The view from............ Val d'Isere and the Espace Killy

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Heading out on Saturday for a week with my two kids. First trip for them since COVID kicked off. Kids both got their ESF gold star last time out, at ages 9 & 6. Now at 12 & 9 it should be a great week of ripping up the pistes Smile

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endoman - ah ha... makes sense now!
195062 / Kenzie - brilliant!
Jehu - maybe not something to think about when you are eating your sandwiches BUT the Vallon gondola is also affectionally known locally as the 'Fornicator' - about 12 mins you're on it.... by my calcs that gives you about 10 mins to get your gear off and on again and 2 mins of 'enjoyment!' Imagine if you were caught short though at the top station. Doh!
FastCarver74 - enjoy!

Weather changing / seeing Red

Two 'big things' on the 'agenda' today.

We woke to clear skies and warm temps so I went down 2 layers this morning.... the kids were on pretty decent form and after getting sorted I was on duty to get the kids to kids club.... Olivia was skiing so had to cart all her stuff up to but I made good time to get to the meeting point non the less!

B arrived and we set off.... obligatory run through the petit cross to start and I also saw Mr Graham Bell out teaching on the mountain today (in case people ask there is a unique French rule that allows ex World Cup racers to basically teach on the mountains in France without passing through all the hoops everyone else goes through - not that I'm particularly (seriously) jealous or anything!). Anyway Tommeuse and then Piste H were next up... The whole way to Val Claret we did some exercises and fun things which he loved... The little fun run off the side of the piste down into Val Claret by Piste Henri is cool too! Anyway I had planned on an early choc break at The Corner but he had been too full up after yesterdays stop so today he asked to push on through - thats not a problem!

After a little problem with the lift passes (both of our passes strangely) at the Tichot lift we carried on 'around the world' in the glorious sunshine! We finally made it around to the bottom of the Toviere lift and this was where I saw red. There was a decent number of people standing there as there always taking skis etc etc etc..... anyway there was suddenly a massive commotion - I caught it out the corner of my eye just about, as some teenager was taken out / fell over / tripped up by someone coming from the Johan Clarey side at high speed. For those who know what I am talking about to get enough speed up coming down Trolles to carry that speed along the flat, over the bridge and then up past the loading area for the Toviere AND virtually enough speed to get all the way up the other side to where the turn off to the swimming pool is.... that is some speed eh! Anyway the guy got about 80% the way up the small hill there.... there was a couple of shouts of 'hey' as the teen was trying to get himself up - he didnt appear injured or anything. Anyway despite more people shouting for the guy to stop and come back to check on the accident he kept side stepping up and away. I was raging (even though it was nothing to do with me directly!) so I put our skis down and ran (yes ran) back up the hill to confront the man - probably shouldn't but I did.... I basically grabbed his arm and started speaking in French to him about what had just happened and he needed to stop..... a load of expletives in English came out - so I changed to English and he basically said 'the kid skied into him' etc etc etc.... but the point I made to him (trying to keep my cool) was that there was an accident and he is duty bound to stop... doesnt matter what caused it. If 2 people have a car crash you both stop dont you!

What really annoyed me I think is that basically this slightly older (gonna say mid/late 50's) guy thinks that 'whack a helmet on / think that because he has probably done about 50 weeks skiing etc he is above everyone else'.... he almost certainly falls into the category of being 'that guy' in the chalet who is the 'expert' and knows 'everything' about skiing and totally happy to tell everyone and anyone who will listen how amazing he is at skiing.... but all along misses out on the most basic of knowledge in this sport and that of the first (well almost the first) rule of skiing to stop if an accident happens! Made my blood boil - grrr! Also not sure how he managed to think the millions of 'slow down' signs he will have whizzed past to get to that point didnt apply to him.

Alas I composed myself and walked back down the slope having said my piece and the parents (and a couple of other randoms) of the teen boy thanked me. There was lots of mutterings around me (positive) as I collected my gear (and B) and got on the lift!

