Summer Holidays in Méribel - Part 1

Hi everybody, I hope you are all having a fantastic summer. It feels now as though we are desperately hanging on to the last few days of it before the next gorgeous season of autumn arrives. I was very fortunate last month to squeeze in a two week holiday back in Méribel in the glorious French Alps. Working all winter as a ski instructor there every year makes a return trip as a holidaymaker even more pleasurable - and I get the true feeling of being relaxed and on holiday.

It is also an unusual mix of sensations however. The resort feels very familiar indeed, with the shops, bars and (some) restaurants open. And yet everything else feels so very different. The scenery is strikingly beautiful, similar to the winter, but again so different. Have you ever skied down the 'Ours' piste towards Méribel-Mottaret in the winter, and looked down onto the Lac de Tueda area? It's gorgeous, and a real treat to experience the winter tranquility before aiming for the next ski lift. Just a short walk in the summer takes you to the same area, and again the scene is familiar but totally different at the same time.

It is a popular fly fishing spot for many. There are numerous lung busting hikes starting from here with several refuges nearby for a rustic refuel. There is an area where pigs and goats are farmed and cheese is sold. Cattle graze, flowers astound, wild animals amaze us if we are lucky enough to have a glimpse. As for photographic opportunities, where do I start? If you are regular readers of the blog page you may remember that I have a passion for photography, which means the Alps is an absolute paradise for people like me. 

I'm not trying to promote the resort for future summer trade for the Méribel Tourist Office, it's just pure excitement of being on holiday. I hope you have all had similar feelings during your summer holidays, be it sailing in Salcombe, walking in the Scottish Highlands, enjoying the sun on an idyllic beach, buzzing on a City Break or sizzling on a far away safari. You just can't beat that summer holiday feeling.

Just a little self-indulgence if that's ok? Again, if you are regular readers of this page, you might remember I love willdlife photography. Many skiers have heard of marmottes, you will often see versions of them in shops as cute cuddly squeaky creatures. In the winter they hibernate, so it is very rare to catch sight of them unless you are lucky enough during a hot day in Spring in April. So most skiers don't get to see them in real life. Quite often when I am photographing marmottes at the edge of footpaths in summer, hikers will stop and see what I'm doing, then realise that I've spotted one. They become very excited themselves as soon as they have seen one, quite understandably. If you look hard enough, there are plenty to be seen. But it still feels like a rare and privileged experience. They are so adorable.

Right, I'd better stop there before I run out of adjectives trying to describe how beautiful the Alps are in summer. 

In a couple of weeks' time, I'll write another post attempting to do the impossible........namely, help to explain to non-skiers how brilliant a skiing holiday can be. Cue more photos from the Hemsley catalogue. If you enjoyed this post and are interested in other Alpine related subjects, or love cute animal photos, click here for a link about Bouquetins from last Spring. Although we are hanging onto that summer feeling, winter is only just round the corner. Last week as I was driving up through France with temps nudging 36.5C, it was extraordinary to think that in only three months' time I'll be back again and start ski teaching for another winter. See you in a couple of weeks' time. Martin.