The Summer Season in Courchevel Still Has A Lot to Offer

Unfortunately the break in the sunshine was not well timed for the first ever She Rides MTB event in Meribel. Organised by Sport 1600 it was a day of tuition, riding down the Meribel tracks with a break for picnicking and celebrating afterwards at Evolution bar.

The event was aimed at all level girl riders with equipment provided by the shop if needed. The rain did not ease up all day so I am guessing it was a pretty muddy affair. A real shame after weeks and weeks of sunshine however it is great to see such events being organized in the area. I dare not attempt the tracks myself as I feel I am a bit past having grazed knees, but I know a lot of ladies wanting to give it a shot without playing out with the ‘big boys’. Hopefully there will be more of the same event to come to encourage more female riders.

Luckily the same did not apply for the brave runners attempting the Val Tho Trophy on Saturday. Taking place in Val Thorens centre and with a run of ‘just’ 4.3km there was an ascent underneath the Caron and Cime Caron lifts departing at 2160m and arriving at 3160m. The record holder Pierre Chauvet sped up there back in 2013 in just 45min 13 seconds! Temperatures were still soaring on Saturday morning so it would have been a difficult run in such heat however I am sure that the participants were glad that the storm hit in the afternoon, once everyone was safely down and recovering indoors. Walking poles are compulsory for the runners with the final section being a rocky/snowy climb, it is certainly not an easy jog so bravo to anyone who took part.

Towards the end of this week there is the chance to see some skiers in the summer! The International Ski Jumping Grand Prix will be taking place in Le Praz on Thursday and Friday. It's free to head along and watch and there are great grassy spectator spots all around the jumps to see some Eddie the Eagle action. It is a very relaxed event with plenty going on to keep spectators amused. If you fancy sneaking off for a glass of wine or two I can fully recommend Cave des Lys in the village centre, a lovely spot for a beverage and some local charcuterie. There are also the usual activities available on the lake such as paddle boarding and kayaking in the afternoons which is right next to the site of the jump.

If you are looking for some more unusual lake based activities then head to the Kamelot camp in Courchevel. I went to have a peak last week and was wishing I was a good 25 years younger, it looks a whole lot of fun! There is the option of ‘waterball’ if you fancy seeing what it’s like to be a hamster running around a ball on water. Equally amusing is the foot-boule where you are inside a giant ball and run around trying to play football. This is open to adults and children and looks a good family activity at 10 euros per person for 30 minutes, which I am sure is more than long enough! There is also archery, paintball, dirt skoot and Segway outings if you fancy the lazy option to explore the mountain paths. The camp is based on the road up to Courchevel before you arrive at Courchevel Moriond, you cannot miss it. Open every day from 10am until 7pm until the end of August.

Next weekend sees a real peak in the summer season with lots of festivals taking place in the resort and with only three weeks left of the summer there’s still plenty to celebrate before we start the winter countdown. Keep an eye on the events calendar for everything going on.