Mark Nicholls visits Meribel and skis with David Lindsay, son of the founder of the famous French resort.
If you ski down the Piste de Rhodos, you may easily miss a discreet rock plinth at the side of the slope.
At the height of the season it could well be covered in snow but there it sits, a memorial to the early days of Meribel and a Scot who laid the foundations of a resort in Les 3 Vallees which remains hugely popular with UK skiers.
David Lindsay and the memorial to his father Peter on Piste de Rhodos
The engraving honours Peter Lindsay, an army officer who fought in the latter months of WWI as a teenager and then with the Irish Guards in WWII.
Between the wars, he discovered Meribel and then returned to France under more peaceful circumstances to develop the resort into the ski terrain we see today, sitting at the heart of Les 3 Vallees, the world’s largest ski area with its famous neighbours of Courchevel, Val Thorens and Les Menuires.
His son, David, now 68, retains an umbilical link with the resort and on a snowy morning in late January acted as my guide around the slopes, pointing out landmarks and favourite runs.
“The legacy of my father is well anchored in the history of Meribel,” David tells me, as we pause for coffee.
He worked as a ski instructor for 14 seasons in Meribel before qualifying as an accountant and pursuing a career in finance, but retains a life-long link with the resort, keeping the Lindsay family connection alive.
He now returns every winter for eight weeks’ ski teaching via the ESF and while he concedes his financial involvement in the resort is now limited, he adds: “There is still a very strong connection emotionally from a family perspective. The Lindsay name is still very well known in Meribel.”
That connection, which is well documented, unravelled as we skied various runs, taking in one his favourites on Dent du Burgin.
“I remember skiing that as a boy, and it is also where my father’s ashes were scattered,” he says.
The pistes above Meribel
World-class skiing
Peter Lindsay (1900-1971) was born into the Lindsay clan, educated at Eton and when he was 18 fought in WWI. A keen skier, he travelled to Meribel and purchased much of the land that is now Meribel town, but his plans for a resort were curtailed with the outbreak of WWII, when he enlisted in the Irish Guards.
Returning to Meribel in 1946, with the rank of Colonel, he worked to develop the resort until his death in 1971.
As we continue along the red of Mauduit (named after French Olympic skier Georges Mauduit), David explains: “There are so many good runs here to enjoy. Meribel and Les 3 Vallees very much see themselves as a family resort but it is an area that suits all levels and with an infinite amount of off-piste skiing.
“The single biggest appeal of Meribel is that the skiing is outstanding; with great runs and lift systems, this is world-class skiing at the biggest ski area in the world.”
Extensive lift system
Meribel – with the three villages of Meribel Centre, Meribel Village and Meribel Mottaret – is at the heart of Les 3 Vallees with an extensive and diverse terrain, reaching from the heights of Val Thorens, to the glitz of Courchevel and the homeliness of Les Menuires, all accessible via an extensive lift system.
The 1992 Winter Olympics came to the region and Meribel hosted the women’s downhill and ice hockey and aims to be a venue for the 2030 games.
Meribel remains popular with the Brits. With the five star hotels of Le Coucou and Le Kaila in Meribel Centre and lovely chalets, Mottaret has a different ambience with ski-in-ski-out access for a season that runs from early December to April.
I stayed at the three-star Hotel Le Mottaret with its comfortable rooms, friendly bar (where a bottle of local wine is €25) and restaurant and spa, indoor pool and sauna. There’s also an outdoor hot-tub to relax in at the end of a ski day.
Food and drink
Eating is a delight in and around Meribel and the range is vast – from the meaty feasts of Le Clos Bernard in the woods, to the rustic comfort of La Brizolee in Mottaret (cheeseburger is €25, pork ribs €29 and a bowl of onion soup is €15), or the dining spectacle of La Folie Douce where lunch goes on for most of the afternoon with cabaret as you eat.
Restaurants at Le Kaila or Le Coucou (which has a fabulous menu) are open to non-residents where I thoroughly enjoyed the grilled Sole with meuniere sauce, but it’ll set you back €89.
Snow-shoe hiking
There’s much more to do in Meribel beside skiing. For a little escapism, take a snow-shoe hike above Lake Tueda through trees and knee-deep snow with guide Laurent Vincourt from Raquette Evasion. The route climbs for 150m and follows paths before veering into deep fresh snow, descending and walking further beside the frozen lake, finishing with lunch of a delicious Beaufort pie with leeks at La Buvette du Lac.
There’s also cross country ski and winter hiking, and a whole gamut of festivals such as the hilarious Franglish Comedy Festival which sees English and French comics, such as Mark Steel and Tatty McCleod, entertain.
With so much to offer, however, it’s also worth pausing to ‘doff’ your ski helmet to Peter Lindsay, one of the founding fathers who helped make Meribel what it is today.
Hotel Le Mottaret
TRAVEL FACTS
Transport & Accommodation: Mark Nicholls flew from London Gatwick to Geneva with easyJet with a two-hour transfer to Meribel and stayed at Hotel Le Mottaret.
Ski pass: An adult seven day pass is €410.40, and a one-day pass costs €71.10.
For more information: Visit meribel.net
Categories: France, News, Resort News & Reports
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