France, Europe

Off-Piste Coaching Development Meribel

Discover the hidden gems of the Trois Vallées/Three Valleys with small groups, quality, catered chalet accommodation and expert local instructors with many years of teaching and guiding experience in the Three Valleys.

France's Trois Vallées is one of the most popular ski areas in the Alps and yet, as an off-piste destination, it is remarkably undervalued and the backcountry remains unskied for days, even weeks after a snowfall. Untracked lines abound, especially if you know where to look! Two of our off-piste development course instructors, Greg and Dave, have even made it their home. We are delighted to introduce a set of options to utilize their knowledge of the almost endless descents available in what is an off-piste paradise. Using the world class lift system to access the area, we will guide you to the very finest off-piste for you to learn and improve the skills that will open up the best kept secret in the Alps.

At the end of this course you will be a confident and accomplished skier of most off-piste runs, including steeper lines and more difficult snow conditions. You will also be able to evaluate risk of avalanches in more extreme terrain and learn the skills to navigate you way around the mountain safely.

Our Off-Piste Coaching Development courses are ideal progression courses for skiers who have previously participated in an introductory off-piste course (or similar) and want to improve their skills and boost their confidence on an instructional off-piste course. The courses have been carefully designed by our team to help you achieve your personal goals and enjoy a superb holiday!

The courses are 5 full days of off-piste skiing instruction with maximum of 6 in the group. This ensures you get lots of individual attention and time to learn and improve your skiing plus have a safer, more enjoyable experience on the mountain with our instructors who have the very highest level of instructor qualifications and a real passion for teaching off-piste skills.

Day Itinerary

  • Travel to Meribel

    The course starts with a welcome meeting on Sunday evening. This is an opportunity to meet the instructors and the rest of the group and to discuss the plans for the week. The skiing will start on the following morning

     

  • The programme includes 5 full days of off-piste skiing instruction

    During the week there is 1 'freeskiing' day when no instruction is provided.

    The principal aims of this week are:

    • To provide first class ski instruction from professional, friendly ski instructors to radically improve your off piste skiing technique and style

    • To give practical mountain awareness training on the hazards and risks associated with skiing off-piste

    • To provide the opportunity to ski the best off piste in the Three Valley

    These courses will be tailored to the specific needs of the group and focus on improving your off-piste skiing ability in guaranteed small groups (no more than 6 skiers per instructor) to maximize your learning.

    We keep the actual skiing programme entirely flexible and your instructors will decide on the best itinerary for each day depending on the composition of the group and the weather and snow conditions.

  • Depart after breakfast

The price includes 7 nights chalet board accommodation (twin-share) with breakfasts, afternoon teas with homemade cakes and delicious evening meal (on 6 evenings). 5 days off-piste instruction with inspirational BASI 4 (or international equivalent) Ski Instructors, group transfers between Geneva airport and the chalet, in-resort transfers.
Additional local expenses include lift pass, lunches, drinks, 1 evening meal, equipment hire
Single room are subject to availability and a supplement.

 

We proudly offer our returning customers a discount.

The promotion is valid for qualifying bookings made before the end of October 2024 (using the discount codes provided) at the checkout.

 

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE

Your Financial Protection
ATOL
£2.50 per person of the cost of any air package is paid to the Civil Aviation Authority to provide ATOL Protection to you. This means the money paid for these arrangements is fully protected. Our ATOL number is ATOL 2911. For more information see our booking terms and conditions.
ABTOT
ABTOT provides protection for your booking as set out in Holiday Information.
Ski Club Winter Arrangements limited (trading as Mountain Tracks)
Registered in England No. 2099115. VAT No. GB 461 5692 34

ATOL        ABTOT

We accept the following payment methods

 

 

This is an extensive list of the recommended clothing and equipment you will need if you are coming on one of our Off-Piste Coaching courses.  On these courses, you’ll be staying in comfortable catered apartments or hotels. When skiing you need to carry just a small day pack, which contains your safety equipment and any personal items you may need.

  • This season, we’ve partnered with Ortovox to provide us with the very best safety kit and clothing. Our guides will all be decked out in the latest Ortovox jackets and trousers and will keep warm, dry and comfortable thanks to their technical wool base- and mid-layers. Our guides couldn’t recommend their kit more highly.
     
