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Meribel

14-16 January 2023

Part 1 - Travel & Meribel - Days 1 to 3

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3 Valleys 

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


A crazy early flight (06:05) meant an overnight stay at the airport was needed - the ceiling had fallen in at the Hilton T5 and meant we couldn't get into the room at first...

 
  Hilton door

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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...


Grenoble airport 1
 
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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...

Grenoble airport 2
 
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 Meribel logo

Riding Day 1 - Meribel

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...

 

 Board


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Phil on the slope...

Phil 1
  
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Watching the snow fall at lunchtime at La Table in Mottaret...
 
Snow
 
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Ski Championships


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...
 

Meribel 1

 
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John, Me, Phil...

 Meribel 2

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Steve, John, me, Phil...
 

Meribel 3
 
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Just me...
 

Meribel 4
 
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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...
 
Bushes 2

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

Bushes 1
 
 
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Marius

 

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

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

 

Group 

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Burbot and fish shaped bacon...
 
Burbot


Some of the fancy lights around the resort...
 

Light tunnel

 

 
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Next: Days 4-5 - Meribel & Courchevel

Jump to Days 4-5 - Meribel & Courchevel

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

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