Just after midnight and the snow still coming down hard

View of the Ski Lodge terrace – although chairs and tables have been put away. Looking like 20cm already at the Bouc Blanc.

La Tania Bucket List 2014

If you don’t do it this year, you’ll be one year older when you do…

In no particular order:

Ski.

First Lift.

Folyeres when empty.

Gazex 1.

Grand Couloir.

Classic off piste inc la Masse Lac de Lou and Vallee des Avals.

Mt Vallon – long, long red in one go.

Jerusalem run.

Husky Sledding.

A tandem para glide.

A scenic flight trip over the 3 Valleys.

The Escapade (in a day?).

Hot rock / fondue or raclette.

Toboggan run at 1550.

Ski.

Sledging in La Tania when the lifts shut.

Bowling, Skating, Squash etc in Meribel and Courchevel leisure centres.

A visiting massage.

Après at the Rond Point (aka The Ronnie), La Folie Douce (aka The Folly) and Lodge du Village (aka LdV).

Tuesday night big band night at The Ski Lodge.

Fall.

Go high…
The 4th Valley over the back of Val Thorens and the Bouchet lift to the highest point of The 3 Valleys.

Go low…
Down to Les Allues, Brides Les Bains or Bozel itinerary runs (snow permitting).

Lose an afternoon on a sunny terrace.

Night Skiing on Verdons on a Wednesday night.

Fun parks and boarder/snow cross tracks.

Drink Veuve or do the buffet at The Courcheneige.

Après.

Take a lesson – no matter what standard of skier you are.

Go Heli-Skiing (they’ll fly you to Italy ‘cos it’s banned in France).

Try an alternative like cross country, snow boarding, skiing, telemarking or snow shoeing.

Wine tasting and cheese sampling at the Cave des Lyon in Le Praz.

Michelin Star dining at La Farcon.

Party.

La Plagne Bobsleigh.

Les Menuires sky rail sledge thing.

Visit the Alps in Summer and have an even longer list of things to do…

Use those 3 Valley Pass Rights at Tignes, Val or Paradiski.

Fancy Dress.

Watch the Torch Light Descent or maybe take part.

Do Christmas and New Year.

Do a season.

Race.

THE zip wire.

Have a blow out Mountain Restaurant Lunch.

Have a very private mountain picnic.

Dance.

Use the Ski Bus Service to get to and from different resorts (and a night to sample the night life).

Ski Lodge Cocktail.

Enjoy rotisserie roast chicken, take away pizza or Kirsty’s home made Lasagne or even the Giant Tartiflette and plan one early night (then go out at 11pm anyway).

Drink.

Do the speed test over in 1650 over and over until you beat 50km/h but still stop in the zone.

Do a shopping / lunch trip to Annecy and marvel at that lake.

Make sure you try green, blue & red runs back to La Tania – and nail them (plus the black Lanches above too).

Catch a European Football night at Lyon, Turin or maybe Milan.

Lunch at 1650, La Boulotte and Katie’s Big Baps plus endless “entertainment”.

Eat

Vin Chaud before last run down at The Bouc Blanc (or use the bus and try Le Peupliers version in Le Praz).

Watch a major TV sporting event like the 6 Nations in The Ski Lodge and get involved in their drink promotions – celebrate or commiserate with Jagar Bombs.

ok then…..
Sleep.

And another thing….

The Ski Club of Great Britain Industry Report 2013 “The largest piece of consumer research ever in to the UK Snowsports market”.

France has the best ‘retention rate’ of any destination:
France – 78
Austria – 62
Bulgaria/Romania – 57
Italy – 52
USA/Canada – 49
Switzerland – 48
Andorra – 45

La Tania comes 4th in the world and 2nd in Europe in the most recommended ski resort.
1. Whistler – 89
2. Obergurgl – 60
3. Banff – 58
4. La Tania – 56

Also Weather to Ski voted us 4th in Weather-Proof Ski Resorts. We may be relatively low but those shadowy North facing slopes and all that forest makes a massive difference to keeping snow and allowing decent bad weather skiing conditions – the La Tania gondola hardly ever closes due to wind. It has been last non-surface lift open in the whole Courchevel Valley before.

Plus we’ve stacks of cannons and our own snow making reservoir anyway – As we always say ASPECT > ALTITUDE when it comes to keeping snow… And all in the largest Ski Area in the World!

And What The Sun thinks from last weekend

Snow! Just a covering above 1700m but good to see

Just about a covering of snow overnight on the Bouc Blanc terrace above La Tania and quite a bit more up near the top of Saulire on the webcam pic below. With the clocks going back, the UK ski shows starting and some new snow to look at, it does feel like Winter is finally getting nearer…

All the 3 Valleys Webcams on a snowy morning this morning…

8am on Friday 11 October 2013 with a covering of snow right down to below the resort levels.
Great to see the place white again…

All the 3 Valleys Webcams can be view live from www.latania.co.uk/webcam

La Tania – looking over the swimming pool

La Tania looking up over the kids/beginners area towards Col de la Loze

La Tania centre

Chalet des Pierres cam near Biollay above Courchevel

Courchevel 1850 from La Croisette

The Bouc Blanc terrace above La Tania

Courchevel Altiport

Roc des 3 Marches chairlift above Les Menuires

Meribel side of Saulire just above La Folie Douce

Meribel – La Chaudanne and Stade

Top of Saulire looking across at the top of Vizelle gondola

Val Thorens and the work on the new Pionniers chairlift

Here come the Snow, 20 minutes later than predicted

The Bouc Blanc terrace above La Tania 15:35 on Thu 10 Oct 2013.

First real snow on the webcams for the start of Winter 2014

The Webcams around The 3 Valleys over around 1700m showing some fresh snow this morning – 17 September 2013. The Bouc Blanc Restaurant Terrace just above La Tania showed covered in snow and quite a bit more higher up.
Webcam credits to Courchevel Chalets, Chalet des Pierres, S3V, Setam, The Bouc Blanc, La Folie Douce and The Tourist Offices.
And from Val Thorens Tourist Office… And finally from Saulire summit above Courchevel 1850 when the weather cleared

Last bits of snow in resort but could be some more snow about in the next few days

Attempt of a panorama view from the latania.co.uk Webcams.

Full size image here

Live view here: http://www.latania.co.uk/webcam

And as predicted… Here comes the snow – Bouc Blanc Restarant terrace just above La Tania on Friday morning 17 May 2013.

Morning Grooming on Folyeres – there’s some fresh snow out there!

Getting to grips with the new snow on Folyeres this morning to help beginners and get the slope groomed in time for opening – good work S3V. Fresh snow visible on the Bouc Blanc terrace too.

Covering of fresh snow this morning and lots more to come

More snow and still snowing until Sunday… Pics this morning

Huge amounts of snow now, never seen so much snow on the Bouc Blanc terrace before – they normally clear it pretty quick. Then again so do the Ski Lodge, look at their terrace!

France Meteo reporting the second or fourth deepest first week of snow since 1950 (not sure what happened to the third best – or maybe it’s my French!).