Week 2 - on our own

Mon 11 Jan

A leisurely morning where I pop into Morzine to get my liftpass replaced as it stopped working yesterday. I try on some new jackets and buy a super cool hoody by Volcom. I see a jacket I love and decide to bring Adam back later for his advice.

I lunch at the chalet (happy noodle soup) and then head up the mountain for my lesson. I have booked 5 lessons this week from 2.30 – 5pm to prepare myself for Tara’s arrival and to try and get a better technique on powder and bumps. The sky is blue and the sun is brilliant again today.

My lesson only has 3 others in it, all men, and our instructor Terri is a maniac. Rather than warm us up with some black runs to check our style and correct anything he takes us straight off piste and down what looks like a waterfall with big boulders scattered down it. We then head down the montain through the trees. I like seeing new runs down the mountain but it is pretty scary. I cope quite well though and am not as panicky as the men for once.

After my lesson I meet Adam in Les Rhodos for a drink. I then show him the ski jacket I’m considering getting and he agrees it is ace. It is also by Volcom and is white with a really cool graphical design (lots of thin lines in bright colours giving many matching opportunities). I decide to get the jacket and see a lovely leather belt that is really cool. I ask for a saisonaire’s discount and although the guy says he can’t do that he does do me the belt for half price as I’ve been such a good customer that day (my hoody this morning was from the same shop).
When we get home Adam cooks a comforting and tasty Spaghetti Carbonara which we devour.

Tue 12 Jan

Adam and I head up the mountain for some runs late morning so I can warm up before my lesson. We plan on heading over to Linga which is an area we’ve not skied yet however just past Chalet the valley is in the shade and we opt for the sunny runs instead. We find some lovely wide easy pistes that would suit beginners very well. Adam gives me some tips on my skiing style and then pushes me to the max until I am starving and worn out.

We eat our sandwiches perched on the top of the mountain with an awesome view however I ate too soon before my lesson as I get chronic indigestion during my class, not helped by the fact that our first run is a ‘couloir’ or corridor (40º chute between two rocky cliffs).

My lesson is more scary than Monday and I lose my skis quite a few times plus I tumble down the mountain at one point taking out Ivan (one of the other students) and then do three forward rolls on a steep slope. Luckily it is soft deep snow and I am not injured. Best part of my class today is the powder lesson and practice we get. Terri knows where to take us to find untouched powder!


Dinner tonight when we get from from Les Rhodos (where I am posting this from) will be home made pizzas. Adam is not too keen but I’m hoping he will be pleasantly surprised.