| Summer
in Meribel
Rafting
Mountain Biking Golf
Walking
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Click
on photos to enlarge |
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| The
view from the balcony in spring, with snow on glacier |
Balcony
view with early morning mist,, June |
Les
Allues - road to chalet |
Les
Allues with Le Villard above |
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| From
May through to October Meribel is a great place for an active mountain
holiday or a relaxing one.
The
mountain scenery is just as beautiful in summer as winter - snow-capped
rugged mountain peaks, green forests and pastures, steep-sided gorges,
mountain lakes, alpine flowers . . a paradise for walkers and
nature enthusiasts.
3 Valleys Activity Trails Map -
A large map (pdf) showing mountain bike trails, walking paths, mountain
huts, rafting, paragliding, golf and much more, for the whole of the
Three Valleys area.
Activities in the area include
Walking
and hiking
Mountain
biking,
Rafting,
canyoning & kayaking
Golf
(beautiful 18 hole course)
Paragliding
including tandem trips; sightseeing flights from the altiport
Climbing,
abseiling & via ferrata, Indoor climbing wall
Fishing, lake
swimming, tennis, grass skiing, grass scooters, deval karts,
mini-golf, and much more. |
d
The
Tueda Nature reserve with the Aiguille du Fruit (3051m) in the
background. Below,
view from La Traie, above Les Allues
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Mountain
Biking
In summer Meribel and
the Three Valleys becomes a mountain biking paradise, with more than 100
kms of bike trails. The trail for the ''100 km Mountain Bike
Run'', part of which runs along the Tougnette ridge above Meribel and
Les Allues, (see the activity map below) continues through the Les
Allues and the route can easily be joined from the chalet.
See
3 Valleys Activity Trails Map
Mountain bikes can
be carried on the gondola lifts, giving access to single mountain tracks
and downhill trails.
Guided mountain biking
trips with qualified instructors can be booked at several shops in the
resort, for a day or half-day and are a good introduction to the
sport,
Bike storage is
available in the chalet basement.
More information
on
Mountain Biking
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| Rafting
& Water Sports From May to the end of September,
rafting, hydrospeed, canoe rafting, kayaking and canyoning are available
on the nearby Isere river, about 20 minutes drive from Les Allues.
There are also raft trips for the more experienced on the fast flowing
Dorn river.
Trips can be
organised for children, from 10 years upwards.
More information
on rafting &
white water sports
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| Walking
& Hiking
Walkers of
all abilities can enjoy a selection of 30 marked trails in the
Méribel valley . . Some of the
most beautiful walks in the area start right at the chalet door.
The gondola
lifts have a
summer timetable in July and August making it easy to access higher
areas and viewpoints,
The Tueda
Nature Reserve and the Vanoise National Park offer higher level
walking with over 500 kms of footpaths.
More details on
Walking & hiking |
Looking
down on the Meribel valley from Dent de Burgin.
You
can access this viewpoint by gondola
lift.
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| Golf
Méribel has a beautiful 18 hole golf course set amidst stunning
mountain scenery. Golf tuition, driving range, practice greens are all
available.
The golf
course is open from June to the end of September.
More details
Meribel's
Golf Course
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Meribel's
beautiful 18 hole golf course |
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Les Allues
Perched on a sunny
plateau at 1100m, Les Allues is a charming, traditional
Savoyard village and an ideal base for a summer holiday in the
mountains.
Les Allues has its
origins in medieval times; the old village granges, the
winding, narrow alleyways and an ancient stone oven lend character
to the peaceful surroundings. The beautiful Baroque church and the
museum of country life are well worth visiting.
Along the main village
street you will find the Mairie, the post office, a friendly village
supermarket (delicious fresh bread and croissants each morning), a tabac
selling gifts and newspapers and a sports shop (bike hire in the
main summer season). There are several good restaurants to choose from
with sunny terraces and views of the surrounding mountains.
The
Apartment in Summer
The
apartment's sunny balcony enjoys stunning views of the hamlets,
gorges and forests and in the distance the beautiful Bellecote glacier.
It is the ideal place to enjoy breakfast or lunch in the sun - in
summer it is equipped with a balcony table, chairs and sun
umbrella.
The chalet has
shared garden areas at the rear for sunbathing. You will also find a
small backpack to take with you on your walks and some folding picnic
chairs.
For mountain
bikers there is a basement storage where bikes can be easily
stored.
You
will not need to walk far from the chalet to find stunning viewpoints
and peaceful places for picnics. On your return relax with a drink on
the balcony and watch the sun set on the distant glacier.
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The
apartment balcony in summer |
Les Allues
looking south from the rear of the chalet |
| To
reach the top of the mountain, you can use the gondolas-lifts. Several
days a week, throughout July and August . Mountain bikes can be carried
on the lifts.
| 2008
Lift Timetable
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Open
from July 9 to August 30 2008 inclusive
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July
6,7 & 8: special opening for the 3VTT - please enquire
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RHODOS
gondolas |
PLAN
DE
L'HOMME
chairlift
|
OLYMPIC*
chairlift |
PAS
DU LAC
gondolas |
| Monday |
X |
X |
|
X |
| Tuesday |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Wednesday |
X |
X |
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| Thursday |
|
X |
X |
X |
| Friday |
X |
X |
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| Saturday |
July,
14
August, 11 |
July,
14
August, 11 |
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| Sunday |
July,
15
August, 12 |
July,
15
August, 12 |
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X |
| Timetable |
9.30am
/ 5pm |
9.45am
/ 4.30pm |
9.50am
/ 4.30pm
* rise only |
9.30am
/ 4.45pm |
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Families
Families are well catered for with instruction
available for most sports and mountain activities, for children as
well as adults.
Organised group activities are available
in July and August with various children's activity clubs, with a choice
of a morning or afternoon session, a day or two or a full week. For
example, the Junior Beavers (age 6 - 12
years) and Mericlub (8 - 13 years) offer a varied program of
mountain biking, swimming, abseiling, wildlife walks in
the Vanoise National Park, tennis, archery, rock climbing, etc, as well as
crafts and indoor activities.
For younger children there is a
kindergarten, ages 18mths to 3 years. In Les Allues a crèche offers activities, games, arts and crafts.
The Meripass scheme offers discounts for
families on certain activities and free access to the gondola lifts and
free entrance to the swimming pool and ice rink - available from the
Meribel
Tourist
Office.
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Sightseeing Meribel
and Les Allues are situated in the centre of the Trois Vallees -
the scenery of each valley is stunning and the villages all have their
own history and character and are well worth visiting. Village
Fetes : these
are
organised in July and August - processions, local costumes, dancing, and
delicious regional food.
Resorts in the neighbouring
valleys include Courchevel, La Tania and Le Praz (with
it's small,
pretty fishing
lake) in the Bozel valley; and in the Belleville valley, St Martin de Belleville,
and
several small and very peaceful villages which have not changed for
centuries.
Bozel
also has a swimming lake, with pedalo hire in
July and August and is (about 20
mins drive from Les Allues.
Lake Annecy with sailing, lake swimming, lake steamers is only
45 minutes drive away.
Annecy itself is a fascinating town, with a medieval 'old town' with a
canal running through it.
On the outskirts of Albertville, about 40 mins away, you will find the fascinating mediaeval village
'Cite
de Conflans' with its ancient houses, shops, churches and chateau all
beautifully restored and preserved.
The Gorges de Fier, the Aravis mountain range and the Mont Blanc region are
all within easy reach by car. Chamonix's Mer de Glace
and Aiguille de Midi cable car are just a few hours drive away.
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Lakeside,
Le Praz |
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Lake
Annecy |
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