Mr-F.org

The fifth day we had a really late start due to the three ladies in the apartment over sleeping. However, no-one wants to ski with tired and thus potentially volatile women, so I left them to there slumber. They finally managed to stir around eleven o’clock to yet more brilliant sunshine. Have to say that we were all hoping for some fresh snow, but alas we were not in luck. Anyway the rest of the day was pretty uneventful with Katy and Cara going off to do their own thing and Mrs F and I enjoying some runs on our own.

The final day, and we awoke to a misty outlook. Katy and I had decided that we would go for a couple of early morning runs, whilst Mrs F and Cara were still trying to rouse themselves from the land of slumber. Whilst traveling up the first of two gondolas to our start point, we slowly watched as the mist draw closer and closer in. We both hoped that we would rise above this mist, but were greeted at the top by only more mist and a light snow shower.

Having travelled all this way we decided to make the best of the current situation and headed down the other side of the mountain, to see if it was better the other side. The weather didn’t clear much, but the fresh snow was as Katy put it “awesome” to ski on. We took the chair lift back up and even though the visibility hadn’t improved a great deal decided to make another couple of runs before heading off to meet up with Mrs F and Cara.

We just had time to hit the green run we did earlier in the week and managed to complete the whole run in 15 minutes flat. I think this was due to the fact that Katy had the bit between her teeth and managed to get some good run ups to the flat parts. Anyway, after finishing that run we were just in time to meet up with Mrs F and Cara. As the snow fall was getting heavier we decided that we would call it a day and instead release the inner child and headed over to the an empty field to try out the new bum boards.

As you can see the inner child in each of us came out to play, and much fun was had by all. In addition to simply sliding down on these boards, we made a train linking legs around the person in front, and also made snow angels in the fresh powder. However, once you get these boards going there is much control on them, and several times we all ended up in a heap, but it was great fun.

Well after the long drive down and the first two days of skiing, tiredness has finally set. On the third day we all slept in longer than we planned. So whilst Mrs F and Cara decided to head into town to do some sightseeing and shopping, Katy and I headed for the slopes.

We decided to start the day with a speedy run down a particular green run in the resort. Last year at the end of the week here in Saint Gervais (before Katy hurt her knee), we managed to complete the run in about eighteen minutes. We thought we would be able to match this time, but not beat it considering Katy still was not back up to full speed on her board. However we managed to set a new speed for our run of around fifteen minutes. Though at the bottom I have to admit my legs were burning. I wasn’t sure how much the lack of exercise would really affect me, but now I know. It has been nearly ten months since I have done any form of karate training, or indeed any other regular sports, and boy was I feeling it in my legs. After that run we just explored a number of runs at a more gentle speed and ended up skiing to the very last minute of the day.

Yesterday was pretty gentle day. Mrs F and I flew down a run and then sat peacefully in the baking sun whilst we waited for Katy and Cara to catch up. It’s another one of those surprising things about ski/snowboarding holidays. Even when the slopes are busy, they are still pretty quiet and you can easily sit there and just enjoy the peace and quiet. That is unless you find yourself next to a French man who has decided to scream his head off to talk to his family who are just behind him. Anyway, after a late lunch, we all decided that we were still pretty tired and ended up heading back to the apartment.

I’ll post some pictures later from these two days.

Well we arrived safely at the hotel after driving through the night. There was a small mess up with the room that we booked, however, the room we have is ok for us, as the real reason we are here is not to spend hours in the hotel, but to spend hours playing in the snow half way up the mountain.

The first day of skiing was a pretty relaxed affair, morning coffee and croissants (pan-au-chocolate for Mrs F). Finally rolled out of the apartment around eleven and headed up the hill to the ski hire shop where a nice surprise was waiting for us. Instead of the normal nightmare of having to tell everyone your shoe size and weight again, plus the endless queue of screaming kids and harassed parents, we were told that all our equipment had been sorted, adjusted and put into a locker for us. All we had to do was sign some papers, pick up the key and leave. Ten minutes flat from entering to exiting the store instead of the normal half hour of wishing you had got there before those damn kids had. After that it was pack lunch on the side of the piste in the baking sun (Mrs F, especially happy about the baking sun part). I think it’s one of those misunderstanding about ski holidays. Unless you’ve been you think of them as cold holidays. Whilst it can get cold like any normal holiday, the majority of the time the sun is blazing away and it’s actually very hot.

Second day the morning started pretty much the same. Up early for stroll in town for an emergency pair of salopettes for Katy. Only problem was that the only ski shops that were open at 0830, didn’t sell clothes. Anyway, the day’s skiing went pretty well, with the odd fall by everyone.