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Three Valleys Ice Climbing Advice...??

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 nv 05 Dec 2013
Bonjour,

Does anyone have any experience climbing winter/summer in or around the Three Valleys Ski Resort in France. I will be living in Meribel (the middle valley) for a season, I have my gear, I want to climb ice. Word on the street is Courcheval is home to a few small falls. Everything I've found online is in French and unreliable.

Any Advice would be awesome...!!!

Nick.




+ Any ice falls I come across I'll write them up on UKC for anyone's future reference.
 George_Surf 05 Dec 2013
In reply to Nick.V:

Yes this would be very helpful, my brothers doing a season in la tagne and im hoping to head over and get on some ice whilst im there....
 NottsRich 05 Dec 2013
In reply to Nick.V: Also interested in this as I'm going to Courchevel in Jan as well. Will be watching with interest!

 Twaplington 05 Dec 2013
In reply to Nick.V:

Hi Nick,
I'm living in the meribel valley for the season and keen to get out playing on ice.
I have kit with me but need a new set of axes. Done very little ice climbing but a safe pair of hands and always keen.
If you're looking for anybody to hold your rope give me a shout.
 jonnie3430 05 Dec 2013
In reply to Nick.V:
Camptocamp is their UKC this is the first thing that popped up: http://www.camptocamp.org/summits/254709/fr/courchevel-paroi-de-la-petite-v...
Use google chrome to translate.

This is what is close to Courchevel: http://www.camptocamp.org/parkings/104298/fr/courchevel
Post edited at 19:38
 gear boy 06 Dec 2013
In reply to Nick.V:

go to the guides office and they should help

there are some ice falls off to the left of Courchevel 1650, these are ones used by guides to take people ice climbing
 Pinch'a'salt 06 Dec 2013
In reply to Nick.V:

There are some bits and pieces around, though nothing that near the 3V themselves apart from the COurchevel 1650 icefalls - there are 2 or 3 areas that form - drive from 1650 towards Belvedere and park at the first hairpin (if you can) - just beyond Chalet Rikiki (on the right) as you up.

Walk down into the woods between the hairpin and the last chalet - trend r-wards and you should get to the top of one area, trend leftwards and this will take you towards the other falls - unless it has snowed recently there will be tracks in. Nothing big - 20m max, but enough to swing an axe at...
There is some ice above Val Thorens but not worth writing about - visible from the Cascades lift and unreliable.
A short drive will get you to Champagny le Haut - big ice tower here (World Cup coming again this winter I believe) and there are some gully-line icefalls on the S side of the valley - there is a website that describes them but can't track down the bookmark just now.
Other than that a longer drive will get you to stuff in the Peisey valley, or stuff on the right as you drive up towards Tignes... Will look out link when I have more time.
As above - Guides offices in COurch or Meribel should be able to point you in the right direction...
 jimhall 06 Dec 2013
In reply to Nick.V:

When I went to Val Thorens about 3 years ago there was what looked to be a very nice ice fall very near to the town. You could easily walk to it from the ski school conveyer belt thing. If I remember rightly it was just at the start of the Cascade lift and ran directly below one of the towers. You could set up a top rope very easily if you wanted. It was probably about grade 4. I think there is some climbing on the glacier as well but I didn't get up that way to have a look.
 Pinch'a'salt 06 Dec 2013
In reply to Pinch'a'salt:

And from the camptocamp link, the icefalls on Petite Val are very rarely in nick...
OP nv 30 Dec 2013
In reply to Nick.V:

Awesome guys, thanks for the help.

I'll keep a track of my progress and report back with photos and a new crag location on UKC.

Get in touch - Twaplington - and we'll grab a beer in the new year.

Nick
 Pinch'a'salt 30 Dec 2013
In reply to Nick.V:

Recent report from the 1650 icefalls - thin but formed and climbable...
http://m.camptocamp.org/outings/482407/fr/courchevel-1650-cascade-d-alfred
Alfred is on the right as you walk down...
OP nv 02 Jan 2014
In reply to Pinch'a'salt:

I was down there today, it's not that well formed but it's got a solid 3+, 4 and 5 in 'ok' conditions.

I'll add the other crags to the ukc map feature as I go...!

If anyone else is in Meribel or near for the season I'll organise a day trip or a pub meet at some point.

 Rory Shaw 03 Jan 2014
In reply to Nick.V:

Have a look in the val d'avals: east of courch valley. Good track into it from 1660 or descend of pyramides drag
OP nv 04 Jan 2014
In reply to Rory Shaw:

Can you offer any more info?

It sounds like you're describing Cascade d'Alfred...



 geezer 09 Jan 2014
In reply to Nick.V:

I don't think the ice conditions are great but in the area:

The Vuzelle is worth a look the walk in is from chamberanger which is half way between bozel and Pralognan

http://m.camptocamp.org/routes/56385/fr/cascades-de-la-vuzelle-cascade-de-g...

Cascade du Moines which is a 45 min drive in the peisey-narcoix valley . There is a load of other stuff in this valley the moine is the stable trade route but still good sport.

http://m.camptocamp.org/routes/54298/fr/peisey-nancroix-cascade-du-mone

Other than that there are a number of good but fickle climbs in the champagny valley along with the ice tower and a DT crag on the road up to champagny.

Check at the guides office in champagny for these.

Let me know if you need more info and I can dig out some topos



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