March is a wonderful time to enjoy the slopes of the Three Valleys Not only are the lifts open for longer, but the pistes are quiet after school holidays, and you can really feel the warmth of the sunshine - lunch on the terrace is a definite rather than a gamble!


HOW DO YOU FIND THE BEST SNOW?

Well, when skiing the Courchevel Valley it's relatively easy to orientate yourself so that you can hunt down the best conditions for the time of day...

If you look across the valley (rather than up at Saulire) you'll see in the distance a particularly large mountain. That's Mont Blanc! Or in fact, Monte Bianco as you're looking at the Italian side.

Monte Bianco is directly North of Courchevel: any slopes that face Mont Blanc will therefore be North-facing and keep the snow in tip top condition for longer. With that in mind, these North-facing slopes should be your haunts for afternoon skiing. In the morning, head out early to make the most of the gently yielding corduroy on slopes that face East and have therefore had the first rays.




Image courtesy of chrisroll at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

WHERE CAN I SEE A MARMOT?
If you catch yourself on a particularly sunny, soft slope in the afternoon, chances are you're in prime marmot territory. Awakening after winter hibernation, it's possible to catch a glimpse of the elusive creatures around rocky slopes that aren't skied once the sun begins to melt the entrance to their burrows (called 'galleries'). We've spotted marmots from the following chairlifts:
Marmottes in Courchevel 1650 (coming back towards 1850)
Suisses in Courchevel 1850
Coqs chair in Courchevel 1850 (heading up towards La Tania)

If you're very, very lucky, you may also spy a chamois or bouquetin (ibex) - look up to the rocky peaks first thing or near sunset. Keep your eyes on the sky around the Mont Vallon area as Golden Eagles have been spotted there. And a well-known hang-out for the Black Grouse - tetras lyre - is between Chapelets and Rochers in Courchevel 1650.