Familiar Faces

Hi Everybody,

Can’t believe how quickly each week comes round and it’s time to do the blog again.  It’s been very busy on the campsite this week as were were invaded with more vans last w/e, mainly French & Dutch and a couple from Belgium but next week looks like it’s going to be quiet again which will be nice.

We left you last time saying that it was snowing as we were updating the blog well it didn’t stop snowing all night that night and when we woke in the morning it was still snowing lightly with a bit of cloud but we wanted too make the best of the fresh snow so it was a cuppa tea and a quick breakfast then out.  As we got off the bubble lift in town we bumped into Ron & Chris who were out doing some early morning shopping, they said blimey your keen to which we replied the snow & off piste is too good to miss and told them that we were heading up to a new black run area above St Martin with some amazing off-piste either side, they said that they had done this before but it didn’t really have a name so we then named it the Chris-Ron run, and that’s what it shall be known as from now on!!! Before that tho we headed for the top of the Olympic lift to do a run down into St Martin but at the top instead of turning left and following the run you can just go straight off the edge and do the what must be three to four miles off-piste all the way to the bottom, it’s something I had been looking at for a while but never attempted but as I stood there discussing it with Julie a group off three which included an ESF guide dropped over and Julie said follow them that way you won’t be on your own and if you don’t do it now you might not get another chance, so a quick kiss and a see you at the bottom I set off at a discreet distance following them down, there are so many routes down but some are more difficult so I’ve heard from others.  It took me about half an hour to get down which for all off-piste isn’t too bad, I will definitely do it again now I know the route.  I met Julie at the lift station at the bottom greeted by another kiss and we headed up to the Chris-Ron run, well on arrival at the top and looking down it was just lush fresh powder for as far as you could see either side of the run with only a few tracks already visible. So we both dropped in and carved our way down s-bending around bowls and around stuff that looked like it was a bit too steep to ride up, we did this for a while and couldn’t believe that we were the only ones to discover this wonderful playground considering that there is a chairlift above most of it.  After a few runs down we headed to the Pas-du-lac chairlift station which has a indoor picnic area so we could warm up a bit before heading out again.  We opted to go back to the Chris-Ron run,  as we were going down we bumped into Pete who asked what we were up to and I said that we were ready to head home as we were knackered so he suggested to do the off-piste the other way of the top of the Olympic lift back to the campsite through the pine trees.  Julie said she wasn’t doing that and said she would meet us at the van so me and Pete headed up and as we did the cloud just closed in and we both looked at one another and said do we or don’t we and decided let’s go for it so we made our way along the ridge looking for the right place to drop in and once we had spotted the beginning of the trees we knew it was safe to head down but the cloud had closed in and we couldn’t really see which way to head so took it one turn at a time with both of us occasionally falling head first into the snow but then we got below the cloud and could see which way to head down and after a while we came across the marked run which runs along the bottom of the mountain to show us our way back to camp so all in all it was a fantastic day all-round.

Sunday & Monday the weather wasn’t great, cloudy and snowy at times with bad visibility. So on Sunday we went up to watch a bit of the friendly ice-hockey match, it was two young local teams so we watched a bit and then headed back to the van for lunch and that evening headed to the bar for a few beers with Chris & Ron as they were leaving Monday morning.  Monday morning we said farewell to Chris & Ron and wished them a safe journey, it was again dumping it down but the visibility was zero so we had a bit of a lay in and stayed in the van and started looking through our library of books & guides to decide where we are heading to from here on route back to mum’s to pick up our summer stuff, wash the van and enjoy some of mum’s dinners -  she has a dishwasher too so that will be real treat, mind you we have cracked the washing up now as we take a mini bluetooth music player with us which amuses the other foreign campers and makes it less of a chore!

After Monday’s snow we were hoping Tuesday would be a clearer day so we could again head to the Chris-Ron run but we only made it half way up the first lift before we were in thick cloud and just couldn’t see a thing so there was no point going any higher so had to stay low where we could see but everyone else had the same idea so after a couple of runs we headed back home and planned to get early on Wednesday to catch the first lifts and try again.  Success as Wednesday morning the sun was out so we were up and out early doors and were first on the lifts and were not disappointed as again our new favourite run delivered the goods :-)  Hen & Sophie a couple of girls that has Julie met through the KB4 Girls kiting events in the UK arrived last w/e so once we had finished playing in the powder we made contact with them and headed over to Courchevel to meet and them.   It was great to meet up with some FAMILIAR FACES and do some nice steady runs and for once I was out numbered by girls!!   Another great day and this time in the sunshine so we could see where we were going.

When we got back to the van we dumped the backpack, chucked our jeans on, grabbed the camera and jumped on the bus to Meribel-Mottaret as there was demonstration going on from the pisteurs who keep the ski area safe and look after everyone & everything in the mountains.  They did a rescue from an telecabin above the crowd that had gathered, amazing to see a bloke come sliding down the cable then lower himself into the cabin then rescue the passenger and lower him to the ground.  Then it was onto an avalanche rescue showing how they find and recover someone who has been buried by an avalanche and all the time this was all going on a few members of the ESF (ski/snowboard instructors) laid on a display of jumps on skis and snowboards over a huge jump which had been built by one of my favourite toys a Piste Basher (one day I will get to have a go ) they had a few different models doing the piste behind the main arena and I don’t want to upset anyone but one was being operated by a woman!!!!! There was a few other things going on at stands and display tents so after grabbing a free hot vin-chaud it was back on the bus and home for a few beers in the bar where we met one of the locals, Jean-Paul a real character with an eye for the ladies who was rattling away in French, Francoise translated for us and apparently he said that Julie only looked 35 so obviously he had had a few!

Another early start out on the first lifts on Thursday but on the skis this time, Julie found it a bit difficult to adjust again after being on her board for a few days.  It was really sunny again but the lifts were busy so a bit chilly standing around so we did a few runs and then opted for lunch back at the van and a chill out in the sun, it was so warm.  Spring is just around the corner, the birds are singing, the sun is getting stronger and it’s still light at 6.30pm but we are still clinging onto what’s left of a great season in the snow.

The skis are due back in the next couple of days but we plan to make the most of our last day out on them and finish on a high so watch this space for next week’s blog….

That’s all for now

J&J