The Learning Curve

Last month I took some ski tuition. It's been a while, so I chose a ski teacher that I've worked with before. A couple of people I know had recently been rude to me about my skiing skills, so I'd outlined what I wanted to work on prior to arriving for private coaching. A quick hop over the Col de Forclaz and down into Chamonix, where it was very, very warm.

Managed to check into my hotel thanks to a visiting postman wanting a signature and being keen to find some staff. My room had a view too! 

Made contact with my teacher, Chris Fecher boss of Tinderbox Ski School who kindly offered to collect me from my Hotel next morning. I headed into Chamonix to see the sights.

 Next morning and after an overpriced and rather basic breakfast, Chris collected me and we headed up to Grand Montets, so he could see what I needed to work on. It's been a while since I was there, and I initially could not get my bearings. The snow was pretty firm 1st thing so we stopped for a coffee to allow the surface to melt, and my teeth to quit humming.

After spending the morning on drills we skied down to Argentiere. It was little soupy bit skiable. I spent the afternoon sightseeing in Chamonix again. It's been a while since I was here, and the town is looking smarter.

Next morning and in search of some quiet slopes for videoing we headed up to Le Tour. The conditions were deteriorating fast but there was still plenty of snow for carving exercises!  Chris is a very supportive teacher and makes skiing seem so straightforward.

Apparently I can carve, and I'm not so bad a skier as some folks have been saying. I'd like to suggest that my detractors take that feedback and put it where the sun does not shine, however as they are already so far up themselves there is unlikely to be any room.

Onwards and Upwards!

Chamonix Valley

A quick late season trip to Chamonix, and hopefully to ski the Vallee Blanche, before heading into Switzerland. We started our stay with a warm up day in Vallorcine/Le Tour. Lovely conditions, weather warm and sunny. Skied down to Le Tour village and enjoyed lunch off-piste. The car park at Vallorcine was able to cope with the volume of customers, though the lift queue at Le Tour was quite awful.










4/4. We were booked to ski the Vallee Blanche today, the guide phoned at 8am and said it was not possible due to the weather, so we spent the day in Les Houches.
We had fresh snow to play in, though the visibility was a little poor. The top section of the Kandahar piste was most enjoyable, with uncut snow down to mid station. The evening saw us revisiting the Guides Office AIGMB, to be told that we would not be doing the Vallee Blanche the next day either. Apparently we don't have enough off-piste powder experience.















4/4 Argentiere. The sun was out and so were the crowds. Good snow up high on the Chamois piste and underneath the Herse chair and GM cable car. Pistes had been refreshed with a little fresh snow, but underneath is rock hard. Skied down to Argentiere, which was rather like water skiing. Walk out through the mud to a very large Orangina.









Vallee Blanche...or not.. A couple of weeks before heading out to Chamonix, I booked a private guide for Wednesday 4th April. On the morning the guide phoned and said no go, bad weather. We were told to call at the Bureau that same evening, where we were told that we could not ski well enough in powder and we should go back the next day. We went back yet again, to be told..."conditions are great and we have no guide available for you" So we asked for a refund. To be honest, the prospect of undertaking the run by now was much less appealing on a public holiday. Think of any Theme Park in any country on a Bank Holiday! The bureau kept talking about us doing the Classic Run as well, something which we had specifically advised them that we did not wish to do. I'm not sure I would go back to Chamonix to do the Vallee Blanche. This was to be an early Birthday present, so I'm either €260 better off, or I've missed out on the trip of a lifetime.

A very sunny Good Friday, takes us back to Vallorcine and Le Tour again to try to avoid the crowds.
It was quieter than earlier in the week, and as the sun was very hot, the off-piste had softened up nicely. We spent around 50% of our time away from the pistes, on some very pleasant slopes. Just in case you are wondering, yes, I did jump off the edge, and land it Our next destination is Seez near Bourg St Maurice.