A run through the park, crocodile alley and ski down to La Daille finished the morning off.... he was tired by the time we got back to the meeting point thats for sure!

I took lunch at the usual spot before heading out for the pm... same set up as yesterday pm and this time we worked on more carving.... ankles, knees, hips and 'patience' being the words of the day and getting some more performance out the skis without rotating the skis was crucial.... all the time I was monitoring the weather as the clouds were rolling more and more in and the usual early warning system of clouds taking over the 4000m peaks was coming true. Luckily it never got mega bad until about 1700 onwards (and now it is snowing lightly and the next 24 hours could be interesting to say the least!) so we were also able to do some work on moguls.

It was nice to be able to make good long lasting changes to his skiing quickly and see immediate changes... I was most impressed. So by about 1600 legs were getting tired so we skied to La Daille and headed home.

Clare was on kids pm duty and that involved Olivia being taken to a birthday party and Ben being collected from the kids club before getting them home and sorted for bed etc etc etc. They were both so tired so it was a tv dinner for them!

So yes the weather is changing and could lead to either snow or rain depending on the freezing level!

I am working tomorrow morning and then dashing off after lunch to get a food shop in from Bourg.... hopefully get a decent time back up the hill to get unloaded and also hope it won't be too wet to unload either!

Anyway some photos to finish of the nice weather before it moved in this afternoon.

TTFN

Like this photo with the planes high above!

Racing for the British Junior Champs in Tignes this am.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Steve Angus, we saw them training for that last week, Chemmy was with them.

After all it is free

April you say

At day break it was looking pretty benign the weather - a touch of snow but no wind and looking pretty calm to be honest! The kids were parcelled off to school without too much fuss and I went to the meeting point. Everyone was raring to go and on time and looking up I was finally swayed with the decision to go Bellevarde side again because the plan was to meet at the Folie at lunchtime! That was going to suit me perfectly as I needed to get off quickly this afternoon to head to Bourg food shopping!

Anyway what was apparent was that at altitude the wind was really raging and as soon as we got out of the Olympic it was very windy but I knew that as soon as we dropped lower it would be less windy and indeed it was. For the most part the vis was fine and we managed to get a quick lap (there were pockets of powder which B LOVED playing in) of the green triangle before heading to the Bellevarde resto for an early hot choc stop before it got swamped.... luckily we did as within about 10 mins of getting in there there was no standing space let alone sitting space!

So with hot choc break ticked off I had planned to do another green triangle but the wind had gotten up even more so could not carry on with that plan so a quick crocodile alley followed by a trip to the lost village was in order - that was an adventure in itself getting in there what with the heavy wet snow lower down! We then managed to fit in another lap down to La Daille before his legs got tired but that tied in nicely with the end of the session and finishing at the Folie.

Anyway I dashed back and changed and got the car and headed (it was heavy wet snow falling and settling at about 2000m+ metres) through the rain down to Bourg. In Bourg the weather was treacherous! It was like a monsoon! Anyway you can't go to Bourg and not pick up a cheeky mcdonald's so I most certainly indulged myself before doing the collecting end of the clicking mission Clare had done the other evening! After collecting the shopping and doing a top up shop in store too it was time to get it all back up before the road got bad! It got really bad this evening with a few crashes and cars being abandoned and rolling into ditches etc - the rain / snow limit was down at Brev sort of level and will no doubt drop more. It should mean the hundreds of cars and vans trying to get up tomorrow morning for the final day of the Scara (they did manage to get day 3 off today despite the massive weather issues!) tomorrow should make it interesting!

Anyway it always takes AGES to get all the shopping in and put away (especially when the kids are around trying to 'help!') and sorted out so it has been a busy evening! Finally the car was put away (gosh no wander the road to Bourg was bad as it was slippery enough around town this evening!) and with the kids in bed I can finally relax.

