Skydiving ONLY operates over the French Alps from the middle of
March to the middle of April. This short period of time is due
to the there being the most chance of nice days to be able to
jump out of a plane. Another reason for this short period is
that any time before this would just be to cold to take part in
the activity. Skydiving operates daily between the times 1000hrs
- 1700hrs as long as the weather permits. If you have booked
skydiving and it does not go ahead due to adverse weather
conditions - your jump will be rescheduled for the next
available good day.
The Skydiving meeting point is Sno Limit a snowboarding shop /
cafe bar in the centre of Courchevel 1850
.
how to get
there FROM MERIBEL
.
SKI
If you are
going to ski to the Skydiving activity YOU WILL
NEED TO TAKE NORMAL SHOES with you in order to take part.
From La Chaudanne Meribel's main lift area you will need to
catch the Burgin Saulire cable car (bubble lift) The dirty
looking yellow coloured lift that takes you to the top of
the Saulire (the main link fro Meribel to Courchevel). At
the very top station you will need to get out of the bubble
car and walk down the rubber matted slope to where everyone
puts their skis on. Once you have you skis or snowboard on
you will need to turn left and ski down the Combe de Saulire
towards Courchevel. Once on this slope you will need to just
keep on going - eventually you will come to Verdons lift
station area and restaurants - it is the lift area where the
very large Saulire cable car leaves from. From here you will
need to ski to the left of the lift station and ski verdons
beginner green run. This ski run will eventually take you
past the chair lifts Biollay and Coqs that will be on your
right hand side with the restaurant 'Chalet De Pierre' a
little further down on the left hand side. If you ski
straight past the lifts and the restaurant it will bring you
into Courchevel 1850's main lift area. Once in the main lift
area you will see the Chenus and Verdons bubble lifts if you
look to the left hand side of the Chenus lift you will see a
tunnel to the left hand side of the tunnel is a small slope
that you need to walk up which takes you to the road. Once
at the road if you cross over you will see Sno Limit. You
will need to go in and wait for the Instructors
.
WHITETRACKS
HOST - SKI TO
Hire a
Whitetracks Host to ski with you for
½
or a full day, they will meet you at a pre-prescribed
meeting point at the time requested. They will ski with you
taking you to some of the best snow and runs in the Meribel
and Courchevel
Valleys and will make sure that you
get to the activity on time. Whitetracks
Host
.
WHITETRACKS
HOST - DRIVE TO
Collected from
your chalet you will be
transported straight to the Skydiving venue. The Whitetracks host will
then walk with you to Sno Limit where they
will introduce you all the instructors, answer any final
questions or queries that you may have and make sure that
you are being looked after properly. The Host will then
drive to Courchevel Altiport to take pictures of you
getting ready to take part in the Skydiving activity. Once
you are in the plane and ready to take off the Whitetracks
host will take a few final photographs before driving to the
landing site waiting for you to land safely
ready to escort you back to your chalet or hotel in Meribel.
Whitetracks Host
15-20 minute briefing with organsing and fitting of
equipment
12 minutes
climbing in the airplane
Free Fall for
40 seconds
under canopy
for 4 minutes
.
You should arrive to meet the instructors 5-10 minutes
before the requested time. The instructors might keep you
waiting but PLEASE do not keep them waiting. If you need to
catch lifts to in order to get to the meeting point please
allow time for lift queues, time to travel on the lifts and
time to ski.
.
From Sno Limit you will be driven to Courchevel Altiport by mini
bus with the pilots and other participants. When you reach the
Altiport the pilots will get all their equipment out of the bus,
you will then be taken to one of the hangers. When in the hanger
you will all be made to lie on a mat where you will all be
taught the position that you need to be in when free falling
through the air - arched back with arms and legs spread. You
will all be then taken to the plane where one of the instructors
will teach you the position that you need to be in as you are
about to jump out of the plane. This position will include head
back to one side, arms crossed in front of your chest holding
onto your shoulders with you legs behind you under the body of
the plane.
.
Once you have been taught these positions the instructors will
take you back into the hanger where you will be kitted out with
the necessary equipment, harness and goggles. Once everyone has
the equipment and checks have been made that it has all been
fitted properly everyone will make their way to the plane. Just
before entering the plane the instructors will decide who is
taking who you will then enter and sit in the plane accordingly.
When in the plane some of you will be sat on the seats provided
between or on the laps of your Skydiving instructor, others will
be sat on the floor of the plane. When in the correct positions
the instructors will fasten their harnesses to yours and perform
final checks as the plane takes off and starts to climb to the
necessary altitude.
.
After approximately 12 minutes climbing, the plane will level of
at about 4500m (16,000ft) the sliding door will then be opened –
from here there really is ‘NO’ turning back. The instructors one
by one will move you into the correct position at the edge of
the plane before rolling out. You will free fall for
approximately 40 seconds before the instructor pulls the chord
for the canopy to open which you will then float down under a
chute for about 4minutes before landing in La Praz, Courchevel
1300.
.
If you were the first or second person to leave the plane you
will be at the landing site before everyone else gets down this
means you will be able to watch someone else come in to land.
Whilst this is happening the instructors that have already
landed will be packing their equipment away. When ready the
instructor will ask you to remove the harness that you are
wearing and to give back the goggles that you are wearing. When
everyone has landed and all the equipment is packed away you
will get back in the mini bus that took you to the Altiport
which will then transport you back up to Sno Limit, Courchevel
1850.
.
If you have Hired a Whitetracks Host you will not need to travel
back to Courchevel 1850 the Host will pick you up and transfer
you straight from the landing site in Courchevel 1300 to your
chalet, hotel or apartment in Meribel,
Whitetracks Host.
Skydiving in Courchevel is performed on a tandem basis this
means that the emphasis has been taken away from the
participants and has been placed on the highly qualified
instructors. Due to this the very minimum age in which you can
take part in Skydiving is 15 years old as long as you have
written parental permission. WITHOUT written parental permission
the minimum age is 18 years old.
Before you get in the plane you will be provided with a
harness and a set of goggles. The instructors will put you
into the harness to make sure that it is fitted properly.
Skydiving is a daytime activity – if it is cold on the
ground it will, without a doubt be cold when falling through
the air! (Not that you will have a huge amount of time to
think about being cold with the adrenalin pumping through
your body as you are falling to the ground at terminal
velocity). PLEASE dress warm to take part in the Skydiving
activity – wear your ski clothing; jacket , hat, salopettes
and very importantly take gloves to wear – it will be your
extremities that will get cold first. If you do get cold it
will only take the edge of this amazing experience.
With three available instructors it is ONLY possible for three
of you to jump at the same time but with Skydiving operating
throughout the whole day 'weather permitting' it is possible for
many people to jump the same day if not together! There are only
two camera men available, if more than two of you would like to
be filmed whilst Skydiving you will not be able to jump
together. If this is the case Whitetracks can organise others in
your party to jump at different times.
