This year we went skiing again to Meribel with Deirdre, Chris, Katie and Roisin. We stayed in Chalet Raphael in Le Raffort. We had a fantastic time. The skiing gets better every year - even if the limbs get older and rustier! We were joined by Chris and Helen and family.
This year Senan and Katie S took up snow-boarding for the first time. That slowed them down for a day or two - but they were whizzing past us again by day three.
We managed to survive without any serious injuries - though we had a pretty scary run off the top on the Thursday. The problem is that the snow-board doesn't go very fast on the flat. We hit a slow spot on the top of the Cretes run and as a result we were the last on the piste. Mags made it down on her own, while the sweeper on the Skiddoo followed me and Senan. About ten minutes from the bottom (as the light faded) Senan was offered a lift on the back of the Skiddoo. I continued to ski with the Skiddoo just behind me. However with the fading light it was getting harder and harder and so when I took a bit of a tumble, the driver headed down with Senan and came back up for me. No damage done - just a bruised shoulder and a little injured pride! Anyway the free Skiddoo ride down was worth it! Ski 2010, uploaded by M+MD.
No skiing today. We had breakfast at the usual time. We weren't leaving for the airport until 11.30 but we were supposed to be packed and in the sitting area by 10.00. We managed to collect everything and move the bags downstairs sometime around 10. Deirdre and Chris were ready to leave around 10.30. We wondered who would be home first. I was quietly confident that they couldn't make it before midnight. They were booked on the Eurotunnel at 9.30 pm and with the M25 to circumnavigate it seemed even ambitious. I reckoned we would be at home drinking tea by 7.30.
We said our goodbyes. The snow was beginning to fall. We had no definite plans for next year - but recession permitting we would do something together again. They have another week planned in Les Gets this Easter! We're jealous already!
After they left we had about an hour to kill. We were all packed and Sol made us tea. At 11.30 we loaded up the van and we all piled in. It was still snowing and the laneway out of the chalet is up a short steep hill. With the full load on board the Highlife van we didn't make it, it lost traction in the final 20 metres. Two attempts later we were kicked out and Chris, our driver tried another couple of times. No joy. Then the owner of our chalet, who lived next door tried. Expert? No luck! It was still snowing and it was now approaching noon. Finally the owner’s brother (chalet on the other side) got out his 4x4 jeep and towed the Highlife van up the hill. We all got back in and soon we were on our way to Lyon.
No further adventures. Our flight was on time and sure enough we were at home in Rathmines by 6.30. As we arrived in the door we got a text from Deirdre - "first wash in machine - drinking a cup of tea!" They must have had a very clear home run!
Saturday morning I reviewed Chris' plan and gave it the final seal of approval. Roisin was a little spooked from yesterday and she and Deirdre decided to leave it a little later before heading out. The rest of us headed off after breakfast. The slopes were very quiet because Saturday is change-over day for most tour operators. This was a great bonus for the final day. The first step was the Tougnete cable car and there was no queue. We then had the "Perdrix" run down to Mottaret where we were going to get the 3 Plattieres lifts to Mont de La Chamber before skiing down to Val Thorens.
However my thumb had swollen up again overnight and my left hand turn was not working! What a pain. I was skiing ok but I was slow and nervous and holding everybody back. Given the big plans we had for today, this was not a good idea for anyone. As we approached Mottaret I suggested that they go ahead while I headed for a better warm up slope and see what I can do. Mags decided to stick with me. So while they followed the plan, we headed back to the Chaudanne via the east Green "Truite" run. I was slowly settling down. We headed up "Rhodos " and stopped for coffee before doing a couple of rounds and the run down to the centre. In the meantime we called Deirdre to update her on our change of plan. They were already on the move. We met up with them at the Chaudanne about 5 minutes later.
I fancied the long run to St Martin again. Deirdre hadn't been there. So we took the cable car and chairlift to Tougnete and took the same route as yesterday. I was skiing a little slower than yesterday but was enjoying myself and kept up with the others. My thumb hurt, but life was good, zooming down the white snow, under blue sky and bright sunshine.
We had a similar lunch to yesterday. The queues for the cabin and chairlift were very light compared to yesterday. On the way back up in the cable car Roisin entertained us (and the others in the car) with her story of Chris' reaction to yesterday adventure! It's unrepeatable - but very funny! We made contact with Chris and the others when we reached the top. It seems had also abandoned the plan. They had found a bigger better snow park at the top of Plattieres 2 and were having too much fun to continue any further.