Tomorrow the weather should be similar and they are saying the av risk is going to be 4/5 tomorrow and there will be a LOT of PIDA from about 0700.

I am working in the morning and then in the afternoon there is the large coprops agm meeting - this big one where I hopefully get our plans approved for the development of this flat - getting nervous now. But bring it on!

TTFN

Not surprisingly the resort bend over backwards to make it as easy as possible for the Scara race team vans to get parked up - as if they would do it for any groups - a little bit of a slap in the face for Joe Public if you ask me! The vans TOTALLY blocked the whole of the back road from the Cret Parking all the way down to here in La Daille!

Before the mass of snow arrived and the weather / wind moved in young B loved making his first tracks in the pow by the piste!

Probably a little easy this one but where is this?

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Wet

Right from the start this morning it wasnt looking that great weather wise but there was lots of blasting to be done by the pisteurs to try and get things running! I dropped the kids on the bus and they were already soaked by the time they got to school it was that wet out there and slushy!

Anyway I got on the bus and things opened more or less on time so we were off. The winds and visibility up high was pretty bad but Bellevarde always delivers and we had a decent ski lapping around on the Marmottes.... so a couple of laps of Marmottes before an early hot choc break to warm up and attempt to dry out the clothing was in order (all I can say is thank god I had a rain jacket on).

Also after hot choc time we managed to fit in one more lap before calling it a day - poor thing was soaking. Anyway before long it was all done and he headed off with his mum and I grabbed a naughty Tartine lunch - a Sandwich American in there is HUGE and for €10 the best bargain in town!

I got home and got all my clothes on to dry! The radiator was working hard all day - my clothes then Clares clothes and finally Bens clothes - lots of drying to be done!

I spent the whole afternoon basically in town at the AGM for our building here and for 99% of the time there was not a lot of interest for me - even if much of the French was a little over my head! Anyway our points finally came up on the agenda and it was really good as it looks like everything was voted through! On to the next stage in getting the architects to draw up formal plans now and then the Mairie and then we can start looking for a main contractor and onward and upwards! I got home about 1730 in the end!

The main downer of the day was from my mums care home - they basically said that she is deteriorating and not looking good! She is barely eating or drinking anything and they are preparing for EOL medication to come down the track. So it was a sad phone call I made this evening and I think Olivia found it just as upsetting!

However things were made happier around the house as Clares mum arrived this afternoon so lots of happiness around the place especially with all the presents she brought out for the kids - haha! She is with us for a week.

The bad weather continues this evening and it will rage all night long and probably all of tomorrow too. The avalanche risk is already 4 and they might have to raise it to 5 tomorrow possibly. I suspect the roads in and out of the resort might have to close for a short period tomorrow so they can blast the slopes above the road - we shall see! Either way I dont think it will be a particularly easy day on the roads - good luck folks!

So I think that is about all for today - needless to say non of the SCARA racing took place today - poor kids what a disappointment - not sure if they are going to try and reschedule it or not.

TTFN

P.S. I will make next Friday the last day of the season for my daily updates I think - fyi

Rather snowy outside the Bellevarde Restaurant this am!

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@Steve Angus, so sorry about your Mum. Crying or Very sad

Bon courage.

snow reports

@Steve Angus, sorry to hear about your mum. My view is when it's time it's time.. I hope she has a peaceful end

You know it makes sense.

Sorry about your Mum, but great news re the planning etc. Best wishes.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Hey @Steve Angus, if it's of any honour, we did the Bellevarde, Marmottes chicken nuggets, The Corner hot choc this week to name a few off the back of your posts and have been way made up! Not sure if you offered up the noodles at Tignes Cuisine but shocker of a tastebud delight!

Thanks for the tips!

A snowHead

@Steve Angus, really sorry to hear about your mum. We're thinking of all of you.

