The ski blogs are coming thick and fast now.
Two outings were scheduled on consecutive days this week due to the excellent prevailing weather conditions at altitude. The call to action received a disappointingly small response due to injury, sickness, therapy, travel and work(?) commitments. Time for some realignment of priorities, surely.
Bright (or rather, foggy) and early on Monday morning Mark and Mervyn set off to Champéry. The autoroute traffic in our direction was pleasingly fluid and we were soon booted, ticketed and on the 10am téléphérique and up into the glorious sunshine. Some gentle cruising on empty pistes saw us rendezvous with Stephen and Kate for an early coffee at Les Brochaux. Stephen was making his first GIN outing of the new year, having led us to expect him to be hors de combat for the season. Having a stubbornly gammy knee has done nothing to reduce his speed on skis but has required a modified technique for getting on and off chair lifts.
The rest of the morning was spent enjoying at speed the long, almost empty, slopes around Avoriaz before a welcome lunchtime beer and excellent plat du jour Chez Flo. Stephen departed to return early to Morgins leaving the two elder statesmen to wend their way back the pretty way to Champèry via Mossettes, Les Crosets, Ripaille and Grand Paradis. It was a testament to the good snow conditions that the long itinerary route was skiable, with the delightful Chalet Clavets open to provide drinks en route.
We left at 4pm and were back home by 5:30 after a trouble-free return journey.
The next day, Tuesday, a different trio (David, Ralph and Mervyn) ventured out to ski Le Grand Massif. We drove via Bardonnex onto the A40 to Cluses and thence to Samoens. There was thick fog in the Arve valley and high polluting lorries were forbidden from using the autoroute, which was something of a blessing. We duly arrived without incident and in sunshine and were up on the snow by 10am. The two super-seniors in the party were granted free lift passes whilst the youngster paid his dues with good grace. Whether the same largesse is available to him when he reaches 75 remains to be seen.
This had all the makings of a great day and so it was to be. The slopes everywhere and particularly above Flaine were in remarkably good snowy condition and the mountain vistas quite breath-taking.
The photos don’t do it justice, not least because there are three guys spoiling the view. We enjoyed the long, wide sweeping blues and reds above the treeline from Les Grandes Platières (2480m) before stopping for a late lunch of classic mountain fare at Le Blanchot.
Unfortunately, the long scenic route down to Sixt was closed so we retraced our way back to Samoens the way we came. It’s quite some distance but the lift system is very efficient and the crowds at this time of year are virtually non-existent. There was the suspicion of a fall by one of our number, but as it wasn’t witnessed and is therefore unverifiable, GIN rules imply that it never happened. Three tired but happy and injury-free bodies set off for home shortly after 4pm.
I shall be away for the next two weeks, so if anyone reading this wishes to organise an outing then, please feel free to do so.