We were ready to bring Deirdre down the "Chocas" run and we decided that we should make the final run home. We rang Chris and the others to let them know. They were heading up to do the same - but were about 20 minutes away. We decided to go ahead - they would probably catch is before we got home!
The run was lovely. It was almost 4 and they were closing the run as we arrived at the turn-off for La Raffort. Not that anyone who knows it takes a blind but of notice of that! We were about a third of the way down when there was a shout behind us. Chris Katie Lisa Katy and Senan came flying along. They had had a great day. We skied back to the lane near the chalet. There is a little ski bump just at the end. We had a little fun to finish off.
Our skiing over we got a lift back into the ski shop so that we could return everything. We had a look around the town. We collected the photos and Katie Roisin and Senan went ice skating for an hour. It was getting cold and time to go home. Dinner was wonderful. Deirdre even managed to persuade Sol to part with some of his recipes! We got some of the packing started and also swopped some digital photos onto Laptops.
Deirdre thinks we should all go skiing in Breckenridge Colorado next year. It sounds wonderful. But I think another year in Meribel would do very nicely, recession permitting - that will be the biggest challenge.
Friday morning there were no classes. The Salibas and our crew were down for Highlife's long Red Guide. This is an all day guide by Highlife staff which tries to cover as much ground as possible. Their record is 84 kilometres. You can cover a lot of ground on skis. We would probably do 20 km without thinking about it - but 84 km between 9.30 and 4.30 is a lot of skiing. The route is set up to give people lots of opt out locations so that just the fittest, fastest skiers survive!
Mags and I left them to it. We all had our phones so meeting up later is always an option. We had a loose arrangement to meet back at the Chaudanne at 12.00. We did what we always do and took the cable car up to Rhodos. We did the usual warm-up runs, they are easy, fast enough and good to build confidence. Today I was feeling pretty good. My left hand turn was working!
We headed for the Loze chairlift as we planned to visit the Courchevel valley again. Today I was hoping we might hit the 3 valleys. From Col de la Loze we skied down to Courchevel. It is a lovely route down. We followed the same runs as yesterday, finishing up at Les Coqs chairlift which brought us back up to the little 2 lift back to the top. We took the "Boulevard de la Loze" back down and then skied all the way down to the Chaudanne by twelve o'clock. That was 2 valleys done before noon!
We called the others but they were a long way behind us so we got the cabin and chairlift to the top of Tougnete. It was beautiful up there with clear blue sky. We were now ready to hit the third valley. We took the top route along "Cretes" and onto the easy start of "Jerusalem". We were looking for the long blue Road "Chat Frere" which joins up with the Blue "Pelozet". That continues to the St Martin Chairlift where it runs into the long Blue "Biolley" It is a lovely blue which brings is all the way down to St Martin de Belleville. I was skiing with great confidence that morning and when we found the turn off of Jerusalem we were all alone on "Chat Frere", one of those narrow runs along the side of the mountain. I was skiing quite quickly and after going around one turn my skis touched and I fell over. I was up again by the time Mags caught up! On we went crossing over another Red, being careful to look up the slope as we did. Then on until we reached "Pelozet".
It was a lovely wide blue with very little traffic. It's a long ski down to St Martin de Belleville probably 7 or 8 kilometres. Just as were approaching the outskirts of the village, the run divided in 2. I wasn't sure we were on the right part so I saw a little path connecting the two. I was travelling at speed and there appeared to be a small hump of which I thought "OK I can manage this". But it was followed immediately by a second sharper and bigger hump - it actually was the built up side of the piste. Well I didn't have the skill to deal with that and I went up in the air out of control and came down whacking my forehead on the snow. Mags had taken the simple straight-forward route. I was a little dazed but able to get up with a little help. My head was fine but my left-hand thumb was sore. We carried on down, a little more slowly and I was glad to arrive in the village. There were 3 restaurants with lunch in full flow and lots of skiers. The cable car which brought us half way back up the hill was just beside us.
