Why do a Ski Season in La Tania? View from a 2014 Saisonnaire

Imogen’s views on last season in La Tania – if you ever had any doubts…

Having finished an epic season in La Tania, I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking of working in the mountains. Living in the mountains, it’s easy to balance work and play, and there are many perks to doing a season. La Tania is a great choice and here’s why…

Three Valleys Skiing – Doing a season in La Tania you get to ski the entire Three Valley region, the largest ski area in the world. With eight resorts and 600 km of interconnected slopes there is an abundance of slopes to enjoy. Whether you’re a decent skier or a first timer, there’s a huge variety of slopes, suiting a wide range of abilities. If arriving at the start of your season is your first time on the mountain then La Tania is the ideal place to learn and perfect your skiing, and if you’re “the best skier on the mountain” then you can take full advantage of the more challenging slopes throughout the Three Valleys. For the more adventurous skier or boarder there is also extensive off-piste. There are great tree lines, especially in La Tania, and a good number of valleys to tackle as well. You can ski a magnitude of different runs across the Three Valleys, ensuring you’ll never get bored of doing the same old runs and that you’re always faced with a challenge.

Courchevel Couloirs – For the more adventurous skiers and boarders there is always the challenge of the Courchevel Couloirs. The only couloir marked on the map as a piste is the Grand Couloir, and it is one of the five hardest runs in the world. Following a very narrow path at the top (probably the scariest part) you reach the top of the face. With the gradient at some points reaching 80 percent the mountain seems to fall away beneath you. In fresh powder and with an early ascent you can hope for a smooth ride down. Hit the couloir too late after a fresh dump and you’re faced with the most challenging of mogul fields. If you want to claim you can ‘do’ moguls…tackle this! For those who dare to go even further there are four other couloirs to tackle. The climb to the top of these couloirs is sketchy to say the least. Sharp drops, rock scrambling and steep ascents, it takes some nerve to conquer these climbs but the reward is worth it. Untouched powder, fresh tracks and an amazing run, riding the couloirs is a highlight of any season, and doing a season in La Tania there’s ample opportunity to enjoy the couloirs.

Snowparks – No matter what kind of skier or boarder you are, whether you’re a semi-pro freestyle rider or just a beginner, you’ll hit the Snowparks pretty frequently during a season. A season in La Tania gives you ample opportunity to enjoy the three main Snowparks in the Three Valleys – the Courchevel Family Park, The Meribel Moon Park, and the DC Park in Meribel-Mottaret.

The Family Park in Courchevel, with rails, box modules, rollers and kickers, is great for skiers and boarders and is ideal for both beginner and intermediate freestyle skiers. You’ll hit the park often during the season, especially towards the end. The fresh powder’s gone, you’ve skied the mountain, you’ll hit park every day, either doing endless park runs or chilling in the sun watching your friends pull sick tricks.

Over in Meribel there is also the Moon Park, with multiple kickers, rails, tables, boxes and rollers. The boardercross route is perfect for those wanting to get a feel for freestyle riding. Entry level boxes and kickers are ideal for learning new tricks as well as perfecting old tricks, and with a few larger kickers, you can test your skills at a higher level. If you’ve nailed the Moon Park or consider yourself a more advanced freestyle rider then its time to hit the DC Area 43 Snowpark.

The new DC Area 43 Snowpark in Meribel-Mottaret is the biggest in the Three Valleys and tempts the most serious freestyle riders. The park boasts a full-size half pipe, huge kickers, and advanced rails. The half-pipe, with its high walls and steep drop, provides big air, ideal for tricks. Advanced freestyle riders tend to favour grabs on the huge kickers as they carry 25m and more in the air. A high level of skill or an extremely high pain threshold is essential for the advanced rails. A successful trick is an awe inspiring sight, whilst a tiny mistake will not only damage your body but also your ego. If you’re a serious freestyle rider DC park is the place to go. Doing a season you wanna go somewhere where there’s parks, and doing a season in La Tania there’s easy access to three.

Powder days and off-piste – The Courchevel valley has some incredible off-piste skiing and when there’s been a fresh dump of snow you’re guaranteed an epic powder day! There’s great off piste terrain under the Dou des Lanches chair with some great tree runs down into La Tania. The off pistes of Col du Fruit, the Creux Bowl and the Valee des Avais are great places to hit the fresh powder. For the best decent it’s worth hiking a short distance…fresh tracks and incredible powder await. There are many other descents to explore throughout the Three Valleys. Regular dumps of snow and extensive off-piste means there’ll be many awesome powder days. With a little imagination you can drop into descents and ride the most incredible powder. Doing a season you’ll get to enjoy loads of powder days and whilst a day on the slopes is the best way to spend your day, the best days skiing are powder days.

Apres – A number of heavy apres’ is almost inevitable whilst doing a season, and apresing in the Three Valleys is something you’ll never forget. The Follie Douche in Meribel, with extravagantly themed dancers and half naked bodies, provides a unique experience. The party atmosphere at the Follie is electric and with awesome DJ’s, plenty of booze and dancing on tables, it’s a guaranteed awesome start to apres. Closing at around five o’clock, its time to move the party on…to Ronnies, formally known as the Rond Point. Ronnies its pretty much always packed, and with a buzzing vibe it’s not to be missed. Staying closer to home, Apres in the Ski lodge is pretty awesome, with live bands and a cracking atmosphere, you’ll spend many afternoons chilling outside at the Ski Lodge. Whether you crawl home to sleep or follow through with a night out, guaranteed you’ll have had an unforgettable experience.

Nightlife – Whilst there’s no massive club in La Tania there are some awesome bars to hit, including Crome Bar, La Taiga, and of course Ski Lodge (Pub Le Ski Lodge). Social life in La Tania revolves around the Ski Lodge. With regular live music and themed nights, Ski Lodge draws seasonaires in almost every night. With everyone flocking to Ski Lodge you can be sure to see all your friends, a definite positive to a night out in a small resort. Then, there is of course the ‘legendary’ Monday Shot night where you’re guaranteed to have epic night. If you’re wanting a different scene you’ve got the Funky Fox in Courchevel 1650, and Jacks Bar, Le Pub and Dick’s T-Bar in Meribel. With loud music, great cocktails and an electric atmosphere they provide some sensational nights out in Meribel.

So why do a season in La Tania? For the added perks that go with working and living in the mountain, the skiing, and the social side.

Imogen now works for Basecamp – who run ‘ski instructor courses’ (www.basecampgroup.com/ski-instructor-courses), and were the first organisation to operate BASI courses in France in 2002, launching from Meribel. They now operate BASI Ski Instructor Courses out of Val d’Isère and Méribel in France, CSIA Ski Instructor Courses in Banff, Canada, and NZSIA Ski Instructor Courses in Mt Ruapehu New Zealand.