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SKYDIVING
£ ? / person
What could be more thrilling than jumping out of a plane? Jumping out of a plane over snow covered mountains!
| SKYDIVING - Operation times |
| MIDDLE MARCH TO MIDDLE APRIL |
| DAILY - WEATHER PERMITTING |
| 1000HRS - 1700HRS |
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.
| SKYDIVING - lOCATION / VENUE |
| SNO LIMIT |
| COURCHEVEL 1850 |
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 from 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.
- taxi
| SKYDIVING - OPERATION / DURATION / FORMAT |
| 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.
| SKYDIVING - RESTRICTIONS |
| Minimum Age 18 |
| 15 with written parental consent |
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.
| Skydiving - EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED |
| Harness and Goggles |
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 - SUGGESTED ITEMS |
| Ski Clothing - Jacket, Ski pants, gloves |
| Normal Shoes |
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.
| Skydiving - NUMBERS |
| 3 INSTRUCTORS – 3 PARTICIPANTS |
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.
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