Based full time in the Three Valleys for over 20 years, Clare from Ski Magic has brought up her two children here, with winters spent exploring this huge ski area (and of course that means plenty of time hanging around the various snowparks and fun areas!)
Here’s her guide for anyone planning a ski holiday with older children, teens or people whose idea of fun is flying off jumps or sliding along rails.
Where are the best Three Valleys’ snowparks?
There are several snowparks across the Three Valleys which are dedicated to freestyle fun. Each has its own ‘personality’ and style, and each one has an area for beginners, intermediates and experts so you can gain experience and confidence just like on the pistes.
The actual elements (the jumps/things to do) in each snowpark changes during the season, depending on the amount snow and the creative inspiration of the team that builds them, so you can’t guarantee there will be the same things each year, but usually the snowparks are located in the same places which are shown on the Three Valleys piste map.
Not sure what some of the freestyle terms mean? Scroll down for our lingo explainer!
Here’s our guide on where to get your kicks in the 3 Valleys for freestyle.
Courchevel Family Park
From the name “Family Park” you’d think this was a bit tame, but actually a lot of local freestylers come here instead of heading to Meribel. Stronger beginners and intermediates will definitely enjoy the boardercross (to the right as you go through the entrance), with its rollers and hairpin turns. Go one at a time, or race between two (any more than that and it’s a bit crowded!)
At the Family Park you’ll also find kickers rated S, M, L and XL, and often within these graded routes are rails and boxes.
The site itself is not enormous but actually that makes it easy to do a few quicker laps using the drag lifts Sources/Rocher de l’Ombre, or Biollay chairlift.
There are also two Big Air Bags alongside the Family Park – one is for skiers/boarders, and there’s also one for sliding down whilst sat in a tractor inner tube style ring. There are a few picnic benches at the bottom so you can watch the jumpers or have a snack.
How to get to Courchevel Family Park: Located in Courchevel 1850. Take the Verdons gondola lift or the Sources/Rocher de l’Ombre drag lifts. It runs parallel to the blue Verdons piste so anyone that wants to avoid the snowpark can do that and meet up again at the bottom.
Laps: Sources/Rocher de l’Ombre drag lifts.
Meribel Snowpark
Meribel’s Open Park is much bigger than Courchevel Family Park, and has loads of different features for all levels with some really challenging elements. The route starts with a half pipe, then there are kickers, boxes and rails in Small, Medium and Large, with a quarter pipe lower down. You’ll also find a ski cross run to the left. The ‘Experts’ zone has the biggest XL jumps, which are for ‘experts only’ as the signs say.
How to get to Meribel Snowpark: At the top of the Plattières bubble.
Laps: on the chairlift Chatelet.
Val Thorens Snowpark
The original Three Valleys snowpark is in Val Thorens, and it’s still a good one! There are several elements and features for different levels: a boardercross, three freestyle zones depending on how big you want to go, plus rails, boxes and a half pipe.
You’ll also find an airbag next to the Le Roc drag lift at the Rond Point des Pistes and is open in the afternoons.
How to get there: Via the Moutière chairlift.
Laps: on the Plateaux drag lift.
What are the fun areas for younger children in the Three Valleys?
The Three Valleys is well set up for smaller children too. There’s the Elements Fun Park at the top of the Legends chairlift from Meribel Chaudanne, as well as Inuits and Yeti zones. Courchevel’s Family Park has a boardercross which is nice for kids who aren’t yet ready to fly off the the jumps but want the sensation of flying!
In Meribel there’s also the Piste des Animaux with info points and sculptures of the local animals, like eagles, marmottes and wolves.
How to stay safe in the Three Valleys snowparks:
- Start small, and try out the S jumps to get a feel for it, especially if it’s your first time, or your first day back on skis/a snowboard.
- Once you’re ready to try the M kickers, wait at the top to watch others hit them first, so you can get an idea of the speed needed to clear the jump – the last thing you want to do is go too slow and end up landing too short.
- In general, snowparks are busier after lunchtime once the snow has become softer and nicer to land on. If it’s busy, you know conditions are ideal!
Freestyle ski and snowboard lingo explainer:
Features/Elements: The fun parts of the snowpark, ie. the jumps, rails etc.
Kicker: a jump
Rail: looks like a handrail, made of metal. For sliding sideways on.
Box: A long metal/plastic ‘box’ with a flat top. Slide either forwards, backwards or sideways.
Boardercross/Ski Cross: a route with ‘rollers’ - little hills - to go up and down. You can ski or snowboard on it.
Air bag: A huge inflatable cushion – slide down the kicker and fly into the air, then land safely on the bag.
Park rat: Someone who hangs out at the snowpark a lot.
Switch: Skiing or snowboarding backwards
Flip: back flips or front flips can be done on the largest kickers.
180 or ‘one eighty’: A spin to face the opposite direction, ie. if you’re skiing forwards and do a 180 jump, you’ll land in switch (backwards!)
360/720 etc.: If you do a 360, you spin all the way round, 360 degrees. The numbers go up, the further you spin, ie. 540, 1080…. It’s usually said ‘three sixty’ etc. rather than ‘three hundred and sixty’!
Grab: Whilst in the air, grab different parts of your skis or snowboard and hold for a couple of seconds until you start to descend back to the snow.
Send/sendy: if it’s a big or sendy jump, you need to send it, to make the landing.
Butter: putting all your weight onto the tip or tail of your skis or snowboard to slide and spin.
Stack: If you don’t land a jump, you’ve ‘stacked it’!
Steezy: Looking good (think style + ease)
Gnarly: A person or a jump can be gnarly. Basically means terrifying!
Thanks to Clare for all the valuable tip and insights! Ski Magic have catered and self-catered chalets in Courchevel, La Tania and Meribel. With tons of experience and expertise they have been offering amazing ski holidays in the Three Valleys for over 20 years! Check out their chalets here!
