Summer is treating the La Tania locals pretty well. There's plenty of workers from last season out here for the summer (the rest seem to be in Queenstown, NZ). Pub Le Ski Lodge and The Ferme restaurant are open along with the Sherpa supermarket, the Tabac and the Bakery.

The Ski hire shops have plenty of new mountain bikes for rent and there's also the tennis court, outdoor swimming pool and volley ball courts in the centre of the resort.

The lifts are open until 31 August for walkers & bikers and there are loads of activities around the 3 Valleys from golf & fishing to parapenting & white water rafting.

Val Thorens has summer skiing but the La Tania locals tend to head for Tignes (due mainly to TCs Bar) where the glacier is in excellent shape.

A Three Valley summer lift season pass costs 190F if you had any Winter season pass (or it's 76F a day, 190F a week).

Open in Meribel are the Tav, Pub, Ice Cafe and Dicks, plus The Jump in Courchevel is open for a welcome beer after hurtling down Saulire on mountain bikes between the large snow drifts.

There's a lot of piste re-shaping, landscaping and erosion control work going on near the top of Chenus, just above 1850 - could this be the boarder X park that was rumoured last season?

There's another Fete in Le Praz this weekend with the International football tournament (expect a strong team from The Ski Lodge). The Three Valleys Triathlon is on August 4th and August 26th is the date for The Mountain Centre / Ski Lodge Tennis Tournament/BBQ.

The Potato Growing contest (aka EuroSpud 2001) & Dog Contest should take place the following weekend. [Allegedly...Ed.]

The other big news is that the snow cannons down the Folyeres blue run into resort are installed and finally connected up (see the Natives story on this here).

A new reservoir is being built for their water supply at the right of the Col de Loze 4-man chair next to the Lanches piste. This area and around the top Gondola station is being landscaped at present - lots of heavy machinery and mud around!

The second Mountain Centre chalet is now up and there's the usual amount of building work going on around the resort. A few more new chalets are being built plus plenty of general maintenance work is being carried out.

If you're not out for the summer, we'll see you at the Olympia Ski Show on 27 October and/or for the Natives Workers Party on 3 November.Maybe even see you in December - the lifts open in Meribel on the 8th (La Tania probably the 15th).

Details of a new bar, more on-piste improvements and a workers guide to La Tania coming soon - honest!

Let it snow...

Toffa
Latania.co.uk

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