A snowHead

Hurtle / holidayloverxx / moosepig / endoman / lynnecha - thank you all! Yes it has been a long time coming.... even back last October when we all saw her as a family I thought it was imminent then but she has strode on... she just finds swallowing too hard and eating and drinking what a baby eats a day is not enough to sustain her... having said that she had a little more today and a slightly better day so I'm taking it day by day at the moment! My step sister thinks it was a slight over-reaction from the care home but hey ho... she looks like death in a bed to be honest. Being selfish I just want her to make it another month or so then ill have all the time in the world! Today she seemed better so I'm 'standing down' a little more once again but ready as and when!
kettonskimum - ah that is amazing.... glad can help! Yes Tignes Cuisine is good - dont ever get there but it is awesome yes.

Colder

So after having a really good nights sleep (Clare was out for dinner with a client so it was just her mum and I guarding the house - haha!) we were all up and ready - until I realised that it was only me working today - whoops! Anyway Clare still managed to get a little bit of a lie in and the kids were entertained by Clares mum.... it was all rather peaceful and civilised!

Anyway the weather outside was similar to yesterday but crucially colder! It was also quite windy too.

Heading up to the meeting point I got a message to say the clients were running late so it gave me a chance to pop in for a quick drink to start the day....

We got going a short while later and I set off into the weather with the two teens with the plan to meet up with the parents a short while later! As we headed up the Olympic (most of the main lifts all opened dead on time this morning despite quite a lot of clearance needing to be done on the mountain) I got a sense that the wind was horrendous up there and just as we arrived the thickest cloud ever known rolled in and with the snow pelting our face we didnt even attempt to get out the cabin and instead stayed in and went back down - the Rogoney looked like a much better bet. So for an hour we were on the Rogoney working on technique before the Dad (the mum decided to give Day 1 a miss) arrived and we headed up Solaise this time (at least that way we could always head home easily). So some technique runs (the weather was ever so slightly better now) on the Madelaine and then Datcha followed but the kids were obviously not dressed for the occasion so we ended up downloaiding and finishing a little early. Tomorrow with the better weather it will hopefully be easier and the whole family will be smiling and on time etc. Bring it on.

So for lunch we had all agreed to head to the Garage... Clare, Clares mum and the kids had walked up and were ready for a good feed and I had obviously been on the mountain... the Garage was quite busy but we had an amazing lunch... I enjoyed my pizza and the kids enjoyed their pizza / burger and Clare her Poke bowl and Clares mum a great steak and chips! It was good that there were some friends of the kids in there too and it was quite busy so the kids had loads of fun as we chilled and eat and chatted.

The afternoon was spent having a duvet film afternoon... with the weather raging outside we put on some kids films / ate popcorn and really didnt do much apart from drank tea! So it has been a very chilled afternoon all in all! Now the kids are in bed I am going to try and settle down to watch some of the Masters. Tomorrow is a new day / a new week but this time next week ill already be in VT.... eeek.

TTFN

This was about as nice as it got today... but despite looks it was bitterly cold and windy up there!

The magic carpet has never looked this snow-covered all season long!!!!!!

P.S. The weather is still going but tomorrow it should break and we should see warmer temps, a drop in the wind and the return of some sunshine... with the avalanche risk up to 4 again please go carefully tomorrow as it will be a high 5 IMO!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

ep the faith Steve. 3yrs ago my mother had Pneumonia was in hospital for weeks could not eat or drink at all . The doctor said mum had lost the ability to eat or drink due to her dementia then a miracle happened mum started to eat and drink a little.I now home care for my mum along with my family .

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Really sorry to hear about your mum Steve, I hope she's at least comfortable and not in any pain. Thoughts are with you.

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HoneyBunny - thank you ever so much. She is on pain killers for sure! She is settled thats the main thing.

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Much nicer weather!

After another monster sleep everyone was on fine form. Yay! Sunday morning and of course it was baguette and nutella for the kids and I enjoyed eggs on toast. It was all very civilised start to the day! I headed out into the morning sunshine and it felt like Spring really had returned but luckily it was chilly overnight so the snow was preserved really really well. Amazing!

