Lift & Pistes: What’s new in the 3 Valleys?

Those of you who used to love returning from Courchevel 1650 via the nightmarishly steep and icy Creux drag lift will be devastated to learn it has been banished and will be replaced by an incredibly comfortable and speedy chair lift called the Gravelles. The rest of us are delighted!

Saulire & Verdons from the Courchevel Telecabine.

The (second) most exciting news in the 3 Valleys is the new Funitel (a cross between a bubble and a cable car) is being put in from Val Thorens to the top of the Lac de la Chambre run which will make the arduous return via chair lifts, Trois Vallées 1 and 2 a thing of the past. This will make skiing Val Thorens a significantly more pleasant experience.

In Méribel the Écureuil (squirrel) is being resurrected. This black run which used to start at the top of the Tougnète drag and run between Faon and the Combe de Tougnete was erased from the piste map about three years ago as it was almost always closed. (This was due to piste bashers not being able to access the run.) It is being completely re-graded and re-instated on the map as a red run. Long live the Squirrel!

By Kind permission of Meribel Alpina

Elsewhere in Méribel a new circuit will allow beginners the possibility of returning to Chaudanne from the “debutant” zone at the Altiport. The Côtes drag just above Rond Point is being extended and a piste added, so skiers coming back from Altiport can get up to the Rhodos midway station in order to return to Chaudanne by bubble. The Côtes will now be a free lift as will be the Altiport drag. Up on Col de la Loze the primarily south facing red piste Pic Noir has been re-modelled to make it less affected by the sun. How they will move the sun remains to be seen.

In Mottaret the Fouine piste which starts at the bottom of the Roc de Tougnes double drag has been re-graded to allow easier access at the top and a smoother run.

Les Menuires has a new Becca chair lift which replaces the Becca and the two les Combes drag lifts. So, no more freezing your gloves off on these slow drags.

For the future there is still talk of a bubble from Champagny to Bozel and one from Bozel to Couchevel to link the 3 Valleys to La Plagne, but as yet no firm plans. A chair from Raffort to the bottom of the Olympic Express has some chance of becoming a reality according to Jean Luc Santon of Méribel Alpina. What is definitely planned for 2004-05 is a fast chair to replace the slow and rather annoying Plan de l’Homme chair which will improve things at Chaudanne in the high season.

Finally, beware the rearrangement of the Mont de La Chambre Bubble from Les Menuires. Last winter I sat in it happily assuming I would be taken to the top of Mont de la Chambre. I got to the half station and was rudely asked to exit. ‘Why?’ I asked. Because the second stage doesn’t exist anymore. You really do have to keep up to date! CL

Icing on the barrier?

Many of you will have noticed the concrete road barriers that have appeared in and around Méribel over the last couple of years. They seem to be generally placed where the consequences of leaving the road would be severe – corners with large drops, above gullies and most recently above the terrace of a newly built chalet in Musillon. The construction of these barriers is an intriguing thing to watch. Firstly, one man will lay down parallel lengths of steel reinforcing bar about three metres in length along the stretch where the barrier is to be built. Someone else will follow and weld the ends of these bars together. Next comes the particularly impressive part. A rather ungainly looking machine with three tracked feet (two on the ‘road’ side and one on the ‘drop’ side) collects the reinforcing bars in a proboscis like apparatus and raises them about a foot off the ground. It then lays concrete from its own hopper over these bars in the familiar almost rectangular form rather as if it were a patisserie chef icing a cake with an icing bag and a nozzle. A final man will then follow with a trowel to smooth out any irregularities and probably scrawl his initials on the outside of the barrier too.

The machine is ingenious and the process remarkably rapid – I only hope that I never have occasion to inspect their handiwork from too close a distance! SR

What has happened to Brown Rock Ltd?

Brown Rock Ltd, one of the longer established, British companies in Méribel has sadly broken up this summer following difficulties with its three subsidiary companies: Brown Roc Holdings, Meriski and The Ski Company. Brown Roc Holdings, which ran the chain of Dick’s Tea Bars, La Taverne and Pizza Express in France, was originally sold to Town & Field who then sold the bar & restaurant company to The Mountain Trading Company, a Mark Warner associated company, who run the Pub and Rond Point Restaurant in Méribel.

Town & Field is being investigated by receivers over the purchase and sale of Brown Roc Holding. Mike Bowell of the receivers MBI Equity said “I can confirm that the transaction will definitely be investigated because of the timing and because it was a transaction with a related party”.

Tour operator Meriski has been sold to Hand Made Holidays and has scaled its operations down from 17 to 10 chalets. The Ski Company has been incorporated into Descent International, which has kept some of The Ski Company’s chalets, others being renegotiated to different operators.

The good news for all you night owls (and Brown Rock Holdings employees) is that Dick’s Tea Bar and all of the associated bars of Brown Rock Holdings will be running as normal this winter. CL

A greener Méribel

The environmentally aware will be please to hear that Méribel has embraced recycling. This summer stone recycling bins have been installed throughout the resort. “Verre” is for glass, and ‘Emballages’ for plastic bottles, newspapers, cardboard and cans. A guide has been distributed to every property in the resort. CS.