We had a lovely lunch. We both had a great big Savoyarde salad. My thumb was quite swollen. But with plenty of ice and snow around I was able to relieve the swelling. After lunch we got the cable car from across the road back up the slope. We got a call from Lisa Katy Senan and the Salibas to say that they had left the Red guide and they were heading up Tougnete. The cable car goes half way up the slope and then there is a chairlift to the top. We got a second call as we were in the queue for the chairlift to say that they were now at the top of Tougnete waiting for us. The queue for the chairlift was long and slow and it was more than 20 minutes before we reached the top. I thought we might ski home at that stage - but they were up for a trip to the snow park. Since we had kept them waiting so long and it was still early that seemed fair enough.
I didn't enjoy the blue run "Faon" down to the snow park. It was a little narrow and steep in places. But we got down ok. However we had lost Roisin on the way. She had wandered off the blue and fell over onto the black slope beside it and lost one ski in the process! She then managed to ski down to the bottom of the Black slope on just one ski! She is fearless and amazing on the snow. Chris and Katie found her at the ski lift just a little distressed. He brought them into the restaurant nearby to settle Roisin's nerves with a hot chocolate. In the meantime Lisa, Katy, Mags, Senan and Deirdre had skied around to the drag lift to do the snow park run. I was to wait in the snow with the video ready to catch the action.
The comedy of errors continued. While I was standing in the cold, waiting for the run to begin, Mags was hanging onto to the drag lift instead of sitting on it. Not really the best idea! She hung on for about five minutes until she was near what she thought was the top. Despite her determination the arms were just too tired and she let go and slid down the hill past the others. Lisa got off her lift to help her and eventually so did Deirdre. Katy and Senan carried on up to the top. In the meantime Chris was heading up the Tougnete 2 chair lift, with a ranger to look for the missing ski. Katy and Senan put me out of my misery and did the jumps. I'm afraid they are just dots in the crowd as you can see.
They decided to do the run home and went for the Tougnete 2 lift. I had enough and decided to get the cabin down to the Chaudanne. As they were getting on the chairlift Katy saw Roisin's ski - someone had found it and carried it down. Katy rang me and I rang Chris to tell him the good news. Chris' line was busy so I rang Deirdre to tell her (and to say are you in the Chaudanne). Deirdre rang Chris who rang me back to let me know!
Vodafone profits take a major jump!
As I went down the Tougnete cable car I was talking on the phone to Mags. I could also hear them below me at the lift. "look up" I waved! They has an icy Blue "Lievre" to get back, it was hard work after a tiring day. Chris, Katie and Roisin weren't too long behind us. After the last stressful hour we were all ready for home. Highlife gave us a lift to the chalet. By the time we got there, Katy and Senan had arrived by ski just before us. The cup of tea and freshly baked cake soothed the nerves! The de-tox routine followed and we were nearly human again!
Dinner was superb, again. We never had enough energy to play charades this year and tonight was no exception. Instead, Chris and I set about planning our final day's ski. The idea was to explore Val Thorens without travelling on any Reds or Blacks. It is a slightly tricky problem but Chris was able to design a solution. So with our plans all made and wine all drunk it was time for bed to get plenty of rest for the final onslaught on the slopes.
I slept like a log on Wednesday night. Going to bed early had been a good idea. Thursday was Conor and Sol's day off. We had an early start. Our lesson started at 9.15 today and was a four our tour. Courchevel in the next valley had been promised. We had our breakfast promptly at 8 am and we got a lift from Highlife and were ready in the Chaudanne at 9.00. We were in good time so we posed for a group photo and an Irish skier passing buy kindly agreed to take us all.
Adrian first took us up the Saulire cabin to the first stop. He brought down the "Geai" run to warm us up. We finished at speed heading for the "Col de la Loze" lift which is the easy way to Courchevel. We found our later that Lisa Katy and Senan took the harder way via Saulire and down a red run! The view from the top of the Col de la Loze was spectacular.
The first part of the run down towards Courchevel was beautiful. The Col itself is as wonderful. The run was nice and gentle and wide. As we skied down we had a choice between an easy green detour and a steeper part of the Blue down. It was confirmation of Adrian’s success with the class that everyone took the shorter direct route. The snow was just lovely the sun was shining on it and it was just lovely powder. We then had a "road" through the forest and then down to the Bioll ay lift. “Bioll ay” was a nice wide blue which turned into a herb and brought us through the lovely Chalets above Courchevel 1850. We travelled down a snow road under a bridge and into the centre of Courchevel. There are 2 cable cars out of Courchevel 1850. We got the cable car back to Col de la Loze. There was a short 2 man lift to the top of the pass.