I headed up to the meeting point and met my team (a complete team as the mum came along today too after missing yesterday) for the day. I decided that a warm up on familiar territory of Rogoney would be in order and then we headed to the Solaise. It was a nice mix of a morning of technique, new terrain, some coffee stops and enjoying the terrain! It ended up being a little disjointed as we didnt know what the plan was for their lunch booking and at one point we were heading back down on the gondola to get towards the Folie via the Bellevarde but on the way to the gondola we found out the booking day was wrong so we turned around and they were ultimately going to have lunch at the Ouillette today! Anyway it was a good morning!

I headed home for lunch and with the kids we called my mum - she is having a better day and seems to have pulled back from the brink so that is good news!

The afternoon was another lazy afternoon with the kids, playing, watching a moving and chilling out really. We caught up with Snow Trax and Mrs S T later in the afternoon and it was nice letting the kids play about as we drank cups of tea. Yippee.

So I start my last week of lessons before heading off on Saturday for VT.

The weather will continue to be nice tomorrow and for a few more days to come before deteriorating at the end of the week. Hmm either way it is lovely conditions out there at the moment thats for sure!

TTFN

Ready to go!

After all it is free

Conditions are certainly very good out there for mid-April and a welcome return to spring today. The snow was holding up well into the afternoon.

@Steve Angus, great to have a catch up over a cuppa Very Happy

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Hot

All these early nights meant I was actually awake early this morning which is never a good thing on a Monday morning - but hey ho. Anyway with the sun shining and the kids on form and then out the door it was time to head to the meeting point - the start of a new week.

So this am I had a lovely Scottish lady - someone actually Clare has taught a fair bit in the past. Anyway she did her duties dropping her kids off then we were off. As it has been a few years since she last skied I think she felt the nerves this morning so it was a cautious start up on the magic carpet. At least the sun meant the snow was in perfect condition! We did a few runs on the carpet and then finally got a lap in on the Madelaine - very impressed with how she stepped up to the mark... good on her!

Interestingly there was not one but 2 incidents on the carpet whilst we were there - being a busy Monday am during school hols... firstly there was an older British guy (heard him speak) take a turn on the loading area of the carpet and was on air etc when we loaded on the other carpet past him... and then there was a teen who had done her knee in on the slope itself so that meant a skidoo rescue on the carpet .... all go.

However (see photos below) there was an amazing display organised by the tourist office (I'm not sure why it had to happened on the Madelaine piste of all places - but after we were there it should be added!) of an eagle and its handler. It turned into quite a spectator sport with loads of people following the bird (flying much of the time) and the handler down the slope!

At lunchtime I enjoyed some restbite from the sun under the Sun Bar which is always welcome on a sunny day in the Spring... I dont want to look 200 years old too early in my life!

Anyway the afternoon was very different in that there had been a little mix up on the booking - by the client not at this end! We met as normal and headed up the Bellevarde for a ski about and generally to have a nice ski about.... the plan had been to ski to Val Claret and back but on the way there it was decided that they wanted to have lunch (yes I know). So we headed to the Folie and they sat down and had a lovely lunch... as the celebrations and partying continued it ended up being a very long lunch... long enough that by the time they finished the lesson had finished as well.... it was the most bizarre sessions I think I have had in a number of years!

I headed home just as Clare and her mum were heading into town to see the cousins and have a play in their chalet... it was amazing as I had the house all to myself for a couple of hours - bliss!

The weather tomorrow will be similar temps to today but cloudy which will make the Spring options interesting to put it mildly! Bens teacher is also off tomorrow so he is going to be a spoilt boy with his granny!

Apart from all that it has not been a particularly eventful day!

TTFN

P.S. In the French elections here in Val it looks like most voters (a majority) were very much in favour of re-electing Macron.... we shall see who actually gets the nod in 2 weeks time.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Intriguing client! Did you have a second lunch then at the Folie??

snow reports

I’d imagine most British skiers in Val would be very much in favour of Starmer too but a ski crowd wouldn’t be representative of the population as a whole would it?

