Powder Playground and Tapas Smorgasboard Fri 15 Jan

It is my final ski lesson today. I head up the mountain in the morning to practice and have a really good morning focusing on my turns in imperfect snow.

While eating my lunch up the mountain I see the ambulance helicopter land and transfer a person on a stretcher to a waiting snowmobile. I can’t work out why the helicopter doesn’t take the injured person straight to the hospital unless it has another rescue mission to perform. It is a powerful reminder that skiing is a very dangerous sport.

I meet Terri in the afternoon and discover that only two of us will be skiing with him today (Ivan and I) as Julian wants to ski with his mother on his last day and Vaughan is skiing with his girlfriend. The photo shows Terri, Ivan and Julian.

We set off in the direction of the notorious ‘Wall’, also known as Chavanette. The Wall is a very steep mogul run where two to three people die a year according to Terri. I am therefore very pleased when we traverse across the top of it and head over the ridge to the right of the Wall. Here we find another powder bowl with very few tracks. Perfect powder practice playground. Unfortunately because the weather has been warm a crust has formed on the snow turning it into ‘la croute’ which is not perfect for practicing. By heading to the shade though we still find some powder and my turns improve immensely.

Definitely an area to come back to after a fresh fall of snow and 15cm is forecast for Sunday (fingers crossed). The run back to a lift is easier than the Thursday route too (although it leads to the red run that Kate and Dan hated).


I bump into Adam as I ski down to the bus stop and he suggests we go into town for a drink. We change our shoes and head down there, after a few shops and errands during which Adam munches a tartiflette flan, we head to the wine bar to enjoy a glass of wine. I spot an amazingly imaginative gourmand tapas selection on a nearby table and we order one to share. A photo of the plate of food is above. At 12€ it was very good value and extremely tasty. I’ll be back for this dish again!

Thur 14 Jan evening

We’d planned to make a special dinner tonight but by the time we leave the bar it is quite late. We reach the supermarket two minutes before closing and have to whip round it whilst being chased by the manager who wants us to leave. We’ve never done a shop that quickly.

The deluxe dinner will have to wait until Friday night and instead we have pea and pancetta spaghetti, which is super quick to make.

Week 2 - Tues to Thurs

Tue 12 Jan – evening

Adam and I stay rather too long in Les Rhodos and so it is late when I start to make our pizzas. I discover, to our amusement, that the pizza base mix has a use-by date in the year 2000. Only ten years out of date! I have a go regardless. Sadly the base doesn’t rise at all and we eat pizza biscuits at 9.45pm. Suffice to say, I have not pleasantly surprised Adam at all although he kindly says that they are ok.

Photo of me in my new jacket.


Wed 13 Jan

It is snowing really heavily this morning!!


I take it easy in the morning at home, using the time to do some Pilates and worry about the strange clicking noise my hips and knees are making. I decide to eat an early lunch at home to avoid the indigestion suffered yesterday.

I learnt a new French word yesterday. Galipette. My tumbles down the mountain are galipettes. The direct translation is somersault. But Terri and the French men in my class find it very funny as apparently this French word has a double meaning (I bit like finnochio in Italian which I learned about in one of the Tales of the City books and used in India with Luca, the Italian volunteer I met there). I’ve now looked Galipette up and its other meaning is: fornication!

I do one run before my lesson today and take a steep but short off-piste slope to practice my turns after yesterday’s disastrous falls. The snowfall has softened the bumps nicely and I ski it quite well. I have mentally changed my attitude to my lesson today as I know that it was fear yesterday, which was crippling my skiing. I also hope that due to the snow and poor visibility we will have to stay low, in the trees.

When I meet Terri we have a new addition to the class, Vaughan, but two others have not come today so we are still only a small group of three students. Terri says we have to stay in the trees and that there will not be any steep cliffs today. Hurray!

Terri leads us a merry dance through the trees around Linderets and twice we head off the right at the top of the Linderets chairlift (most people go left as there is no piste to the right). The snow is thigh-high powder in places between the trees and it is still snowing.

I am turning on time today and it is Julian who is the main galopetter today (thank goodness). We make first tracks through the trees and whoop a lot as we turn and jump through the powder. There is no one else here – Terri has been skiing Avoriaz for 30 years and really knows the secret areas, it is fabulous.

On our 2nd to last run Terri loses a ski while skiing a steep slope which ended in a jump with a hidden lip. It is the first time I’ve ever seen an instructor crash and we all find it very funny (Terri is fine!). I stupidly take the same route and also lose a ski, so the others find another way round to avoid more crashes.

