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The Three Valleys Escapade is a simple concept: you have to hit a certain set of lifts spread across the Three Valleys in a single day. To do this you will need to ski in between the lifts and maybe also take some additional lifts.
When viewing this page it can be useful to glance at a piste map from time to time. You may also find our meribel skiing guide useful when reading the routes to orientate yourself.
Originally the Escapade was designed to be done in a week. It was set out in such a way that a person would cover most of the major areas of the 3 Valleys if they completed it. It consisted of 30 lifts and had 13000m of vertical change and a length of about 70km. Then some hardy people decided it could probably be be done in a day and went on to prove that it could! Since then it has become the legendary challenge we have today.
Nowadays it has expanded to 34 lifts (17 of which are mandatory) with 17000m of vertical change and is about 100km long.
Since winter 2017 the Escapade is no longer promoted in any official way by the 3 Valleys. Though the guys in La Tania do still record tracks for anyone who wishes to join the Escapade "Hall of Fame".
The record for fast time to complete the challenge sits somewhere just under seven hours but most people take closer to eight or more hours.
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| Lift Number | Time | Lift Name | Lift Type | Piste 1 | Piste 2 | Piste 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:00 | La Tania | Gondola | Bouc Blanc | ||
| 2 | 9:11 | Bouc Blanc | Chair Lift | Lac Bleu | ||
| 3 | 9:23 | Biollay | Chair Lift | Biolay | ||
| 4 | 9:31 | Saulire | Cable car | Biche | Renardeau | |
| 5 | 9:48 | Dent de Burgin | Chair Lift | Renard | Renardeau | Lapin |
| 6 | 10:03 | Golf | Chair Lift | |||
| 7 | 10:09 | Rope Tow | Pull Rope | Foret | Doron | |
| 8 | 10:17 | Legends | Chair Lift | Gelinotte | ||
| 9 | 10:27 | Olympic | Chair Lift | Verdet | Biolley | |
| 10 | 10:42 | St Martin Express 1 | Gondola | |||
| 11 | 10:49 | St Martin Express 2 | Gondola | Dahu | Martre | |
| 12 | 11:01 | Roc de Tougne | Chair Lift | Teppes | Gros Tougne | La Violette |
| 13 | 11:17 | Masse 1 | Gondola | Vallons | ||
| 14 | 11:26 | Masse 2 | Gondola | Fred Covili | Les Enverses | |
| 15 | 11:44 | Reberty | Chair Lift | Boyes | ||
| 16 | 11:49 | Bruyeres 1 | Gondola | Bruyeres | ||
| 17 | 12:01 | Plan de L’eau | Chair Lift | Bd Du Telepherique | ||
| 18 | 12:13 | Cime Caron | Cable car | Combe de Rosael | ||
| 19 | 12:35 | Peyron | Chair Lift | |||
| 20 | 12:42 | Bouchet | Chair Lift | Coraia | Peyron | |
| 21 | 12:59 | Rosael | Chair Lift | Chamois | Fond | |
| 22 | 13:14 | Moraine | Gondola | |||
| 23 | 13:26 | Col | Chair Lift | Col | Moraine | Flocons |
| 24 | 13:44 | Funitel Peclet | Cable car | Lac Blanc | ||
| 25 | 14:00 | Pioneers | Chair Lift | |||
| 26 | 14:07 | 3 Valleys | Chair Lift | 4 Ventes | Bryeres | |
| 27 | 14:22 | Sunny Express | Chair Lift | Becca | ||
| 28 | 14:34 | Becca | Chair Lift | Alouette | ||
| 29 | 14:48 | Mont Vallon | Gondola | Combe du Vallon | Ours | |
| 30 | 15:14 | Pas Du Lac 1 | Gondola | |||
| 31 | 15:25 | Pas Du Lac 2 | Gondola | Cruex | ||
| 32 | 15:36 | Roc Mugnier | Chair Lift | Gentianes | ||
| 33 | 15:45 | Petite Bosses | Drag Lift | |||
| 34 | 15:50 | Aiguille du Fruit | Chair Lift | Altiport | Biollay | Amoureux |
| 35 | 16:09 | Forêt | Chair Lift | Bouc Blanc | Moretta |
The Escapade challenge officially started in La Tania but really you can start in any resort so long as you ride on all the required lifts. All map images below are from the Three Valleys Piste Map.
The Escapade starts by taking the La Tania Gondola. Next take the Bouc Blanc to the Bouc Blanc chair followed by the Lac Bleu towards Courchevel 1850 and onto the Biollay chair. A short ski on Biollay will lead you to the Saulire Gondola which brings you out at the Saulire summit between the Meribel and Courchevel Valleys.
Following both Biche / Renardeau take Dent de Burgin. AT the top take Renard, Renardeau and Lapin until you reach the bottom of the Golf lift. Take Golf and at the top take the Rope Tow then Foret and Doron down to Chaudanne in the centre of Meribel. Once here take Legends. At the top get off and follow Gelinotte head to the bottom of the Olympic lift and get on.
Taking both Verdet, Biolley you will find yourself in Saint Martin and already in the third Valley of the day. Taking both Saint Martin Express lifts (Great time to sneak in a snack and some water). Using both Dahu, Martre and sweeping back through the Meribel Valley take Roc de Tougne.
The following three runs Teppes, Gros Tougne, La Violette will take you entirely through Les Menuires and the main lift station The Crossiette. By Taking Masse 1 & 2 using Vallons you find yourself at a great viewing point (But be quick to take in the view).
Fred Covili, Les Enverses Will take you down the best runs La Masse has to offer and back to Reberty. A short traverse along Boyes to Bruyeres 1. Getting off at the mid station of this lift allows you to ski a quiet, excellent piste Bruyeres, Chasse into the bottom of Val Thorens.
It’s nearly time for more food so take Plan de L’eau and Bd Du Telepherique and head for Cime Caron. Refuel on this Gondola it is probably lunch time and you will need some water.
Taking Combe de Rosael you will find yourself in the fourth Valley Orelle. Take Peyron followed by Bouchet and take in the views of this wonderful valley as you take Coraia, Peyron back to the base of the valley. Rosael will take you back to Val Thorens.
Following Chamois, Fond. Moraine and Col takes you up the Glacier de Chaviere. Col, Moraine, Flocons are three great runs down to the middle of Val Thorens where you will need to take Peclet Funitel and Lac Blanc. Pioneers and 3 Valleys allows you to reach the summit of Col De La Chambre.
Take the 4 Ventes run followed by the Bryeres run to the bottom of the Sunny Express and get on. At the top take the Becca run folowed by the Becca lift to the top of 3 Marches.
From here it is a great ski down Alouette to Mont Vallon where you can enjoy the longest run in Meribel Combe du Vallon, following Ours into Mottaret where you take Pas du Lac 1 & 2.
At the summit of Saulire take Cruex which leads you back into Courchevel. Take Roc Mugnier and Gentianes to Petite Bosses and Aiguille du Fruit. Altiport, Biollay, Amoureux
From here you will take you to the last lift Forêt where you can take Bouc Blanc, Moretta back in to La Tania.
Last Updated: 25 Sept 2020
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Company Number: 12384035
Delicious Mountain Ski Chalets Ltd
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73570
France