    • A good quality pair of ski trousers. They must be made from a waterproof and breathable fabric like Gore-Tex or similar. It’s useful to have some venting zips on the legs either inside or outside thigh or full-length side-zips. Integral snow gaiters and some pockets for handy items are good features.
    • An outer shell jacket made of waterproof and breathable material like Gore-Tex or similar with a built-in hood. We advocate the ‘layering principle’ and so a shell is recommended rather than an insulated jacket.
    • Comfortable underwear with good wicking properties. Very popular at the moment are the wool based layers from companies such as Ortovox. They are comfy, breathable, warm when needed and can be worn for days without your friends catching a whiff!
    • Several thin (rather than fewer thick) layers between your skin and the outer shell - an approach that gives better heat retention and good flexibility. These tops are known as ‘mid layers’.
    • Insulation layer like a down or primaloft jacket is a good item to have ready to wear in the event of cold weather, it can live in your rucksack as a spare layer and can come in very handy for sudden changes in the weather.
    • Roll neck rather than a scarf. We use and recommend the ‘Buff¹ ¬ a light, stretchable tube. Excellent despite the name! They do both a fleece/cotton version for warmth or just a cotton one (to keep the sun off).
    • Headwear to include warm hat and sun-cap or wide-brim hat for extra protection from the sun. Mountain Tracks fully supports the wearing of helmets for skiing, although not mandatory for any of our trips we do recommend them.
    • Good quality, ski gloves or mitts if you suffer from cold hands and 1 thinner pair of gloves made from a softshell or fleece material if the weather is warm. These are particularly useful if you do any ski touring or hiking on the trip as thick gloves quickly become too hot.
      Silk inner gloves can be useful if the weather is cold and you suffer from cold hands.
    • Technical Socks - Investing in good quality ski socks will improve fit, warmth and feel when skiing for long periods. Bring along a few pairs.
  • We continue to see big changes in ski, boot and binding design and technology, which make off-piste skiing and ski touring much more accessible.

    For our Off-Piste Coaching courses, good downhill ski and boot are required.

    Skis

    This winter our lead guides are using Elan skis. Praised by magazine testers and professional skiers alike for its unique blend of lightweight performance, the Ripstick 96 is proven to be the ultimate freeride ski in all snow conditions. The Ripstick 106 is the ultimate freeride ski for any terrain. From boundary line to base lodge, peak to parking lot, and trailhead to tailgate this ski excels in all conditions. The new Ripstick Tour 94 is designed on a wider platform, enabling the skier to float better, ski faster, and turn easier in backcountry conditions.

    It is built to blend high performance at a low weight, for the perfect mix of freeride downhill performance and efficient ascending capability. With Ripstick Tour 94, the confidence to conquer long ascents and charge challenging descents is the name of the game.

    There are many ‘all-mountain/freeride’ skis to choose from and we also recommend skis from Salomon, Dynastar, Movement, Black Crows, Trab Skis, Scott and Volkl.  Look for a ski that is the right size for your height, typically the tip of the ski should be somewhere around your nose height.  As for the width of the ski or “side cut” a mid-fat ski – 90-110mm under the foot is a good place to start; this offers plenty of flotation off piste while remaining suitable for day tours and they should also handle reasonably well on piste and mixed terrain.

    Elan Skis: www.elanskis.com

    Dynastar Skis:  www.dynastar.com

    Movement Skis: www.movementskis.com                                       

    Black Crows Skis: www.blackcrows-skis.com/

    Trab Skis: www.skitrab.com/en-us/

    Scott Skis: http://www.scott-sports.com

    Volkl Skis: http://www.voelkl.com

    There are plenty of other great skis to choose from so if you’re planning on buying skis for ski touring or general skiing and have any questions do not hesitate to call us, or Lockwoods, to discuss the options available.


    Boots
    For off-piste performance courses, standard downhill ski boots are ideal, they offer rigidity, responsiveness and flex depending on the snow conditions. If you have ski touring boots or a pair of the hybrid freeride/touring boots with a walk mode, then these are fine too, bring them with you. We do not recommend you come on a trip with brand new boots.

    Boot Liners
    These days many manufacturers offer ‘thermo-fit’ liners as standard equipment. You may also want to consider a custom liner. Heated and moulded to your foot and boot for a perfect fit, they can make all the difference especially if you have trouble finding really comfortable ‘off-the-shelf¹ boots. Zipfit liners are a great option for anyone seeking total customisation in fit and comfort. They will replace the original liner.

    Custom Footbeds
    Essential kit – to provide additional comfort and ski control. If you want to get footbeds made or a pair of new boots fitted then we suggest you visit somewhere like Profeet for a professional fitting. 

    Bindings
    Standard downhill bindings.

    • Good pair of ski goggles with a lens for low light is essential in the event of snow and poor visibility.
    • Good quality sunglasses with 100% UV protection
    • 25 – 30 litre rucksack with straps for carrying skis. If you wish to use an avalanche airbag/rucksack you are welcome to, you can now hire these in most resorts.
    • 1 – 1.5 litre water bottle – we don’t recommend hydration systems (e.g. camelbak) in winter as they can freeze.
    • Food – bring some of your favourite hill nibbles (chocolate, energy bars)*
    • Suncream and lip salve
  • The “Safety Trilogy” - applicable for all our off-piste courses
    Avalanche Transceiver/Beacon 
    Snow shovel
    Avalanche probe

    We recommend Simple and intuitive ORTOVOX AVALANCHE RESCUE KIT 3+


    Avalanche airbags/rucksacks – if you wish to ski with one of these on our courses you are welcome to do so, they are not mandatory but we always support the use of available safety items.