At the top we stopped for coffee at the Restaurant looking over at Mont Blanc. After the rest we skied back to the middle stop on the Saulire cabin via an easy Blue "road" called Boulevard de la Loze. Back in familiar territory, we skied back to the top of the Rhodos cabin and then down to the Chaudanne. It had been an excellent morning. We met up with the others. They also had had an excellent day. They had taken a more difficult route to Courchevel via Saulire. We decided to try eating in the town for a change. We left our skis and boots in the shop. We found a nice pizzeria.
After lunch we went to the photo shop to look at photos taken of us on the slopes yesterday. There were some pretty good ones of the kids. We ordered them and arranged to collect them on Saturday. We skied for an hour after that. Mags and I got a lift home while the kids decided to do the home run. When we got back to the chalet Sol had a lovely chocolate cake waiting for us.
We were out to dinner that night. We had booked into the restaurant at the end of the road. We had a lovely meal. Deirdre and I shared this traditional Savoy Cheese dish called Raclette. It was set up on a contraption which gradually melted the cheese. The melted cheese was scrapped onto plates with a woodden paddle and eaten with cold meats and pickles. While we made a good attempt to eat it all it defeated us in the end. The kids cooked their own meat on "hot rocks" We were all pretty exhausted by the time we got home - another early night.
After the white out of yesterday afternoon we were just a little worried about the weather. The morning looked a little dodgy. There was small patches of blue sky but not very much. Well we did have a glorious bright Monday and it is the middle of February. But we can ski and the legs are working. We headed into the ski shop a little later today The Salibas were also running even later. We took the bubble from the bottom of our road that brought us right into the middle of Meribel Centre.
Mags and the girls wanted to look around the town but Senan was anxious to get on the slopes. So he and I got booted up and got the “Roc de Fer” lift which brings us out at the top of “Gelinotte”. It was still dull and overcast. We started down the run. This is the same run that Katy found difficult yesterday. I was beginning to see why. I hadn't done the run before and that also made me nervous. Being nervous is not a good idea when skiing. Everything slows down. Turning (especially my dreaded left-hand turns)get more difficult.
I ended up using the one advanced skill I can rely on and started to slide slip most of the way down. This is when you place your skis across the slope and by leaning on the downhill ski you use the slope to care you down sideways - ideally without moving across the piste. I prefer to sideslip facing right. The only problem with that is that if you do start to move forward across the slope then I end up with the scary left hand turn. Strain and stress and some proper skiing as well as lots of accurate and well intended advice from Senan which of course is entirely useless when your brain and your legs are not working properly! Anyway we made it down and went up “Rhodos” for a proper warn up on familiar slopes and skied down in time for our lesson at 11.30.
As we assembled for the lesson the sun started to burn off the clouds and it began to brighten up and to look like Monday. The lesson brought us up the “Plan de L'Homme” lift to the snow park. In the snow park there are lots of ramps and jumps for snow boarders and skiers. After giving us a few instructions like “bend your knees” and “relax” - Adrian sent us down to the hump that we could see. It looked a little daunting but off I went.
As I went over the first hump six things happened:
I realised that there was not just one hump but a series of ten;
There was no way out of this
Me and my skis lifted off the slope;
I bent my knees - but it could have been at exactly the wrong time;
I speeded up as I headed for the second hump;
I thought "oh s***".
By the time my brain computed all of that I was over the second hump bending my knees at the wrong time and leaning back on my skis. This is wrong of course and as a result I had less control and was moving faster a I went over the third hump.
Adrian had said relax and enjoy the sensation! I tried that as I went over the fourth hump and my skis left the ground again. So that didn't work. So I just tried to hang on to some control as I got faster and faster over the remaining humps. Finally I was travelling at the speed of sound as I cleared the last and realised that I had to pull in behind Adrian and the rest of the class in a narrow lay-by. I managed not to take them all out as I struggled to come to a halt before getting tangled up in some netting on the side of the run.
That was a bit of a shock for all of us that morning. We carried on down to Mottaret, a little nervous but ok. We did the run down to Mottaret again - without the snow park, before taking the nice easy route down the "Truite" green run back to Meribel. We planned to go on a Blue Guide with Highlife at 1.30 and although we made it to the meeting place by 1.30 we just missed them. Perhaps it was just as well because we didn't get time to get some lunch.
