Tara has been doing afternoon off-piste lessons and today her class is joining with the morning class to do a full day’s tour of the area, mostly off-piste. She invites me to go along and so I book a class so I can join the tour. We meet at 9.15am and then we are off the day. Her instructor, Bruno, is great and spots where I need instruction. Our first off-piste run is down a wide couloir on the back side of the Mossette chair. Although very steep the snow is wonderfully soft and powdery. I am in the first half of the class to reach the bottom and as I look up at the tracks we’ve made and feel an amazing sense of achievement. My legs are burning though!
Bruno takes us over to Morgins and Chatel via various off-piste runs, one of which we do twice because the snow is so good. We then stop at a restaurant high in the mountains for a long, French style lunch break.
There is a noticeable difference in the quality of the lifts in Switzerland vs France. The French update their lifts regularly and they are comfortable and quick, whereas on the Swiss side the lifts are rickety, slow, stop a lot and seem ancient in comparison.
On the way back after lunch I do have quite a tumble down a chute and a Danish skier in the group helps get my ski off as my legs are practically tied in a knot. We come back from Chatel via an off-piste route called Le Renard which is great fun and one which I think the boarders would love.
We join the class for après ski drinks in Avoriaz where vin chaud is served in a giant mug. However we time our departure wrong and end up waiting a long time for a gondola and then find we’ve missed the 6.15 bus which means a very long wait for the next one.
Tara and I had planned to go out tonight and hit Morzine so we start drinking vodka Red Bulls when we get in to get us in the mood. However dinner (pasta with tomato and chorizo sauce made by Chris) is served so late that we end up rather too merry to go out and dance around the chalet instead.
No comments:
Post a Comment