Last run of the day is through The Stash which is a freestyle playground with rails, jumps and walls to play on. I had thought it looked really dangerous however I ended up skiing down a wooden plank (!), doing a few jumps and skiing through the wooden hut in the middle which has a steep approach and descent. We were all whooping like crazy!

Vaughan says this has been his best lesson ever and asks if he can join our afternoon class from now on. It is definitely better with a smaller number in the class, the morning class has 9 – 12 people and they are constantly waiting for people so don’t do nearly as many runs as us.

It kept snowing all day but it was quite wet snow and I returned from my lesson soaked through.

I make chicken fajitas with rice, guacamole, salsa and soured cream for dinner. Adam was a bit hesitant about a Mexican dinner but he really enjoys it and says that this dinner has surpassed his expectations (at last!).

Thur 14 Jan

Today Terri says he will give us a lesson we will never forget. Sounds ominous! We head up the Fornet chair, a chairlift I have taken many times, however this time we then walk in our skis up to the mountain ridge and pop over the back of the mountain. There we find fresh, untracked powder and proceed to practice our powder turns all the way to the bottom. It is blissful (between falls) and I do not do as many galipettes today at all. It takes us quite a while to reach the bottom however then we have a very long cross-country ski around to the Nyon gondola. Definitely more of a trip for skiers than boarders, unless they want a long walk.

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.

Last 3 days of the first gang

Fri 8 Jan

Today Kate, Dan, Joel and I decide to see what Morzine and Les Gets have to offer piste wise. Unfortunately the fog is so thick that visibility is almost nil and we can not actually see the runs at all. At the top of the gondola Dan realizes that his bindings are coming loose and he needs new screws. He heads down on the gondola to try and fix it while Kate and I lead Joel down some icy red runs which puts him off red runs for the rest of the day.

About an hour and a half later we meet up with Dan again and head over to Les Gets. It has very pretty, tree lined runs however general sign posting is not as good as in Avoriaz and the runs are a little short and tame. The trees mean that we manage to move away from the fog a little.
Last run of the day is an amazing red run from the highest point –Les Chamoisserie – and I spot a lovely black from the chair that I want to go back to do.

After posting on Friday from Les Rhodos, a very friendly bar with free wifi (with a drink) Dan and Joel came to meet me for a few drinks and then we ending up eating in the bar too. Food was healthy sized pizzas and was pretty tasty. Adam went to meet Carina (who finally arrived) and then they both came to meet us for a drink too.

Sat 9 Jan

Today I take Dan and Kate on an epic journey that they don't exactly thank me for. What looked like a very long red run (the longest on the piste map) turns out only to be reachable by a very long button lift (not fun for boarders) and then the steep red run all too quickly turns into a very long and very flat lane. On the upside though we do find an igloo! Will post photos of us in the igloo as soon as Kate sends them to me.



Sun 10 Jan



It is Kate, Dan, Joel and Carina’s last day (although both Dan and Carina are coming back and Kate sorely wants too). Luckily for them the skies are a beautiful blue and the sun is shining brilliantly. They have a late flight so can ski all day however two runs in Dan falls and hurts his shoulder, closely followed by Adam who also hurts his shoulder and possibly even knocked himself out momentarily. Hot Chocolate and then an early lunch can’t fix the boys and they have to, sadly, call it a day.

Hardcore Kate stays out with me, fuelled with the divine peanut butter, nut and fruit bars which Carina made us. We do a few big jumps under the chair but later Kate winds herself after jumping off a 1.5m sheer drop by mistake while looking for small jumps to practice on.

The chalet seems very quiet after everyone leaves.

First days in Morzine

Sun 3 Jan

The neighbours who left the day after we got here had mainly had rain over New Year and were not very happy. We are very lucky as there was snow the day before we arrived and after a wonderful first day on the slopes on Sunday it then snowed all night so we awoke on Monday to fresh powder everywhere. Two of our first week’s party are beginner snowboarders and I debated whether to learn to snowboard with them however I want to perfect my skiing first. I may decide to give it a go in week four.

Adam and I collect Kate from the train station on Sunday evening. She has been skiing in Chamonix the week before. She is very jammy, leaving one heap of powder for another and she is buzzing from her deep powder off-piste runs.

Dinner tonight is TWO shepherd’s pies (a meat and veggie version) made by Dan.

Mon 4 Jan

One of our beginner snowboarders breaks his cruciate ligament during his class and is stretchered off the mountain. Sadly that is the end of his holiday and he must wait for an earlier flight home to be arranged. Luckily he got his travel insurance just before he left the UK and is covered for his medical bills and repatriation.