    You can hire avalanche rucksacks in a lot of resorts, makes are usually Snowpulse/Mammut, ABS or Ortovox Avabag. Prices vary from shop to shop and resort to resort but a guide line price would be from €30 / CHF 35 per day 

    Remember it is not enough just to carry this equipment; you have to know how to use it.
    How about joining one of our specialist avalanche courses – check out http://mountaintracks.co.uk/discipline/winter-mountaincraft

Meribel 2015.JPG

Meribel

View map

Meribel is a ski resort in the Tarentaise Valley in the French Alps.  Meribel comprises of a number of villages, Les Allues, Meribel Village, Meribel Centre and Meribel Mottart which is the highest at 1,750m.  The resort has an extensive lift system linking to Courchevel and Val Thorens.  There is skiing above Mottart to 2,952m on Mont du Vallon.  Above Val Thorens, situated at 2,300m there is glacier skiing to over 3,000m.  Together the area has more than 200 lifts and over 600kms of piste suitable for everyone from first day novices to expert level. The off-piste terrain here is equally impressive with enough choice to satisfy the most demanding backcountry enthusiasts. The highest lifts take you to 3200m (on the Glacier de Peclet).

Meribel itself is at the heart of the Trois Vallée. It its own extensive ski area and easy access to the other 2 valleys.  There are many chalets and hotels in the resorts plus plenty of après ski and nightlife if you require it.  Shops, bard and restaurants are extensive the each of the villages.  

Our top reasons for visiting Meribel

  • unrivalled lift system and extensive on-piste skiing.
  • Lesser know but impressive off piste that is lightly skied and powder can be found days after snow, couloirs and tree skiing, its all available.
  • We start our beautiful Vanoise Haute Route Ski Tour from this resort. 
  • High quality accommodation in comfortable chalets with our accommodation provider.
  • Good links from Geneva and Chambery airport.

Resort Height: 1,500m

Highest Lift: 2,950m

Nearest Airport: Geneva or Chambery 

Transfer Options: Its best to fly to Geneva airport and then book a seat on one of a number of transfer services who offer shared seats to and from the resort.  Transfer time by road is typically around 2 - 2.5hrs.  You can also fly to Chambery airport and take a road transfer, this is slightly shorter at around 1hr 30 mins.  There are train services from Chambery to Moutiers.  From Moutiers you would need to take a taxi up to the resort.

For our week long trips to Meribel we have a fixed meeting time at Geneva airport (1430hrs) for joining a private transfer by minibus to the resort.  For the return journey we offer the same back to Geneva leaving resort around 0800-0830.

  • It is a condition of booking that you are insured for your chosen activity and the cover must include medical expenses, personal accident, personal liability, third party risks and rescue (including helicopter rescue). You are strongly advised also to take out cover against cancellation and curtailment.

    For UK residents Ski Club Travel Insurance may be a suitable option.

    For more details and to purchase a policy online visit http://www.skiclubinsurance.co.uk/
    If you need assistance arranging your personal insurance please let us know.
     

  • We include in the price of the trip 1 shared, group airport transfer from and to Geneva airport.  This is at set times so we ask you to arrange your flights accordingly.  

    On the arrival day the transfer will depart Geneva airport at 1430, you should book a flight that arrives no later than about 1345 so you have time to collect your luggage and make your way to the meeting point.  On the departure day the transfer will pick everyone up from the chalet at approximately 0830, this means you will be dropped off at Geneva at approximately 1100; this should be suitable for flight departures from 1300hrs onwards.  So we ask you to book a flight back that leaves no earlier than 1300hrs.  

    If you have to arrive/depart outside of these times then you will need to make your own arrangements to get to and from Meribel.

  • This course will be led by our team of Ski Instructors led by Dave Meyer. They are all extremely talented ski coaches who are passionate about off-piste skiing. Our instructors consistently prove they can teach skiers how to hone their technique and confidence in off-piste terrain. They'll ensure you have a fantastic week.
  • For these courses our preferred chalet provider is GoSkiMeribel.

    They have a number of very comfortable catered chalets in Méribel where rooms are mostly ensuite, chalets have hot tub/jacuzzi, Wi-Fi, TV and plenty of space to relax and enjoy yourself after skiing. They serve daily breakfast, afternoon tea and a 3 or 4 course evening meal (on 6 nights of the week).

    Single room occupancy is subject to availability and will incur a supplement.

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