Courchevel

Maybe because it was New Year's Day, maybe because it was a sunny day...whatever the reason, I loved Courchevel, and it stands out in a season in which I skiied a dozen resorts in the Alps.

Arrived in Courchevel via the Saulire lift station from Meribel. Started on a nice steep, wide piste with good snow. Lots of opportunities to detour into a few inches of fresh powder, but the options would have increased ten-fold with another couple feet of snow. There is an off-piste area just north of the Saulire station called the Grand Coulier that looked pretty awesome, but with the limited snow cover I didn’t venture out to try that. Wish I’d been with someone familiar with the area.

The setting was just beautiful...reminded me a bit of Telluride.

Enjoyed the full spectrum of runs....above and below tree line, blue cruisers, steep reds, and ventured off piste near the Chanrossa Chair to sample some steep stuff.

It was interesting to note that the snow was much better than that on the other side of the ridge, in Meribel. Not sure if that was due to the orientation of the valley or perhaps due to fewer skiers, but it was certainly much better.

Superb food on the slopes (I opted for the roasted 1/4 chicken in a tarragon sauce...very tasty, and worth the 18.50 euro)

Lift lines were not bad at all (this was on New Years Day.). Rarely waited more than a minute or two...but I never ventured down into the villages, where the crowds were probably heavier.

I enjoyed Courchevel the most of the 3 Valleys resorts.  Highly recommended!

This resort, which is part of the 3 Vallées (the largest interconnected ski terrain in the world) is a favorite of rich celebrities.  Being one of the lowest resorts in the 3 Vallées, it actually has some tree skiing area unlike most higher resorts which are entirely devoid of vegetation.  High-tech infrastructure but not centrally located in the 3 Vallées.  If you want to stay there on a cheaper budget, Courchevel 1300 is the cheapest base area.