@up4it, That's not the demographic of the skiers in Val D that I know!

You know it makes sense.

Who is this starmer of whom you speak?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Nigel Starmer-Smith per chance?

A snowHead

Jehu - should've / could've - but didnt - enjoyed a nice cold drink or two though!
up4it - Starmer??? eh! But I'm not saying Val is representative of the French population no.
chocksaway - I think there is a smattering of (how shall I say) centrists and more right of central Brits in Val!

Cloudy but warm

The day was pleasant enough to start and the with only Olivia to get on the school bus it was very relaxed start to the day indeed! Clare and I headed to the meet point for our various lessons. There had been a semi decent freeze overnight but only just down low... that means not a big one up high! Anyway I met my am lesson and the plan was to to the green triangle. After the Olympic and steps walk down I knew the hardest part would be getting her across above the Bellevarde resto (not made any easier by totally oblivious people standing in the wrong place (people really have no idea what a pain they can be where they stop / stand on the mountain sometimes!) and then down the 2 hardest parts of the Verte... especially a west facing slope after a refreeze overnight! Anyway it worked out OK despite a couple of wobbles and we were off.... little by little we completed the green triangle and fitted in a Grand Pre add on... but by the end there were some sore legs! So we ended up downloading on the Olympic and finishing a little early.

I had some phone calls to make at lunchtime but sitting in the shade under the Sun Bar is always OK! I started the pm meeting a couple of friends of friends of friends type thing... it was the 8 and 9 year old kids I had... a really nice couple of kids from London who had done a weeks skiing a few years back before COVID but non the less had skied some greens back then. It was a case of re-setting their balance and co-ordination from those days and building on it. I have them for a few more days so we can build and build them up!

We started with the small carpet to get the confidence up and they did well getting back in the swing of things. It was slightly marred by a British guy teaching his kid to ski sliding into me (he appeared a pretty OK skier (the dad)) but then tried to lecture me as to the way the rules of the mountain worked in terms of me skiing in front of him... I did point out that there aren't any extenuating circumstances in this sport... you have to be ready to either stop or turn its as simple as that.... of course accidents happen but if you can't be ready then you either need to slow down or go onto a slope where you can do that! Either way when there is contact with someone you need to make sure there is no injury to the other party - another rule of the mountain! So anyway I pointed this out but as usual bravado and 'the expert skier' knew best.... dont know why I bother sometimes!

However the skiing went really well and soon we were on the big carpet (not without a hot choc stop of course) and things are looking good for a trip down Madelaine tomorrow I hope! Thats the plan!

Meanwhile Ben with his teacher off work today had a lovely ski with Clares mum and then lunch at the self serve place at the Refuge and had a lovely morning!

I got home and pretty much as I walked in the door Clare, her mum and both kids were heading into town for kids tea at Clares brothers chalet in town... so like last night I had an extra hour or two all by myself at home! I could get used to this! However when they did finally get home I was rushed off my feet ic getting them both in to bed! That was hectic!

Tomorrow evening we are all heading out for dinner with the others to the Fondue Factory in town so the update might be late. Either way it will be a really nice evening. And then Thursday evening Clare and I have been invited to apres drinks and nibbles at her clients chalet in town which will be really nice!

Weather wise it will be another cloudy day tomorrow as it was today but the temps should stay quite high... there is also a chance of precipitation in the afternoon possible too! We shall see!

In totally unrelated news there is a specialist doctors conference on this week in town - of all things they are shoulder specialists - blimey didnt know that was a specialism!

TTFN

Apologies my hat looks a bit pissed in this photo!

