We’ve been returning to Mottaret for years and have found something new to explore every time – from new pistes and off piste routes (with a guide) to restaurants and places to picnic. Ongoing improvement of lifts and pistes makes this a great resort for all levels of skiers. With 600km of pistes across the 3 Vallees (Val Thoren and Courchevel) you really don’t have to ski the same areas twice in a week- though of course you may want to! Being located at the top of the central valley of Les 3 Vallees makes it easy to access the other valleys without it feeling like a trek.
Whilst choosing the right resort is important for a great holiday, have you thought of getting ski fit? Our online yoga classes include vinyasa flow, HIIT training and mindfulness and provide a great way to help you make the most of your time away. Also included in the online programme are 3 x 30 minute yoga for children classes that have been created to include ski exercises so you and the whole family can get fit for skiing. Our online yoga classes and HIIT workouts are open to all levels of experience and fitness. For those new to yoga – don’t worry, the classes are a great starting point for yoga for beginners.
Top Tips
Favourite piste
Mont Vallon (red) – a 15 /20 minute run from top to bottom. A bit tricky at the top but once you’ve passed that it’s lovely and a great way to test your ski fitness!
Favourite bar
L’Aparsson – a lot more low key than some of the other more well known bars on the slopes. Close to the Tougnette cable car and chairlift, with a more chilled atmosphere food is served inside and outside with a large canopy if the weather isn’t great. A gentle ski back down a green to Mottaret when you are ready.
Resort Pros
- It’s high – from 1750-2950m – if you struggle for snow here, it’s likely everywhere else is too
- Family and kid friendly having created the Yeti Park making it easier and safer to ski into the resort center
- Located in the Les 3 Vallees ski area- the largest ski area in the world (over 600km of pistes)
- Easy access to neighbouring resorts of Val Thorens and Courchevel valleys
- Plenty of English speaking companies for ski lessons based in Meribel (Parallel Lines, NextGen, Magic)
- Increasingly more picnic spots have been added with things to keep the youngsters amused such as at the Yeti Park, the Inuit piste and animal track (both near Meribel)
- Night sledging a few nights a week is great for adults and kids alike (a bit of competition never hurt anyone)
- Access to Méribel with free bus service to enjoy ice rink, swimming pool and more choice of bars and restaurants
Resort Cons
- Long transfers from Geneve and Lyon of about 2 1/2 hours
- Apres ski is pretty quiet, but you can head to Meribel for something a bit livelier
- Local instructors don’t seem to appreciate my ’80’s style of skiing’ – not to mention some of my jackets from the same era
You can probably tell I’m a big fan for the resort and the ski area!
What do you think of Mottaret as a base for your holiday?
