Travel to Destination or Resort

Les Menuires,FR Reservations #:
+33 (0)4 79 00 79 79
Les Menuires
MOUNTAIN STATS
Top Elev: 2850m.
Base Elev: 1850m
Vertical Drop: 1000m
Lift Capacity: 0
TRAILS
Beginner: 12
Intermediate: 34
Advanced: 24
Expert: 6
LIFTS

All skiers dream of virtually endless slopes and trails at any resort where they plan to vacation. The Trois VallŽes is about as close as anyone can come to that dream chance to wake up each morning and choose a different village to explore, mountain to schuss or scenic vista to capture. If it is the call of an endless ski safari that you hear, then the epicenter of that siren song is France's Trois VallŽes region.The four main villages comprising Les Trois VallŽes - all purpose-built for skiing - are Courchevel, MŽribel, Les Menuires and Val Thorens. Newly-built La Tania near Courchevel and the traditional town of St. Martin de Belleville near Les Menuires are also important parts of this region.On paper the area is overwhelming; in person it is mind-expanding. Two hundred ski lifts on a single pass, 600 km. of ski runs, 130 km. of cross-country trails, 1,500 snow cannons, 360 ski patrollers, 1,200 lift attendants. Even with all the lifts providing access to virtually every point in the valley, the region is so vast that intrepid skiers can head off into the hinterlands and ski for thousands of vertical feet without ever seeing a lift and in some cases without seeing another skier. If you are someone who feels comforted by lifts within sight, you will have your fill. If you are the type of skier or snowboarder who wants to feel you are alone in the winter wilderness, the Trois VallŽes has plenty to offer.From a distance Les Menuires' original buildings look like a misplaced spaceship resting on the snow. This isn't a judgment of good or bad. The resort works wonderfully and has been making dramatic strides in blending into the environment and adding an Alpine feel to the area. New construction has been created with wood and peaked roofs. Giant pines were planted at the entrance to the area to improve the first impression, and covered wooden arcades now connect the buildings adding a natural feel to the compound. Inside there is Savoyard decor with plenty of wood and farm influences. The original center still serves as the resort focus and is a convenient meeting place for ski schools and children's programs.The village has been created to keep cars out of the way. It offers one of the best family spots in the Trois VallŽes. Les Menuires also has quietly assembled 11 two- and three-star hotels. The base of Les Menuires unfolds onto the crescent boardwalk of the central La Croisette shopping mall. The newer satellite section of Reberty-Les Bruyeres has concentrated on smaller buildings built in community clusters. In Les Menuires you will find skiers traveling with families and those looking for the steeps. The skiing is wide open on the west-facing slope with lifts running up toward Val Thorens. An abundance of beginner and intermediate runs pass picturesque shepherd huts on the way down the valley toward the traditional village of St. Martin de Belleville. The east-facing side of the valley offers more challenging skiing from Pointe de la Masse (9,213 feet), which can be reached rapidly by riding a combination of two high-speed lifts. In the afternoon the area is deserted as skiers follow the sun. The off-trail skiing from here and nearby C”me de Caron is exceptional, especially in spring when skiers can drop over the backside of these mountains with certified guides. The lift taking skiers to the Roc des Trois Marches and the new Le Roc Des Trois Marches gondola (installed for the 2005/06 season) taking skiers to Mont de la Chambre provide the best connections to MŽribel and the rest of Les Trois VallŽes.The village of St. Martin de Belleville with its Baroque churches and pastoral aura, 8 km. down-valley from Les Menuires, offers pension accommodations and plenty of apartments. It is now connected with the entire Trois VallŽes area with convenient lifts.