than 2100 across The 3 Valleys you can see why they guarantee to have more skiing open than anyone else.
S3V also plan to have all 3 Courchevel Villages plus Le Praz and La Tania open for skiing down to resort until the last day of the season on 22 April 2019 (Easter Monday).
Not long now until the snow cannon testing starts!
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New Bouc Blanc Terrace?
The Bouc Blanc Terrace above La Tania is undergoing some work now that the Summer season is over.
How many coins, keys and credit cards have fallen down between the boards over the years! Or perhaps they’re looking for DJ DoubleDex’s iPod from the Jardine Wedding on 7 July 2007 (7/7/7).
Maybe it’s just general maintenance / replacement work or expanding storage area underneath and not hot tubs or more!
Cows starting to head back down to La Tania now too…
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New Automatic Photo System On Biollay Chairlift
Always coming up with new innovations on the ski area, S3V have added an automatic photo system on the Biollay chairlift for Winter 2018/2019.
Similar to those seen on rollercoasters at Theme Parks there’s now no need to risk dropping your valuable smart phone or having to take gloves off – just move your goggles up and smile as you go past the CLIC point – and there’s no avoiding Biollay on a weeks holiday really!
You can view your photo on a terminal on arrival at the top of the lift (and no doubt enter details to share it on social media or email).
There are also video tracking systems across the Three Valleys including the GoPro couloir down to Méribel and the BMW timed slalom course next to the 185O Stade from the top of Plantrey.
There are of course 6 selfie machine too!
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Ski Job Recruitment Day 01 Sep 2018 – The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead
Cool Ski Jobs are hosting a Ski Job Recruitment Day on Saturday 1st September 2018 at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead. This is your chance to live the dream and do a Ski Season…
The event is being held from 10am – 2pm with inspirational speakers discussing all things to do with season life plus you can meet with potential employers who will be recruiting on the day.
Representatives from ski holiday companies, transfer operators and many more resort businesses will be in attendance to chat about all aspects of “doing a season” Register here
In addition all registered attendees will be sent a code the week before entitling them to a half price 2 hour pass for £20. Get a job, have a ski (or board) – what a great day…
The Snow Centre is Britain’s newest Indoor Ski Centre and 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.
Hemel Hempstead is only 26 mins from Euston and The Snow Centre is located just a few minutes off the M25 & M1.
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Saulire Lift Capacity Increased For August
S3V have announced improvements to access the Saulire area for the rest of the Summer after of being busier than expected (due to free lifts no doubt).
Visitors in Summer will notice traffic light controls and the grouping of gondolas with often a wait to get on the empty lifts. This is for safety when there is limited staff availability so in the event of a breakdown passengers are not spread across the whole length of the lift making a rescue effort much easier.
Verdons gondola lift will now use all cabins for uphill traffic and have groups of 5 for descents.
On Saulire a decision to use the Vizelle gondola instead of the Saulire cable car has been made.
Vizelle gondola has a capacity of 1200 passengers per hour while the single cable car is only 240.
Vizelle will operate similarly to Verdons with full capacity uphill and groups of 5 for the descent.
At the end of the day when more people wish to descend (or in the case of a storm coming in and the need to evacuate the mountain) this system can be reversed to provide maximum downhill capacity.
Changes come in to force on 12 August.
Note Saturday special opening of La Tania, Praz and Foret lifts for the World Cup Summer Ski Jumping and Aerial Displays but Verdons and Saulire remain closed on Saturday as usual.
Free Shuttle buses for World Cup
Program of events for World Cup
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Summer Ski Jumping World Cup & Aerial Displays
The Summer Ski Jumping World Cup 2018 takes place in Le Praz on Friday & Saturday 10/11 August.
The Fly Courchevel Air Show kicks off too and includes La Patrouille de France display team plus a fly past of the 900 km/h Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft (actually capable of 2,130 km/h).
Full Event Program Here (pdf)
From 13:00 to 20:30 there will be continuous free shuttle bus services between Le Praz and La Tania & Courchevel. In addition to the Praz and La Tania Gondolas, the Foret Chairlift will also be open (the chairs stop running between 15:10 and 16:00 on Saturday during La Patrouille de France display for safety reasons). The best viewing area for this will be at the top of the La Tania Gondola on the Praz Juget plateau area.
It’s a great event and always an exciting finish as the best from the first round of jumps go last in the second jumps. There are also fireworks on Saturday night and of course a huge beer tent…
Click on images for full size pics
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Respect The Mountain! Free bags & pocket ashtrays available at The Tourist Office
The Clean Mountain campaign has free pocket ashtrays and re-usable bags available from The La Tania Tourist Office so you can take your litter (and even pick some up) with you and not leave it on the mountains.
At the end of every Winter a huge volunteer cleanup Operation Montagne Propre is organised by the Man of the Day Association organisation collecting litter and cigarette butts from underneath lifts once the snow starts to go. Please support this initiative.
On 23 June 2018 during the clean up operation over 1.5kg of cigarette butts were collected (over 5,000). Over 10 tons of litter has been collected over the last 6 years.
