There was in the end a quorum for a ski outing on 26 February despite a number of apologies for absence, for the usual orthopaedic or travel reasons. A last minute proposal for a very early season bike ride that day further depleted the selection pool.
It was decided that Ralph, Richard F, both ski-starved, and myself would rendezvous with Stephen in Morgins at 09:15 to avoid the ski class queues. This required a rather early departure from Bogis Bossey, the car-pooling venue, and which elicited some pushback from one member only very recently arrived from South Africa. Objection overruled.
Before we had departed for the autoroute, Stephen sent a message saying that he had gone down with the flu overnight and was not up to a day of hard piste bashing. Suitably facetious messages of sympathy were sent in reply and we headed off regardless.
Instead of Morgins as a destination we decided Champéry was a more convenient start point for a foray into the French side of the Portes du Soleil, given the unseasonably high temperatures and the effect this was having on the south-facing Swiss slopes.
We made the 09:30 cable car, just, after some successful negotiation with the lift attendant. One of our party, who shall remain nameless, mistook a one hour intercontinental time difference for a one day difference, as recorded on his on-line purchased ski pass. Ski pass? Who buys ‘em? Sorry, private joke.
Richard soon showed his skiing pedigree and Ralph’s knee was not yet objecting, so we tore up some pistes before stopping for a sunny coffee in Les Brochaux.
That was followed by an extended morning’s skiing at pace through Lindarets, Plaine Dranse, Lingua before returning to La Pomme du Pin in Lindarets for a well deserved late lunch of beers, soupe à l-oignon, salads and coffees.
The afternoon skiing session was short, sunny and slushy in the spring snow (in February?). We stopped en route to watch some crazies take the “Fantasticable” way down the mountain from Rochasson, a spectacular zip wire measuring over 1.2km in length where speeds of over 100Km/h can be reached. Definitely a brown run! Meanwhile, back on the piste, tired legs, some objecting more than others, saw us back down to the car by 4pm and an early getaway to avoid the Lausanne rush hour which habitually builds up from 5pm onwards.
All in all a great day out and my thanks to my two ski companions. Get well soon, Stephen, Costa Rica awaits.
Mervyn Powell
06/03/2026
