ESCAPADE 2025: 3 Escapades in a week – is this a record?

10-14 March 2025

After successfully completing escapades each of the last three years Sean, Toby, Tony, David and Paddy were keen to repeat the challenge again this year.  We booked ourselves into the not so luxurious Belhambra in Les Menuires and this was our base from 8^th-15^th March.

Escapade Number 1: Monday 10^th March

Being a group without any pre-disposition for forward planning, it was late during breakfast on Monday 10th March when we decided to ‘make a start on the Escapade and see how we get on’, hoping the poor weather forecast might keep down the queues. Beginning with La Masse and well supplied with pains au chocolat from the breakfast buffet and a few bottles of water, all went relatively smoothly until the descent in to Orelle where Tony took a tumble. Tony substituted the pharmacy in VT for Mont Vallon and soon we’d done half the lifts but were 45 minutes behind schedule. Assuming the attempt doomed we carried on for fun.  An hour or so later Toby took a wrong turn and was diverted by a closed run into La Tania but quickly rejoined. Hope was creeping in as we headed up Olympique with some lost time made up.  At this point Paddy said “it’s just about on as long as we don’t make any mistakes”.   Moments later, zooming past the entrance to Verdet, Toby and Sean got the extra time in Meribel that they were so keen to have, leading to a split group.  With Top Gear rules applying Tony, Paddy and David pressed on and a nail-biting finish ensued with Toby and Sean catching back up with 3 minutes to spare to catch the Bettex lift home.

Successful completion of the challenge:  4/5 (with Tony missing Mont Vallon to get ibuprofen)

Escapade Number 2: Wednesday 12^th March

At dinner on Tuesday, one of the group suggested it might be fun to do the escapade in reverse (i.e. doing it in a clockwise direction instead of the standard anticlockwise circuit). In uncharacteristic form for the group, whose normal modus operandi is spontaneity and hoofing it, the following morning Tony had used his encyclopaedic knowledge to knock up a route with minimal overlap of the usual one. Reverting to type, we again decided to ‘make a start and see how it goes’. Toby forgot his gloves, so Paddy, Tony and David set off leaving Sean and Toby (much faster) to catch up. Beginning with Roc1, Roc2, we took on St Martin but not Bettex at the start and raced round. Toby and Sean nearly caught up, then took a wrong turn and added an extra lift, 3 times, only catching up in the bar at the end without La Masse and Bettex. Tony, Paddy and David found Peclet shut in VT so took Moutiers instead, picking up Peclet after Orelle. The weather started to close in when we got back into VT.  A complete whiteout on La Masse left them skiing pole to pole with Bettex closed well before they could reach it.  The descent which would normally take about 9 minutes took almost 30.  Our cautious snake down the mountain steadily accumulated disorientated skiers and we successfully guided about a dozen others down the mountain.  They made it on to La Masse bubble with just Bettex to do and the result on a knife edge.  Given our good Samaritan status, the thanks of those we helped and the fact that we could easily have skied down to Bettex (but chose not to because we didn’t want to walk back to Les Menuires), we felt that we had completed the spirit of the challenge.

Successful completion of the challenge:  3/5 (with Sean and Toby succumbing to the magnetic draw of Meribel and never catching up with the rest of the group)

Note: we’d recommend trying it this way round to anyone who’s looking for something different. The distance and descent are similar the usual route.  These are the lifts we took (starting from Les Menuires): Roc1&2 St Martin1&2, Saulire, Golf, Altiport, Loze, La Tania, La Praz, Grangettes, Verdons, Biolay, Roc Mugnier, Arondiaz, Chapelets, Pyramides, Roc Merlet, Marmottes, Plattiers, Mont Vallon, Plan de Mains, Cote Brune, Peclet, Grand Font, Peyron, Bouchet, Orelle-Caron, La Masse, Doron, Bettex.

Escapade Number 2: Friday 14^th March

On Friday the forecast was again not great and during breakfast we decided that it wouldn’t be worth having another go.  We started the day with a fast and sunny descent from La Masse.  Buoyed by this we thought ‘what the hell’ and decided to ‘go for it again’ despite the not-so-great forecast and having minimal food and drink with us.  We managed to race around, keeping ahead the bad weather until we hit the Courchevel valley.  With snow falling, we took advantage of shorter queues, and the quieter slopes allowed for some faster skiing.  We completed the escapade, making it to Bettex with 20 minutes to spare.

A very happy ending to a great fun week.

Successful completion of the challenge:  3/5 (with Sean and Toby succumbing to the magnetic draw of Meribel and never catching up with the rest of the group)

ESCAPADE 2025 – 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 – doing it in a day was a bit tricky though!

It all started out as a late night “is it possible?” discussion – the history and our original route from 2006 are here

Originally punch cards had to be stamped at each check point until electronic passes arrived and then the use of a lift was recorded – now we use Apps such as Ski Tracks or Relive to prove our route.

Note that the Escapade is no longer officially promoted by Les 3 Vallees from Winter 2017 but we still record successful tracks for anyone who is interested in being in the sought after La Tania Escapade Hall of Fame

Send a pic of yourselves on the day with your tracker data & screenshot plus a story of your day to toffa@latania.co.uk

The original Escapade took 30 lifts, around 13000m vertical with 70km length and by 2016 reached 34 lifts, 17000m vertical (twice the height of Everest) and around 80km skiing (140km total distance). With the newer, longer, faster lifts we’re back down to 30 lifts and the age range for successful completion is from 8 to 76 years old! The latest ESCAPADE route

This is NOT a race

ALWAYS CONTROL YOUR SPEED. 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 (you won’t be insured), think about the safety of others as well as yourself but above all, think of other people, take care, don’t wreck things for others & don’t even think of blaming anyone else if it all goes wrong…..

Changes through the years
2006 – First year and cards with hole punches stationed at lifties huts are used.
2008 – Electronic lift analysis is now used – no use hiking out the 4th Valley now!
2010 – The piste map did not include the top of the 4th Valley and the Col lift in Val Thorens.
2011 – The X-Wing Discovery was launched but only had 10 check points and doesn’t count!
2012 – Peclet included and Biollay / Vizelle used for Saulire access.
2015 – Foret used instead of La Tania gondola.
2016 – Mont Vallon is included for the first time plus the Montaulever drag lift.
2017 – Chapelets replaced by Petite Boss drag and La Tania’s Bouc Blanc chair replaces Tovets.
2018 – The new Roc de Tougne chair replaces the drag lift of the same name.
2019 – Legends replaces Roc de Fer and the Montaulever drag in Les Menuires has been removed.
2020 – Cime Caron now back in use.
2022 – New Pointe de la Masse and Orelle-Caron Gondolas (for example) could be used.
2023 – Using the new lifts, we ski all the resorts, all the perimeters and classic peaks – ESCAPADE 2023
2024 – No changes to 2023 route!
2025 – No changes to 2024 route!