A snowHead

"there is a specialist doctors conference on this week in town"

Is that how to include a ski trip in your expenses for tax purposes, perhaps?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Back from our first trip skiing for two years and as I had asked for restaurant recommendations - I thought it fair I offered some comments on our experiences:

Avancher Hotel - fantastic. Lovely place and really good staff. Food excellent - my daughter and I had the traditional raclette and the meat selection was superb , big bowl of salad and cornichons , a bag of hot potatoes. The actual cheese was grilled by a member of staff at a central table so no faffing for us - he just turned up every few minutes with more melted cheese until we said stop !
My wife and son had lovely grilled sea bass fillets. Desserts very good. Was very busy so definitely have to book. Not as expensive as you might think... the raclette was cheaper than e.g. Le Casserole (which we did not like in 2019 - felt like a tourist trap)
We also popped here for lunch in their bar one day - it was empty ! Great homemade soup and pasta.

La Gourmandine - we have had lunch here a few times before and enjoyed it but felt it was a bit below par this time... not as busy as has been before - seemed expensive and quality not great.

Le Barillion (La Daille) - this was recommended by several people in the Val FB group (including your wife @Steve Angus so please pass on our thanks). It was fantastic - a great raclette (which we grilled on the table) , super staff and plenty of space (not hemmed in like we have been in other places). Lovely wine and some free homemade Genepi shots . Rosees bar before the meal was good and lively.

Le Garage - new to us - don't think it was there last time we were in Val in 2019. Superb place , lots of space inside and out. Great selection of beers and very good pizzas and burgers at reasonable (for Val!) prices. Other plates were available but we only had eyes on the good stuff ! Friendly staff. We went there several times.

Sadly never made it to Signal for food (although we did hot chocs) , Pea du Vache , Edelweiss , refuge de solaise or folie ...

Good week skiing too - seemed pretty quiet - almost no queues anywhere. Had a top up of snow before we arrived (which caused us some minor travel delays but some poor people delayed until next day) and more later in the week (Friday we did not ski at all as was horrid and wet).

Was good to be back sliding about !

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Jehu - its pretty standard that sort of thing across Europe certainly anyway. Indeed even as a self employed person I can claim my daily lunch value against tax - but then again tax rates over here are higher anyway!
Kenzie - plenty of that too!
sheffskibod - great feedback there - thanks! Interesting re Gourmandine - heard that a few times this season! Indeed off the beaten track Le Barillon - one of my personal favourites and thats irrespective of it being next to us here! Yes Garage is our new favourite place for those reasons! Glad you enjoyed the all important skiing bit too! See you next time.

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Nice morning

I woke up early again this morning but thats fine as Clares mum was heading out for a pastry run! So she headed out and the kids were up and excited but Ben was especially excited as it is his best friends birthday party today. He was up dressed, bed made, pj's folded and happily cleaning the windows (off his own back I hasten to add) before breakfast had even started!

The kids munched their way through a LOT of pastries so they were very happy! Clare needed to be out the door for a 0900 start but I wasnt starting until 0930 so it was a very relaxed start to the day! I finally headed off to the meet point and bumped into my clients in the bus so we made an early start!

There had been no freeze overnight and apparently not even at the top of the mountain properly so it was OK to head straight for slopes that otherwise would be rock hard! The kids were on form and we initially skied a few runs on the magic carpet before hot choc break at the Ouillette - can't believe it was the first time I have been there this season! Anyway the kids chose the most expensive snack known to mankind (a macaroon each) but wolfed it all down! It turned into a really good session and with a couple of laps of the Madelaine completed to they were lots of smiles all round by the end of the session - looking good for the Glacier run tomorrow and then the green triangle Friday!

I dropped the kids at lunchtime at the Gourmandine for lunch with their parents and jumped on the bus home and half way back I remembered I still had the kids and lift passes in my rucksack (all had been taken off as it was so warm again today!). So double bus journeys back and forth were needed! Anyway after getting home and cooling down I ate lunch then took the kids to Bens best friends birthday party... and as said friends big sister is also Olivias best friend both went to the party. It was up at the fire station and knowing the mum concerned she NEVER does anything short of the BEST birthday parties so the fire trucks were out, hoses laid out on the ground, all kids were in high vis jackets etc etc etc. It was quite a party so I'm looking forward to hearing all about it later on when we collect the kids!

