If any of us had been wondering why we chose to live in this area, today was the day that banished any doubts.
Reading the snow reports and trusting the weather forecast had led the organiser to propose a slightly earlier than usual start to the downhill season. Older readers may remember with nostalgia times during the previous millenium when skiing was possible in November or even October! Now it seems getting an outing before Christmas is a bonus.
Despite my encouragement, cajoling and blandishments just three of us, Joe, Mark & Mervyn, took the bait and rose early from fitful slumber. We met up before 08:30 in the foggy gloom of the Divonne Lake parking lot where an extremely noisy bulldozer was undertaking some seemingly random roadworks. Filling in the perpetual potholes perhaps?*
Our destination was Flaine which had partially opened its ski domain the previous weekend after good pre-season snowfall. This meant driving to Flaine itself rather than to any of the nearer satellite towns whose domains and liaisons were still closed.
A very slow journey then ensued down the motorway in thick fog and heavy traffic. An incident in one of the tunnels on the contournement delayed us further and it was not until 9:30 that we reached the border at Bardonnex and only thence the open road, direction Chamonix. At this point the sun, which was to remain with us all day, made its first very welcome appearance. There was no sign of snow on the ground until we were well up the long climb up from Cluses and the road itself was clear all the way to the central parking area in Flaine.
By 11am we were booted, ticketed and raring to go. Only the youngster had to part with any money for a day pass (special price of €37), the two super-seniors being able to ski for free in the Grand Massif! The only disadvantage was that we had to queue at the ticket office (to prove our age?) rather than being able to get a free pass online.
But that was the ONLY queue. We walked straight onto the main cable car to Grandes Platières to be greeted by the astonishing panorama of the Mt Blanc massif and the entire Western Alps. And almost no people. The promise of sun, snow and empty pistes was indeed fulfilled. How better to start the season? We cruised the long blues from top to bottom of Grandes Platières and Aup de Véran for a couple of hours, enjoying soft dry snow above 2000m and harder groomed pistes lower down.
Lunch was taken inside at La Pente à Jules where very satisfying dishes were on offer. Several restaurants were closed but this place, tucked away in the forest just above Flaine, is normally choc-a-bloc later in the season so it was a pleasure to enjoy it in quieter times.
There was still enthusiasm for some post-prandial skiing so we returned to the now softer snow and rode the chair lift to Grands Vans a couple of times before returning to the car at 4pm. An easy drive back completed a truly magnificent day out to start the season off as we hope it will continue.
Next outing December 18 (DV & WP – Deo volente and weather permitting)
*Whatever that bulldozer was doing, the potholes and puddles remain! Divonne was dark, foggy and very muddy.