The skiing
St Martin has long picturesque pistes to suit all levels. All have stunning views from the top, winding their way through the trees back into the heart of the village. They’re great for beginners to learn on and for the more advanced to perfect their techniques.
But when you want to get further afield St Martin offers fast and easy access to the whole of the Three Valleys. Within 15 minutes of getting on the bubble in the heart of St Martin we were standing at the top of the mountain with the choice of skiing down into Meribel or along the Belleville Valley.
The Three Valleys are linked together by a vast network of lifts. “Most of the lifts are fast chair lifts or cable cars which makes getting around the mountains really quick and easy”, says Helen, our chalet owner, “and as your skiing improves the mountains just seem to get bigger. You suddenly find new runs you can do and huge areas of off-piste.” Although the ski passes are pricey at 259 euros for 7 days it’s worth every cent for the speed and quality of the lifts.
Having such a huge ski area means you can have a different destination for each day and rarely ski the same slopes twice.
Destination Courchevel
Courchevel 1850 is one of the world’s most exclusive ski resorts frequented by the likes of Posh and Becks, Abramovich and the Royals.
Getting to Courchevel 1850 from St Martin takes about an hour and a half. My favourite run into Bling Central is the blue Pralong which takes you past some of Courchevel’s best sights. At the top is the Altiport, Courchevel’s tiny but dramatic airport, perched on the mountainside with one of the shortest and steepest runways in the world.
It’s all very Bondesque, not least because only specially certified pilots can land here due to its dangerous approach through deep, snow-covered valleys. Stop off at the adjacent Altiport bar to watch the comings and goings of Courchevel’s richest.
Skiing into Courchevel 1850 is like skiing into a parallel universe. Opulent five star hotels nestle behind snow-laden fir trees, chi-chi restaurants are dotted along the pistes and Russian is more widely spoken than French. It’s a poseurs paradise and nowhere more so than Cap Horn.
The Cap Horn restaurant is just past the Altiport. A lunchtime stop here is compulsory to see how the other half live. Set against the mountainous backdrop is a huge old wooden chalet where the rich and (wannabe) famous are being served huge seafood platters (yup they’re tucking into lobster on this side of the mountain) and champagne. Look out for the jewellery shop on the right as you go in, just in case you should feel the urge to buy some diamonds for 50k on your way down the piste…
The Cap Horners not indulging in seafood at 2000m were lounging on bean bags soaking up the sun whilst a DJ presided over the whole affair. Amy Winehouse came on and the place started jumping. Eurotrash and Russians started dancing on the tables in their ski boots in what can only be described as an ‘unusual’ manner. Entertainment on the mountain doesn’t come much better than that.
We decided to get into the spirit of things and ordered a couple of bloody marys. £14. EACH. Bloody Mary indeed. It was undrinkable too so don’t order one.
A little bit further down is the Bellecote run – a pretty green run which winds its way through the trees down to Courchevel 1850. On the right is La Bergerie, one of the oldest and most well-established restaurants on this side of the mountain. Comfy red sun loungers are lined up outside the log cabin where scantily-clad women in Burberry snow boots lie back and think of Moscow. It’s the perfect place to stop for lunch or a vin chaude. It’s not cheap but it’s great for people watching and not as brash as Cap Horn.
Val Thorens
One of the great things about St Martin de Belleville is its location. Not only is it easy to hop over the mountain into Meribel and on to Courchevel it also offers easy access to Val Thorens which is further up the same valley as St Martin.
At 2300 feet Val Thorens is the highest ski resort in Europe. It sits in a bowl, too high for trees and with a slight air of The Shining about it. It’s not the prettiest of resorts but what Val Thorens lacks in looks is more than made up for by great snow, a long season, fabulous on and off piste skiing and runs suitable for all levels.
Round the dinner table there’s talk of ‘the fourth valley’. Over the back of Val Thorens is Orelle, easily accessible on the Funitel Grand Fond. Although we didn’t make it over there our chalet mates loved it so worth a trip.
Ski lessons
“What do you think about when you’re looking down a slope?” Euan, New Generation’s top coach, asked me. “Survival? Technique? Speed?”.
I didn’t have to think too hard about the answer to that one. I clatter down the slopes, a little bundle of elbows, scrappy parallel turns and crossed fingers. Euan had his work cut out.
With a number of ski schools on offer how do you know which one to pick? New Generation’s approach is to coach not to instruct, to give constructive feedback, clear tips and drills to practice on your own - an appealing philosophy when you've got alot to learn.
Euan explained the theory behind the technique and spent two hours putting me through my paces. He managed to not only identify my faults but give me drills which started to improve my style immediately.
It’s all very well being able to get to the bottom of a slope in one piece but it’s improving your style and technique which will help you move from your comfort zone and onto conquering bigger and better slopes. Lessons with a great teacher will help you make that jump (literally, if you’re up for it).
Prices and further infomation are available on the New Generation website.
Our favourite runs
St Martin:
Pramint (red), Jerusalem (red) and Verdet (blue) - fun, rolling runs.
From St Martin to Meribel:
Dahu (red) into Meribel Mottaret - varied, good gradients.
From Meribel Mottaret:
Take the Pas Du Lac 1+2 up to the top of Saulire and come down the Creux (red) - moguls, good gradients and small jumps.
Courchevel 1650:
Chaplette (red) - pretty tree-lined wide piste.
Courchevel 1850:
Pralong (blue) - for views of the Altiport and Cap Horn
Bellecote (green) - pretty run into Bling Central aka Courchevel 1850.
Val Thorens:
Boismint (red) - good gradients and a fun run to the bottom.
Great black runs:
Dame Blanche in the La Masse area of Les Menuires.
Take the Masse drag lift to the top of the run. Great as it is very, very quiet, long, wide & loads of fun.
The ultimate black piste in the 3 vallees is Grand Couloir (top of Saulire in Courcheval). If you don't like waist-high mogul fields avoid this if it hasn't snowed for a while. Quite hairy getting into the couloir along a narrow ridge, but once in an amazing experience.
Where to stay | Getting there | About St Martin De Belleville