Anyway I headed home and now with Clare home the 3 adults in the house are having a chill for a couple of hours before we go collect the kids and we are all heading to the Fondue Factory for a massive meal all the cousins and adults and friends altogether! Should be pretty hectic but fun (and tasty hopefully too!).

So thats why I'm doing this writeup extra early and before we head off out. Should be a nice evening!

The weather will continue to be warm and sunny but with some clouds about the next few days.... oh and also I am happy that I have managed to find another instructor from another ski school (Italian guy) who is coming to the EoSB next week to teach so thats good news as Admin was seriously short on instructors for next week.

TTFN

Ben on a mission this morning cleaning the windows - excitement is a great thing!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@Steve Angus, can I borrow Ben, please?

After all it is free

Even hotter

The day started as normal and crucially there had been a freeze overnight with no clouds at sunset last night.... I met my kids at the meeting point and it was time to challenge them a little more but I also knew that there will be firm snow so had to work the orientations carefully. I headed up Solaise and the kids were happy as they had poles for the first time today! We warmed up with a couple on the magic carpet and then headed to a firm Madelaine and the kids did extremely well when I thought they might freeze on the hard snow. Anyway after a couple on there and some good turns we stopped for hot choc break.... I wanted to give the snow some time to soften up before heading to the show piece for the kids of the day... the Glacier run. Taking people on there for the first time is always a baptism of fire... suddenly they are a smaller fish in a bigger ocean and the speed of people on there etc is just the tip of the iceberg usually.

Anyway we descended the run slowly but surely! The kids only had one fall between them and I was jolly impressed with how they handled it. The last steep pitch wasnt too challenging in the end and when we finished the parents were waiting at the Datcha to buy them lunch... so we finished the lesson there a little early and the kids were very happy (I actually think the parents were even happier!).

I made a mad dash to get to the Sun Bar as I had arranged to meet with M + M whom I haven't seen for about 3 years... so nice to catch up with them and hear all their news of the last few years! In this job there are always a handful of clients whom you would like to be friends with in the real world or they stick in your mind for various reasons OR someones when you teach people a few times they really find a place in your memory and M + M fall into that category. Alas we sat in the sun (I treated myself to Sun Bar lunch!) and put the world to rights.... it was a lovely couple of hours in baking hot sun... hopefully I haven't got a burnt neck!

By 1500 I headed home and had a fairly quick change and sort out before Clare and I headed back into town as Clares clients this week were throwing a 'Hawaii' themed party in their chalet.... they have just completed on the purchase and it is a sort of house warming party! So all the instructors that have taught them as well as family members and various others from around town were invited along to the event and we had a really fun evening. They really went all out getting a live band in as well as cocktail maker and caterers... I thought I did quite well (wore 'normal clothes over the top so I didnt freeze / look a fool on the bus / walk back home) in my fancy dress outfit of colourful t-shirt with swimming trunks and a bright baseball cap and sunnies! Anyway it was a nice event and yummy nibbles too!

So that was Thursday .... I'm back home now and Clare is staying for another cocktail so goodness knows when she will actually make it home!.

Tomorrow will be another full on day and Ben also has his end of 'season' swimming gala / performance thing too. Clares mum also leaves tomorrow after her week and then of course on Saturday I am off to Val Thorens. So tomorrow will be the last daily update of the season!

By the way the photos above are of course from today as well the other ones from Radio Val of the Leo T's 'event' yesterday - some cool things happened in the Manchet thats for sure!

TTFN

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Enjoyed your posts as usual really good
Thanks
Be good to finally meet you in VT! Very Happy

Help!!

The view from............ Val d'Isere and the Espace Killy

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