Today Katy flies home. But as the taxi doesn't pick her up until 12.50 she gets an unexpected half day extra of skiing. We have to get a half day ski pass for her but that's ok. We had the usual breakfast at the usual time and were at our ski class at 9.30 on the button.
We have stopped taking the bubble and are now taking the ski chairs - its a little slower but there is no queue and no stairs and your skis are on when you arrive. As a bonus there is a little warm up ski as we move about 500 metres to the Mouille lift.
Today's lesson was an excursion over to Les Gets - there is only one way to Les Gets - its down the run called Crocus where I pulled a muscle this ending my holiday last year. It started ok and there was much more snow than last year and soon I had passed the place where I did the spectacular tumble last year. Then there was a long wide run down with pretty heavy snow. I started to get a bit spooked and was a lot slower than the rest. Then we continued down a long straight run - that was ok but then on the last few slopes down to Les Gets I really got spooked. Joseph tried to take me under his wing but I'm afraid that it really didn't help much. I explained to him that the problem was in my head. He misunderstood and thought that I had a headache and had probably drunk too much last night!
The last 500 metres was just too much for me. I was trying to side slip all the way down but even that wasn't working. The others were all waiting for me - in the end I just took off my boots and walked the last 100 metres. At least I was down. I said to Mags as we got on the waiting chairlift that I was going to quit the class as I wasn't enjoying it and it wasn't fair to hold the class back. But as we were on the fast chairlift up to the top of Chavanne there was very little I could do about it.
Les Dents Blanches, Uploaded by M+MD
I was very nervous at the top of Chavenne - the others went on ahead. But I took my own pace and talked myself into using the full width of the slope - that way I got closer to the bottom each time! My big problem was my left-hand turns when I have to put pressure on the right leg. I think it's because I hurt that leg a little on some of my falls on Monday afternoon. Whatever the problem my right-hand turns became more confident but as I travelled from left to right across the slope I became increasingly worried about my left turn, then I would think that if I faced down the mountain for my turn I would just continue going down, faster and faster and out of control! My reaction to this irrational fear was to stop and look down! But stopping doesn't help - it only makes the turn even scarier! But the slope was wide and the traverses long so I managed to talk my way down and felt ok. Anyway we were still not at the lift to Pleney and so I still had no choices!
This time I got the chance to explain to Joseph that I did not have a pain in my head but that I had fell and hurt myself the last time down Crocus and that my problem was psychological. "ah phychologique, now I understand".
We went up a chairlift and did the same run again but this time we returned to the bottom of Crocus and got the lift back to Belvedere. From there I was back on familiar territory and was relaxed and much more confident - if only I could bottle that confidence I would be fine! We went down Piste D and then on to Piste C and down through some new snow - nearly fell over but didn't! We took the old lift at Atray to finish the day. The older lifts are not as well designed and it hit me a whack as I was getting off!
Lesson over we met up with the kids. Katy had got away ok and we got regular reports - I'm at the chalet; I'm in the taxi etc. We had some lunch and talked to Deirdre on the mobile. Soon enough Deirdre and Roisin skied in. Deirdre had arranged a private lesson for Mags and I from 2 to 4 with James, a friend of their friends in Les Gets. We decided to take one hour each.
Lunch Time, Uploaded by M+MD
My knee was killing me so I decided that I should get a knee support bandage. I took the bubble down and bought a knee and a thigh wrap. They made a big difference. Mags got on great in the first hour skiing down Piste B to the end. She was buzzing with confidence. James started the same procedure with me - poles out turn like you are driving a car. But to be honest I was too nervous and too slow and just to scared of the left-hand turns to be able to operate with poles out in front of me. So we dropped that. He worked on my side-slipping and pretty much sorted that out. Side slipping is a great solution when you are stuck on a steep slope - just to go straight down without any left-hand turns!! Then he talked me through the left-hand turns. "you've got to look down the hill" James said. "That's easy to say" I respond, "but I'm afraid that when I turn down the hill that I will just keep going." James advise to do a long snowplough turn and to try to break the down hill ski by leaning on it as hard as possible. My nerve went a couple of times - but I side slipped my way out of trouble and got over it. We made it all the way to the bottom - the last kilometre of Piste B is nice and calm.
Chalet Myrtille, Uploaded by M+MD
We went back up to meet Mags and Deirdre at the top. They took Piste B home while I waited for Chris and the others. The kids went down Piste B while. Chris took the Red run straight down under the bubble. I was knackered and took the bubble back.
At home we followed the usual routine of Hot Tub, followed by Sauna. It really did the trick. The dinner was again fantastic. We insisted that Peter and Ronan sing a song or act out a charade before they left. They were reluctant actors but they were good sports. All in all they looked after us very well. The food was always excellent and the wine glass always full.
No comments:
Post a Comment