What's New - Updated
October 2002
Update on what's new
around the Three Valleys for Winter 2002/3
New Snow Cannons
Fifty new snow cannons have been installed on the Lapin
piste down to Meribel Village so access to Lodge
du Village should be easier at the beginning and end
of season. A massive new reservoir up the hill near to the Altiport
lifts has been built to supply these new snow guns. The La Tania
snow cannon reservoir sprung a leak but this is now fixed - the
cannons did a marvelous job keeping the Folyeres run to
resort open all season last year. Also new high pressure type cannons
over in Mottaret down from Plattieres 1 gondola station
down to resort level have been installed and lots of new type cannons
around Les Menuires too including some at the bottom of the La Masse
side. The Biollay area over in 1850 has also increased
it's snowmaking and 23 new cannons have been installed on the Fond
and Plateaux pistes in Val Thorens.
The piste leading down to Meribel Village
Piste Improvements
The piste from Plattieres 1 down to resort level at Mottaret
is being widened and reshaped to make things easier for beginners.
The Pralong area in 1850 has been altered to separate good
skiers & boarders belting down from the Altiport from the large
beginners area. Over in Val Thorens a new north facing blue piste
will be opened, served by the Grand Fond Funitel and the
pistes under the Peyron & Bouchet chairlifts
in Orelle are being upgraded. Another 2 Gasex remote avalanche blasters
have been installed over that way too. The pistes down to St Martin
have been enlarged with the new lift going in there (see below).
New Lifts
1. Plan des Mains has been replaced with
a new high speed 6 seater detachable and will definitely be ready
for this Winter. This is the old slow 4-man chair with the magic
carpet / conveyor belt that links you back into the system from
Mont Du Vallon, on very cold days the water on the carpet used to
freeze on the base of your skis leading to some interesting falls
at the top exit. It brings you out at the left of Plattieres
2 station with access straight down to Mottaret or via the
Cote Brune lift over to Val Thorens.
2. A new Funitel (Jumbo gondola) to replace the Bouquetin in Val Thorens (the slow 2-man chair up from Three Valleys 1 and next to Three Valleys 2 chair) won't be completed till next year (too many long french lunch breaks delayed the work no doubt!). Also in Val Thorens, the Plateaux drag lifts have been relocated and upgraded.
3. The Tortollet in Menuires is now a 4-man and the Doron (also Menuires) now has a double queue so 2 x 4 can get on.
4. The old St Martin 1 triple chair has been replaced with a brand new gondola leading out of St Martin de Belleville. This means you can definitely stay for another beer in Brewskis before heading back over to the Meribel side in late afternoon! The new Telecabine is a full-on modern 8 seater like Vizelle or Verdons. The 2km ride from the centre of Les Grangeraies will take you straight to the bottom of the St Martin II high speed 4-man chair in only 6 minutes. With a capacity of 2800 skiers per hour those old queues will be a thing of the past. Get in! |
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The replacement of the steep Creux and Fruit drags on the return from 1650 to 1850 have been put on hold.
Lift Pass Prices
for 2002/2003
A Three Valleys season pass is 850€ and Courchevel Valley 705€.
The adult 6-day Three Valleys pass is 193€ (about £126
on 1/10/02). The rest of the prices are here.
New for this year is a family ski pass for 2 adults and 2, 3 or 4 kids. Kids count as under 18 for this pass (not under 14 as for a normal pass). For two adults and two 17 year olds skiing the Three Valleys the cost is 620€ instead of 772€.
Building Work
Has been going on everywhere in the Summer months as usual - more
chalets, more refurbs wherever you look. Some lifts - including
Jardin Alpin in 1850 have had stairs replaced with ramps
for easier access (also makes queues look shorter and you can ride
straight up on your mountain bike in summer).
Summer
Events / News / Updates
Reports on who actually won the summer Football Tournament are very
hazy - pictures
and a match report of a kind now exists. No one has
actually sobered up from the Bastille
Day Fetes at the start of summer until Lou & Cloggs
(TCs sister and Christian from Chabi) wedding at the end of summer.
Meanwhile downhill mountain bike mayhem remains the most dangerous
sport out here... More news, gossip and photos in The
Summer Pages.
Who's Where?
Toffa returned from The World Cup in Japan (report
and photos), Nic & Karen bought another bar in
Greece having been robbed in the South of France, Becks & James
were last seen in St Tropez, Jules & Suzie are working hard
on a new bistro venture in Bournemouth, Phil, Debs, Sharon, Kath
& Paul are laying about in Zakynthos
and Jesus, AM, Will & Stef are causing trouble in Queenstown,
New Zealand. Have a look where everyone is (or was) in The
GuestMap - so what do you do in the summer?
New Pool Table
Installed in the Ski
Lodge - but only for summer!
Page last updated 10/10/02