Three Valleys Escapade - The Hardest Days Skiing Ever?
The FIRST Escapade in a day (a big day) - 22nd March 2006
With thanks to sponsors ICICLES Catered Chalets for the Champagne prizes
What started out as a late night, alcohol fuelled conversation turned out to be the biggest ski day most of us have ever had....
The Three Valleys Escapade is run by the lift companies and consists of 14 check points spread across the Three Valleys where you get a card stamped (with a different pattern hole punch). You collect all the stamps and receive a free certificate and for 7€ a badge too (although we didn't get charged at the 1850 lift company office and note that you can't get the certificate from the La Tania ticket office). From 2008 they just analysed the lifts you've traveled on from your ski pass ID but the whole thing was dropped in 2017 - we're still doing it though and it's a bit harder too!
ESCAPADE 2023 - The new updated challenge
The idea was that you do this over your week's holiday - but we thought maybe it could be done in a day... So 08:30 Ski Lodge registration, 10€ entrance fee and off for the first lift at 09:00. Thanks to Nick at Nick Ski for his work on the most efficient route around the check points (unless you know better of course).
The Day Escapaders Hall of Fame
All who do it are captured here - it is a full on day, not for those who do lunch!
Click here for the full size map
The original 2006 route in detail with timings
CP = Escapade Check Point where you get your card stamped
Time |
Lift |
Vertical UP (m) |
Piste |
09:00 |
Depart La Tania gondola (CP1 at bottom) |
532 |
|
Dou des Lanches chair |
438 |
||
Boulevard de la Loze in to Méribel Valley |
|||
Renard |
|||
09:29 |
Dent de Burgin (CP2 at top) |
305 |
|
Renard |
|||
Blanchot |
|||
Lapin |
|||
09:40 |
Golf chair Méribel Village (CP3 at bottom) |
300 |
|
Altiport rope tow |
10 |
||
Foret |
|||
Doron |
|||
Roc de Fer chair Méribel |
372 |
||
Olympic chair (CP4 at top) out of Méribel Valley |
499 |
||
10:17 |
Verdet in to St Martin Valley |
||
Biolley |
|||
10:40 |
St Martin 1 gondola (CP5 at bottom) |
374 |
|
St Martin 2 chair |
608 |
||
Combe Tougnete in to Méribel Valley |
|||
Dahu |
|||
Martre |
|||
11:00 |
Roc de Tougne drag (CP6 at bottom) |
387 |
|
Teppes in to Les Menuires Valley |
|||
11:11 |
(CP7 near bottom of Granges chair ) |
Gros Tougne |
|
Green through Les Menuires |
|||
11:26 |
Masse 1 gondola |
560 |
|
Masse 2 gondola (CP8 at top) |
657 |
||
Lac du Lou Itinerary Route over the back of La Masse |
|||
Join Plan de L'eau in to Val Thorens |
|||
12:11 |
Plan de L'eau chair (CP9 at bottom) |
432 |
|
Boismint |
|||
Moutiere chair |
587 |
||
Linotte |
|||
Funitel Grand Fond |
542 |
||
12:45 |
Mauriennaise into the 4th Valley |
||
12:56 |
Peyron chair |
436 |
|
Bouchet chair (CP10 at top) |
471 |
||
13:19 |
Coraia |
||
Peyron |
|||
13:29 |
Rosael chair out of 4th Valley |
660 |
|
Chamois in to Val Thorens |
|||
Rhodos across to Portette |
|||
Moraine |
|||
Moraine chair |
468 |
||
Col chair (CP11 at top) |
330 |
||
14:15 |
Col |
||
Moraine |
|||
Chalets |
|||
14:25 |
Plein Sud chair Val Thorens |
377 |
|
3 Vallees 2 chair out of Val Thorens |
287 |
||
Lac de la Chambre in to Méribel Valley |
|||
Plan des Mains chair |
292 |
||
Rossignol |
|||
Martre into Mottaret |
|||
15:03 |
Pas du Lac 1 Mottaret |
529 |
|
Pas du Lac 2 out of Méribel Valley |
466 |
||
Creux in to Courchevel Valley |
|||
Chanrossa chair |
425 |
||
Roc Merlet towards 1650 |
|||
Pyramide |
|||
Rochers |
|||
15:39 |
Chapelets chair 1650 (CP12 at bottom) |
449 |
|
Grandes Bosses |
|||
Roc Mugnier |
|||
Gravelles (CP13 at Prameruel Sign Post) |
316 |
||
Altiport blue & Altiport Green |
|||
Cos Pilot to 1550 |
|||
Stade |
|||
16:10 |
Tovets chair 1550 (CP14 at bottom) |
269 |
|
Plantrey chair 1850 |
500 |
||
Bouc Blanc down in to La Tania |
|||
Folyères |
|||
Troika |
|||
16:34 |
Arrive Ski Lodge, La Tania |
||
7 hours34 mins |
12878m |
(or 42,250 feet !!!) |
Before and after the Escapade in a day....
Well done to Nick, Sandy, Toffa, Dave, Brian, Toby, Jack and Chuck
PS. You do this entirely at your own risk, act responsibly, take full ownership for your own actions & those with you, respect other people (& the mountain), ride within your limits, always obey the skiers & snowboarders code, observe all signs, pay attention to all notices & advice from Pisteurs, only ski off piste if fully equipped & knowledgeable, it's not a race (you won't be insured), but above all, take care, don't wreck things for others & don't even think of blaming anyone else if it all goes horribly wrong.....
The Day Escapaders Hall of Fame
ESCAPADE 2023 - The new updated challenge
