Ski and Snowboard
When you choose an Alpine Ethos holiday you have easy access to the largest ski area in the world – the Three Valleys.
The 3 Valleys are home to 8 internationally renowned resorts and Meribel occupies prime position at the very heart, allowing skiers and boarders to access all the other valleys and over 600km of pistes!
3 Valleys statistics:
- Ski slopes : 600km
- Number of ski lifts : 200
- Number of skiers transported hourly : 260,000
- Number of snow cannons : 1,500
- Hectares of groomed runs : 2,500
- Number of ski patrollers : 320
- Piste bashers : 70
- Ski instructors : 1,500
- Cross-country ski tracks : 130 km
Further information about the fantastic Three Valleys ski area.
Lift Passes
All lifts in the 3 Valleys are now equipped with automatic “hands-free”
lift ticket scanners. This new pass system significantly improves client
comfort by automatically detecting and validating the lift pass at the
lift’s departure point.
All lifts in the 3 Valleys are now equipped with automatic “hands-free” lift ticket scanners that automatically detect and validate your pass as you enter the lift departure point. This is a significant improvement on the old school passes as no photos are required (except for <5 and >75) and you can just place the pass in a pocket on your left hand side and forget about it for the duration of your holiday.
We can pre-arrange your lift passes for you and will have them delivered to the chalet ready for your arrival so you can hit the slopes straightaway!
Step 1 : We will email you a lift pass order form 2-3 weeks prior to your arrival date.
Step 2 : Choose your pass then complete the form and return to us. (Please note ID will be required for child, senior and family passes).
Step 3 : Receive your pass when you arrive at the chalet.
You can pay for your pass by credit card or in Euros upon arrival. Reduced lift pass rates are available for children aged between 5 and 12 years and older guests between 65 and 75 years. Family passes are also available for 2 adults and 2 or 3 children aged between 5 and 18 years.
Download further lift pass details and prices for 2009 / 2010 (PDF file).
Free Skiing
A free ski pass for children under 5 (born in 2002 and after) and adults over 75 years of age can be collected from the ski-lift vending booths, upon production of I. D. and photo.
There are also several free lifts for beginners in the valley. In Meribel they are: Loupiot, Cotes drag lift (at le Rond Point) Altiport drag and Fontany telecord. NB not all of these are marked on the lift map.
Pedestrian Passes
Pedestrian passes are valid on the gondolas in Meribel, Mottaret, Courchevel and the St Martin 1 & 2 chairlift. A 1-day pass is approximately 16 Euros and a 6-day pass is approximately 52.50 Euros.
Ski Equipment Hire
Knowing the importance of quality ski equipment to the enjoyment of your holiday and the progression of your skiing we recommend Ski Higher for equipment hire. Ski Higher is a British chain of 6 shops operating in Meribel, Les Allues - Meribel, La Tania, Courchevel 1850, Le Praz 1300 and Val d’Isere who provide an excellent range of rental skis, boots and snowboards at competitive prices together with a great level of service that includes a mobile service for in-chalet fitting and delivery at no extra cost.
Long gone are the days of having to trudge to the local hire shop, queue for hours and then struggle back to the chalet with all your equipment! You can pre-book everything online before you arrive via the Ski Higher website, where you get an automatic 20% discount and all your equipment will be delivered to the chalet ready for your first day’s skiing/boarding.
Take a look at the advantages…
- It is easy to pre book your equipment online
- Equipment is fitted and delivered to the chalet and collected at the end of your holiday, meaning no walking or queuing in ski shops to pick up or return equipment
- If you would like your own equipment serviced Ski Higher will pick it up from your chalet and deliver it back fully serviced.
- English speaking technicians
- If you have any problems with your equipment you can exchange it in any of Ski Higher’s six shops
We recommend the mobile service for our guests. Visit the Ski Higher website now to book your skis, boots and boards online.
For ski and snowboard lessons we recommend Magic
Academy. Magic are an
independent snowsports school with a mission to pass on their passion for
the mountains and it’s different sports. All their instructors are English
speaking and offer professional yet fun lessons for adults or children
of all standards in small groups or privately.
Magic have a great level guide to ensure that you start in the correct lesson.
Level Guide – Skiers
- Level 0 : Your first time on skis
- Level 1 : You can do a basic snowplough
- Level 2 : You have a strong snowplough and starting to parallel turn
- Level 3 : You can parallel turn confidently on blues
- Level 4 : You can parallel turn confidently on blues and reds, but lack confidence to tackle blacks
- Level 5 : You can parallel everywhere
Level Guide – Snowboarders
- Level 0 : Your first time on a board
- Level 1 : You can turn on greens and blues
- Level 2 : You can turn on blues and reds
- Level 3 : Freeride and Freestyle
For prices and booking information please visit www.magicinmotion.co.uk
Bookings should be made as early as possible as they are very popular and get booked up quickly (especially during peak weeks).
Other Ski and Snowboarding Schools
- New Generation [www.skinewgen.com]
- ESF Meribel (Ecole du Ski Francais) [www.esf-meribel.com]
- Snow Systems [www.snow-systems.com]
- Parallel Lines [www.parallel-lines.com]
- RTM (snowboarding only) [www.rtmsnowboarding.com]
- Cab9 (snowboarding only) [www.cab9snowboarding.com]
Ski Lockers
Both Alpine Ethos properties have their own ski and boot storage areas but for those guests that like to have a couple of vin chauds after a hard day on the slopes and prefer not to wear their boots or carry their skis then there is the option to hire a ski locker for the week.
Meribel Alpina (the lift company) operate the lockers that are conveniently located at La Chaudanne in Meribel centre, beneath the Burgin Saulire lift station. Each locker holds up to 3 pairs of skis / snowboards and boots and is heated. Lockers can be reserved in advance and cost approximately 45 Euros per locker per week.
Please let us know at the time of booking if you would like us to reserve lockers for you. However please note availability is not guaranteed.
Travel Insurance
It is essential to be well insured before embarking on a winter sports
holiday. We have arranged a special insurance package via Fogg Travel Insurance
Services Ltd. Members of Association of British Insurers who are authorised
and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
You can book online direct with Fogg and make savings.