After lunch we took the Sailire cabin to the very top. We had a very expensive cup of coffee (7 euro each!) in fantastic surroundings. We were up at 2703 metres (8750 ft) looking down at the top of both valleys and the spectacular mountains all around.
The only way to ski down from Sailire is via a red run for about 1,000 metres. We could see the first section below us - it was steep, busy and full of moguls. Moguls are mounds of snow formed by skiers as they turn going down steep slopes. They become the only way to ski down the dreaded (for us) Black slopes. They form a skiing version of stepping stones.
It looked easier, beyond that initial section, so we thought we would give it a go. After about 10 metres it was clear to Mags and me that this was going to be very slow and difficult. She took the sensible option and decided to take the cable car down. We arranged to meet at the top of Saulire 1 lift as our route would bring us down to that spot. The short descent in the photograph above was very slow for me. When there are moguls, my side slipping trick doesn't work. My left hand turn was broken again and the traffic of some expert skiers on the slope was disconcerting . But I managed to get down ok. Lisa Katy and Senan really had no problem!
The next kilometre was an ok Red - though when the brain thinks "RED!" it really doesn't help. So with long wide traverses and a sharp intake of breath plus an expletives at every essential left hand turns together with a minimum of the side slipping kop out, we were soon back on familiar territory and travelled down the "Geai" blue from the top.
We waited at the top of Saulire 1 cable car as planned. There was no sign of Mags. We got a call from her. There was a second cable car from the top of Saulire which was bringing her down to Mottaret. So we arranged to meet back at the Chaudanne. She just had to follow the "Truite" run from Mottaret to Meribel just as we had done this morning. We skied down and we all arrived in good time to meet Conor for the run home.
We went up the “Plan d'Homme” with Conor and went down beside the Snow Park while Lisa Katy Senan and Conor did the jumps! We then got the “Tougnete 2” lift to the top of Tougnete (2500m).
The view was fantastic with blue skies over Meribel to the east and mist and dog over Val Thorens to the west. This was a pity because the sun was just setting at 4.15 and the view of the sunset could have been spectacular.
As it was the first part of the run was called "Cretes" and was a ridge run. It was followed by the top of the "Jerusalem" Red down to the Val Thorens valley. It was just the easy part again along the top before it turned left downhill. At that junction we turned right down the Blue called "Chocas". Even though it was cloudy to the west there was an orange tinge to the snow as we travelled across the top ridge. Turning down "Chocas" it got a little darker and just a little icy as it had been in the shade for the afternoon. Mags and I had done a lot of skiing that day and we were a lot slower than the others. But we were fine - it was a lovely run and we were enjoying it at our own pace.
Then we left "Chocas" and joined the top of "Gelinotte". That was just a fraction tougher for me - but maybe that was in my head from the morning! When we got to the left turn for the La Raffort run it had been closed. There was just a narrow steep opening to get onto a narrow lane like run.
Mags went first - it was tricky and she managed to get through going a little too fast. She stopped by turning into the mountainside bank. I followed just a little nervous agains but doing slightly better, I stayed upright - just. Conor was a flyer - the others were well able to keep up with him but myself and Mags were a lot slower. The narrow paths are just a little nerve-wrecking!
When I say narrow, they are about the width of a country lane with the forest on both sides, the mountain rising on your left and sloping away downhill on your right. When you’re tired, controlling the speed with an alternative left and right sideways movement as we had learned in class that day just gets a little harder. Snowplough is just too tiring and doesn't allow you build the speed you need on the flat parts of the run. I had a tumble when someone skied over my skis. Then I used Senan as a brake and knocked him over! We still had a mile or two to go and it was now getting difficult. There were just a couple of steep spots on the run which I managed down through excessive and tiring side slipping.
But then as we approach the last half mile I lost my nerve on the top of an icy slope. I took off my skis and walked down the edge. It’s an interesting trick. Firstly it releases the feeling that you are trapped on year ski-run with no way out. Then, as you plod slowly down hull in heavy awkward ski boots, carrying cumbersome skis on your shoulder, you realise that this walking idea is a much poorer option! So as has happened in other years after about 40 slow metres downhill I stopped and put back on my skis and skied home with not too much difficulty!
- What a day!
We Skied Home, Uploaded by M+MD.
We arrive about 50 metres from the chalet - the run home was exactly that! Tea and fresh home-made biscuits were very welcome before the even better de-tox routine of shower hot-tub, sauna and bath!
