A ski holiday in Meribel offers access to one of the largest ski areas anywhere, the world famous Three Valleys. This means there are innumerable fantastic runs, ranging from above-the-tree-line spectacles to amazing winding woodland routes.
Established in 1939 as a tourist friendly ski resort by English colonel Peter Lindsey and funded a private French and British enterprise, Meribel had its first lift installed just before the war but had to be suspended soon afterwards. Once hostilities ceased Colonel Lindsey returned to the area and set about developing, what would become a perennial favorite resort for Brits.
Under Lindsey’s guidance, Meribel was built up in a style that maintained its original alpine charm, only local building materials were used and the vast majority of accommodation was designed in a traditional chalet fashion. In the 1950s the resort gained a reputation as the hideaway of the rich and non-flashy famous and had its first nightclub built which still stands today and goes under the name of Dick’s Tea Bar.
Despite its reputation (and possibly the invention) of amazing après ski, Meribel has some brilliant skiing on offer. The lifts in Meribel hold a remarkable world record in that they are able to transport more skiers up its mountains faster than any other resort in the world, meaning that queues rarely occur and more time can be spent on the pistes.
Having woken in your luxury ski chalet and had a good breakfast, mornings in Meribel are best spent on the Tougnete side of the resort as it catches the morning sun and can get great snow conditions early in the day. A great combination of runs can be found by taking the Plan De L’Homme chairlift as early as is possible, bomb down a blue called Escargot to the Olympic chairlift and then take this to the top to ski La Face. This was the run used for the Women’s downhill event at the 1992 Winter Olympic Games and is classed as a black, but is more like a red and is perfect in the morning sunshine.
Another favorite option is to take advantage of the Three Valleys’ huge ski area and take a whole day to combine Meribel and Couchevel. Much mingling of runs is possible but one of the best is to ski across to a lift that will take you to the summit of the Saulire and then go off the top onto the Courchevel side, where its ski bowl offers lots of runs for quick-fire carving. To get back, a red called Chamois on the Meribel side of the Saulire is another good run, combining steep sections with flatter parts for getting some straight line speed up. The interlinked nature of the Three Valleys, which allows for lifts and skiing to be used to get around the area, means that holidaymakers get to spend plenty of time doing what they’re there to do.
Meribel is probably best for intermediate skiers, as it offers a huge range of red runs and plenty of space to carve when out on the pistes. There is a great selection of luxury chalets in Meribel as well as normal ski chalets and self catering options.
About the author: Jonathan Piggins is a freelance writer who enjoys skiing enormously.