{"id":67577,"date":"2026-04-14T13:35:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T12:35:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.latania.co.uk\/blog\/?p=67577"},"modified":"2026-04-14T13:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T12:35:32","slug":"escapade-2026-antonio-and-his-youngest-son-complete-the-escapade-in-a-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.latania.co.uk\/blog\/2026\/04\/14\/escapade-2026-antonio-and-his-youngest-son-complete-the-escapade-in-a-day\/","title":{"rendered":"ESCAPADE 2026: Antonio and his youngest son complete the Escapade in a Day…"},"content":{"rendered":"
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02 April 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, we had dreamed of completing the 3 Valleys Escapade. Every winter, we talked about it, planned it, and then somehow never managed to make it happen. Until this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During our first days in Saint Martin, we quietly tested the waters within our group\u2014who would be willing to try, and more importantly, who could last an entire day on skis without stopping. The conditions didn\u2019t help at first. Snow fell steadily, and the peaks above 2000\u20132500 meters were buried in thick fog, making the route nearly impossible. But by midweek, the forecast promised clear skies. So we set our date: April 2nd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were four\u2014two adults and two boys, aged 10 and 15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day didn\u2019t start well. We left the house later than planned and immediately lost 15 precious minutes\u2014minutes that would come back to haunt us. At 8:59 a.m., we finally set off, skiing down the Village slope to catch the Village drag lift. We were far from the first to reach Saint Martin 1, but once we began our descent, something clicked. We started overtaking everyone, gaining confidence\u2014and time\u2014all the way down to Bettex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were behind schedule, but with each lift and each run, we clawed back a minute here, two minutes there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, at the Bruy\u00e8res gondola, came the first setback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The older boy wasn\u2019t feeling well. Nausea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We asked if he wanted to continue. \u201cFor now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the P\u00e9clet funitel, he was worse. By the time we reached the top, he admitted he might need to vomit. We lost nearly half an hour going to the medical post\u2014no medication for nausea\u2014and then to the bathroom. Things weren\u2019t looking good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the Christine run, he said he felt dizzy. His father made the call: they would return to Saint Martin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just like that, the mission changed.<\/p>\n\n\n

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It was now up to me and the younger boy to try and complete the Escapade alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very quickly, I realized a new challenge. The younger one skied well\u2014very well\u2014but struggled on flat sections. He simply couldn\u2019t maintain speed. Runs like Lory, Cime, Combe de Thorens, Lac de la Chambre, Ours, Cospilot, For\u00eat, and Doron became a test of patience. The poor kid kept asking me if he was too slow, if he was the reason we wouldn\u2019t finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I also had to manage navigation carefully, always skiing just behind him in case he fell\u2014which, thankfully, he never did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, his father took a different route back\u2014skipping some lifts, taking others\u2014and eventually rejoined us at Mont Vallon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At that point, we were 20 minutes behind our original plan. The goal had been to reach the final lift, Olympic, at 4:35 p.m., just five minutes before closing. It didn\u2019t look promising. Still, we pushed on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, we started gaining time. One minute here, two minutes there. It felt possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until we reached Tovets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chairlift was closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had no choice but to take the Grangettes gondola, which dropped us into the middle of a shopping center we had never seen before. More confusion. More lost time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From that moment on, we made a simple decision: we would head for the Olympic lift no matter what. If it was closed, we\u2019d ski down to M\u00e9ribel, take the Tougn\u00e8te lifts\u2014which close later\u2014and try again another day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But luck, finally, was on our side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No more setbacks. No more delays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We reached the Olympic lift\u2026 just in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One or two minutes to spare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the top of Roc de Fer, the relief was overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To celebrate, we headed back up Saint Martin Express and, for the first time ever, skied down Liberty Ride\u2014a run that had always been closed in previous years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the day, the younger boy was glowing with pride. Over 90 kilometers skied. Nearly 16,000 meters of vertical descent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An unforgettable achievement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next year, we\u2019ll have to do it all over again\u2014so the older boy can finish what he started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though, considering he spent the entire afternoon being sick\u2026 it was probably for the best that he went home.<\/p>\n\n\n

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ESCAPADE 2026 \u2013 What\u2019s this all about\u2026<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2013 doing it in a day was a bit tricky though!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It all started out as a late night \u201cis it possible?<\/em>\u201d discussion \u2013 the history and our original route from 2006 are here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally punch cards had to be stamped at each check point until electronic passes arrived and then the use of a lift was recorded \u2013 now we use Apps such as Ski Tracks or Relive to prove our route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Send a pic of yourselves on the day with your successful tracker data & screenshot plus a story of your day to toffa@latania.co.uk<\/a> and you’ll get your place in the HoF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ESCAPADE 2026 Strava Flyover here<\/a> (if you’ve a Strava login)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2026 Escapade Video inc Flyover<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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