Meribel 14-16 January 2023 Part 1 - Travel & Meribel - Days 1 to 3 Return to Snowboarding Home Page

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A very snowy return to the 3 Valleys after 25 years...

Finally arriving at Grenoble after a crazy check-in at Heathrow where the oversize baggage belt had broken at the very point my snowboard bag went onto it and for a time we were being told that we'd missed the flight due to the time spent fixing it; we were eventually led at speed through the First Class security and lounges to run to the plane and make the flight...

 

Welcome, we had a blissfully short wait at passport control, alas Maria & Mike had a 2 hour queue for their flight. Grenoble airport is seasonal and was absolutely mobbed - one to try and forget for the week...

 

 

My lift pass decided that it wouldn't work after catching the Plattieres gondola, so I had to head back to the village to swap it over for a new one - after the travel events I was beginning to wonder whether that was going to continue, however instead we were rewarded with wonderful heavy snow :-)

Strong wind meant that the links to other valleys were closed - not a hardship as there was plenty of snow in the Meribel valley...

 

 

Phil on the slope...

  

Watching the snow fall at lunchtime at La Table in Mottaret...
 

 

Riding Day 2 - Meribel

Near the grandstands being built at the bottom of the Roc de Fer piste for the World Ski Championships taking place 3 weeks after we left. Steve, me, Phil...
 

 

 

 

Steve, John, me, Phil...
 

 

 

Just me...
 

 

 

I was lured into cutting across between 2 slopes, only to find myself in a gully in waist-deep powder and with rows of the tops of trees blocking my path up or down.

I had to throw myself through these ones in unceremonious fashion...
 

 

On climbing the next ridge I could see the piste and more bushes & trees to plough through...

 
 


  

 

Evening in Meribel for host's first night off...

L-R - Mike, Steve, John, me, Phil & Maria...

 

 

Burbot and fish shaped bacon...
 

Some of the fancy lights around the resort...
 

 

 

Next: Days 4-5 - Meribel & Courchevel

Jump to Days 4-5 - Meribel & Courchevel

Jump to Days 6-8 - Mont Vallon & Val Thorens