Méribel Property
Financing a property acquisition

In the last edition, I discussed at the documentation needed to confirm a Purchaser’s intent to acquire a property and in particular the compromis de vente, which may well have stipulated that the transaction was conditional on obtaining bank finance. The relevant clause in the compromis will have outlined the general criteria for the corresponding loan as well as the date by which the complete application will have had to be submitted to the bank.

As well as the various UK high street banks now operating on the French property market, usually through the intermediary of a local subsidiary, there is a wide range of local and not so local French banks who are also very interested in holiday-home loans although in my experience, the Crédit Agricole are the most enthusiastic, particularly if the property in question is intended for rental or commercial operation (chalet parties). What is more, the Crédit Agricole not only has the most extensive network of local branches but also a specialised department for handling UK based clients.

Chalet Perkeene

Whilst French banks will usually lend up to 75% of the cost of the proposed acquisition, stamp duty and notary’s cost excluded, fixed interest loans repayable over 10 to 15 years are generally available. However, loans with rates that vary within a predetermined range, say plus or minus 2%, are often very attractive as well. Furthermore, in addition to any personal guarantees or charges, a life insurance policy will more than likely be required to guarantee the amount of the loan and outstanding interest in case of default so the cost of this should also be taken into account?

When assembling the dossier for the bank, it is essential to agree the list of documents to be provided beforehand. Also, in the case of an application to a local French bank, an initial contact with the manager will be most helpful as he will be able to give an indication of what is possible. Whatever your impression however, he will be unable to fully confirm any loan offer without the authority of his superiors but his support in seeing the application through the various internal banking procedures will make an enormous difference.

Please note that any information provided here is for general guidance only and in no way constitutes professional advice which must be sought from a specialist on an individual basis. EM

Broadband someday soon?

Last edition we commented on the continuing lack of broadband Internet access in Méribel. If you would like Broadband to be installed in the valley, write to Monsieur le Maire, Mairie des Allues, 73550 MERIBEL-LES-ALLUES. (Broadband is called ADSL in French.) SR

Man vs. Mountain

As well as the works that have been in progress for the last three summers on the RD90 Méribel access road, even more large, protective cubes of concrete have now been placed on the road between Moûtiers and Brides les Bains, just past the short section of dual carriageway. I understand that these have been put in place whilst further clearing / security work is carried out on yet another stretch of the mountainside.

Is it sheer coincidence that different sections of mountain along the same road should become unstable at the same time, another chapter in the age-old battle of Man vs. Mountain and the elements? Or could it just possibly be the result of long periods of neglect and political infighting as to who should foot the bill? I don’t know. SR.

Equipment review: Ski Boots

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in possession of badly fitting ski boots must be in want of a good boot fitter!

Ski boot fitting has become a very important part in the buying process of new ski boots. A professional boot fitter will single out the correct shape and style of boot to suit not only your skiing ambition and level but also your foot shape. The fitting process will involve a shell check, to determine the optimum size boot for both feet. Good advice about the socks you wear is extremely important for both the fit and warmth of your feet. All this should be accompanied by a professionally made footbed, which stabilises the foot within the boot and enhances transmission of your energy onto the ski’s edge for optimum carving. The result is comfortable feet and an improved skiing technique.

So, where can you find such a service? Try looking in resort for a start. It is unusual for a ski boot to be perfect on day one even if fitted correctly. In resort, you can test your purchase on snow and any problems can be ironed out during your stay at no extra cost. If a ski boot feels good in the shop, then there is a good chance that it will be too big for you. Unfortunately, a ski boot needs to be skied before real problems arise, leading to difficulties for those who purchase boots at home. Look for a shop that offers a 100% guarantee: this shows that they care and really mean business.

There are several innovative new boots on the market for this season. The Ellipse has replaced the highly reliable Salomon Evolution range. It has a customisable liner and sensifit material over the instep for optimum comfort and with three buckles instead of four and it will be an instant hit with intermediate skiers.

Lange have released a new Soft boot which, unlike previous soft boots, maintains its hard shell and therefore its technical qualities for performance and comfort. Soft boots combine hard plastic (for precision and support) and soft plastics/materials to create comfort and ease of use. They offer the ultimate compromise between performance and comfort.

The increasingly popular Head range offers the more spacious Edge 10.5 to cater for those with wider feet, and the Nordica Wave 12 is set to become the new freeriding boot to own as it offers high performance and a fit similar to that of Salomon’s favourite: the X-Wave 10. GW.

Contributors:

Ed Mannix runs London Overseas Consultancy, and specialises in advising British property owners in Méribel.

Gary Ward. Technical retail Manager, Freeride.fr
(www.freeride.fr)

Chris Learoyd is Director of luxury chalet company Alp Leisure Ltd (www.alpleisure.com)

Simon Rowe is an accounts consultant.

Francis Petex is a Guide de Haute Montagne

Next Issue:

Rental income from Méribel property; misleading chalet advertising; golfing in Méribel; and ski accidents and insurance.

We’re interested in your views. Please e-mail us at yourviews@themeribeltimes.com  

For more information on Méribel see independent website www.merinet.com, and www.meribel.net, the official Tourist Office site

Feel free to forward this to friend but please keep it in its entirety.  All rights are reserved.

To subscribe either go to www.themeribeltimes.com or click subscribe@themeribeltimes.com. 
To unsubscribe click unsubscribe@themeribeltimes.com

© THE MÉRIBEL TIMES