Entre nós!

2009-06-07T02:40:00.004+01:00

earth rotation speed

2009-05-02T01:42:00.000+01:00

scopes

2009-03-10T00:24:00.000Z

yéti no arctico

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Climate Change College

2008-05-02T07:18:00.004+01:00

Les Magnifique Trois Vallés March 07

2008-04-01T01:59:00.003+01:00

Les Magnifique Trois Vallés March 07

Last year me and Paulo went to Les 3 Vallés, making Val Thorens our base.

This (on the left) was our hotel choice. A studio apartment in Tourotel.

The location was perfect, with ski-in ski-out to and from the front door...

The space itself.... well, lets say it was very very cozy! : ) but who´s complaining when you have this outside!!!

this was our backyard playground... for all sorts and tastes!

Since it was really the first time I had awakened with the pistes above my feet,

we simply could not resist going straight down, all the way to the bottom...

the fact that you don't have to catch any kind of crowded lift in the morning, makes any (most possible) little morning delay become nothing

more than just that. Saving you from those long stressful minutes that occur you have a single(or a few) lifts, in early rush hours.

That can be a problem on the french Alps during some periods of the season.

Sleeping at 2300mts also gives you a lot of lifts possibilities on your way down! Making Val Thorens a good choice to explore the 3 Vallés domain.

Having to say though, that in case of bad weather you can get easily “trapped” with no points of reference (trees for example,) due to poor visibility.

Which maybe would´t happen in lower Méribel... but one cant have it all! : )

Oh well...! Then again, what do I know... it was sunny all week long!!!!

On the way up the ice racing-car track where they race the Andros Trophy.

Going up...

And up...

We usually had the morning coffee on the balcony of the Péclet Glacier restaurant...

This was our tabletop view...!

You can see Val Thorens down the valley.

Here is Paulo and me (bellow) waking up at more than 3000mts... isn´t life is just perfect!

While the our babes sunbath...

Here is the movie down from Péclet. http://youtube.com/watch?v=_m3S3V6E7SQ

Almost 6 minutes of non-stop downhill just to get home, because there are more 5 kms to go if you want to reach the bottom lift.

On the way down...the way up. On the right funitel Péclet.

Still frames from the movie.

Next step... Le Cime du Caron.3200Mts.

You can see the top bay of the lift edging the north face.

Mind the step!

This beast carries 150 pax at breath taking speed.

The ride is magnificent!

Val Thorens with the Massif du Mont Blanc rising behind Col de la Chambre and Mont Vallon.

It is Massif, indeed....!

Sadly, is as I said. You cant have it all...!

Every 10 minutes, 150 people are unloaded on a steel bridge hanging from the abyss.

Well, the bright side is...otherwise I would´t climb it...!!!

Et voilá! C´est Magnifique!

From left to right (Northwest to Southeast);

Saint Martin de Belleville(down the green valley), Les Menuires, Val Thorens and the Breche de Rosaël to access Val de Orelle:

On our back, South to Southwest facing, Val de Orelle and the Dolomites in the clouds.

Now for a closer look...

There are endless possibilities!

One could spend the day shooting from here... Nah! Not with a board on my the feet! No.

What comes up must come down...

Arriving Val Thorens.... now to La Chambre, rising behind it.

And here we are. Mont de la Chambre 2850Mts. From left(Northwest) to right(East);

Rosaël, Caron, Pointe da le Masse, the lift Bruiere2 from Les Menuires and behind Paulo, (in black) Mont Blanc.

Also bellow him , one endless ride until Meribél Mottaret 1750Mts.

This is Mont Vallon. 2952Mts of pure enjoyment! Anywhere!!!

We are now in Meribél territory!

Hummm.... this spot makes you wonder...! We are indeed going to far... but I feel no moral to say so in this particular case!

Again Mont Vallon on the left, and at the center top is la Chambre, where the piste started .

From there you can ride around 11kms of piste to reach this lift to Saulire 2738Mts.

Pleasure everywhere...!

Saulire 2758Mts. The Gate to Courchevel.

with La Vizelle top lift, Le Roc Merlet 2734Mts and Les Aguilles du Fruit peak 3051Mts on the right.

If you look carefully to the far right side you´ll see a chair lift....

This is where it takes you after a short climb. Les Creux Noirs 2705Mts...

This is all off piste!!! not a single one!!! Unforgettable!

Again Les Creux Noirs...with a wider view.

Still...

Getting ready. Everything has a reason.... The Alps on my tail.! : )

This is Chatelet chair lift, taken from Plattiers funitel lift.We head back to Val Thorens. If you want to aprés-ski Courchevel be ready for a long ride on a bus.

Which can be also fun, as long as you aprés-ski hard.enough.! ; )

Periodic time-checks are advised... Time flys, and you´ll want to ride everything you see!

Snowparks pop like cherrys. This one left more than a good impression...: )

Now, up for the Pointe de Thorens 3266mts.

You can see the arrival point of Cime du Caron´s lift next to the left hand side of the chair.

An amazing scenery waits you at the top. The trail on the right invites you to freeride the Glacier du Bouchet all the way to Val d´Orelle.

Or you can take the single piste to reach Pointe du Bouchet 3384mts. The resort´s summit.

How I love these wonders of modern engineering..!

When they work properly that is...

Val dÓrelle view from Pointe du Bouchet.

On the back Glacier du Bouchet again from Pointe du Bouchet. One way lane...down! heheh!

This is the end of the freeride valley (Glacier du Bouchet ) that you take on through that off piste trail in Pte du Thorens (some pictures above), if you are to take this single chair lift (rosaël) that sends you back to Val Thorens.

All the lifts used were fast and efficient...well, except one!

This is what happens when you add spare-time and too much sun in my head.... I start to see things!

We have passed at least 20 minutes stopped or trying to start in this one... shit happens!

Being a warm sunny day, it wasn´t really a problem. But in bad weather conditions, for shure it would´t be a very pleasant experience!

Another caffeine break at Pointe de la Masse2804mts. With Val Thorens at right side and Les Aguilles du Peclet,

Le Massif du Mont Blanc is at the center, and practically all the Les Menuires slopes.

On our back the choice was another all freeride valley back to Orelle. At the far center the Dolomites rise in pale blue.

It was an irresistable tentation... unfortunately there was no time left for freeride discoveries, at least not to the "wrong side" of the valley. ; )

more caffeine...

When the light allows it, there´s nothing like a good zoom to “glue” things up! That´s one big fu***** mountain....!

Je voudrai un Mont Blanc avec beaucoup du chantillly, s´il vous plet!

Off we go...!

Chilling on the door step of the apartment, waiting for the sunset was undoubtedly one of the high points of the day.

And I assure you it worths all the chilling you can take to wait until the very end of it...!

This is indeed a place to return to... as soon as possible!

And last but not least, one has to have a nightly entertainment!

This was on the hotel lobby and almost took us another rent!

See ya...