We tend to meet for lunch every day at Changabangs which does a bargain House burger for 5€ and yummy curly fries for 4€. By day two though we are taking our own sandwiches and sharing curly fries as the euro exchange rate means that a pound pretty much equals a euro now.

Today was a really fun day of pure powder madness. My skiing is still a bit all over the place as I still have to find my ski legs, but we have a lot of fun.

Dinner tonight, cooked by me, is my favourite Courgette Pasta (grated courgette, onion, garlic, red chilli, penne pasta, butter and parmesan – adapted from a Carluccio dish). Sadly the meal does not meet the approval of Adam who believes it is too watery. Shame, as he’ll be eating it a lot over the next few weeks!


Tue 5 Jan

Today should have been a lot more fun in the powder however we head up Fornet where there is a lot of off piste around the snowcross park however I end up constantly losing my skis. After 30 minutes looking for my ski the third time it happens I decide to stick to the piste and book myself a powder lesson the next time it snows.

Dinner tonight is Butternut Squash & Feta Risotto made by Kate, with the added taste of burnt rice. It is an interesting combination which, against all odds, works! One ruined pan though …


Wed 6 Jan

The morning in Avoriaz is heavy with fog and visibility is only a couple of metres. so Kate, Dan and I head over to Switzerland. We go above the clouds and see a fully circular rainbow. The morning is glorious with empty pistes which have been perfectly groomed. I practice my carving and start to regain my ski legs. However we do end up in a part of Switzerland where the only chairlift back to France isn’t working so we end up on a bus to Les Crosets to catch a different lift back to Avoriaz which adds about 40 minutes of non-skiing onto our journey.

Tonight’s dinner is a delicious fish pie cooked by Adam and Joel.

Thur 7 Jan

Major lie-in and then a relaxing morning cooking a Leek and Chickpea soup before heading to the slopes around lunchtime.

Finally my skiing seems to be coming together. I feel like a skier again!

Didn’t ski for long as I misjudged the weather and it was very cold, so I head back to the chalet after an hour and a half. Finally manage to start writing this blog.

We were going to go out for dinner and drinks but have postponed this to tomorrow night once we get some recommendations on where to eat.

Eat soup for dinner as do some of the others, the rest eat leftovers (fish pie, mince etc).

Carina is supposed to be flying out tonight but her flight has been cancelled due to the adverse weather in England. We hope she’ll be able to come out on Friday instead.

First week in Morzine

Sat 2 Jan

We hit the road at 9am, bang on schedule, for the long drive to the Alps. We are in Adam’s Dad’s Vito (looks like a posh van, just don’t call it a van, ok?). The 5 of us each have our own seat and there is plenty of room in the back for all our snowboards, skis, luggage and bags of groceries.



It is Saturday 2 Jan and the roads are empty – everyone must still be suffering from New Year’s Eve excesses – so we make record time to Folkestone and manage to get on an earlier train to France. The EuroTunnel is weird as you stay in your car, or hop out to go to the toilet, but aside from that there is nowhere to go. You can’t even see the fishes. I think the tunnel should be made from reinforced glass and be like the shark tunnel you get at the SeaLife centres so you can see all the sea creatures while you zoom across (or is the tunnel actually under the seabed? Must look into that).

We then take the speedy toll roads towards the Alps and barely stop for diesel and refreshments. I’m surprised that my co-passengers, four grown men, have not brought any snacks for the journey. I have packed nuts, tangerines, dates, figs and beetroot crisps. And they are quite rude about my beetroot crisps! Adam describes them as ‘beetroot flavoured cardboard’. I think they may be dehydrated beetroot as they are not baked or fried – they certainly taste very healthy.

We arrive in Morzine at night but can immediately see that the resort is quite large, with a lot of amenities. Our chalet is fabulous. It is a semi-detached chalet over four floors and includes a ski equipment & utility room on the ground. The views from the living room are tremendous as they look across the valley to the Morzine ski slopes. And we are a few minutes walk from the ski bus stop which can either whisk us up the gondola to Avoriaz or down to Pleney to ski Morzine and Les Gets.

First meal when we arrive on Saturday night is made from the groceries I brought - Parsnip and Pancetta Taglietelle (A Jamie Oliver recipe). I try not to tell the boys what I am cooking as I can imagine that some don’t like parsnips. Adam spots me cutting them up and admits he doesn’t like them, however I explained that they taste different when sliced thinly and fried. He later on says that he liked it (more so than some of my later dishes!).