Action Shots!

Many of the photos thus far uploaded to this diary have shown us, mostly stationary, admiring some of the more spectacular Alpine peaks around. While this activity (admiration of Alpine peaks) is certainly high on our agenda, it may lead to the mistaken impression that all we're doing out here is riding chairlifts to high points, getting our photos taken, and then returning to the safety of the nearest creperie.


The above photo being a classic example of this. Oh, and did you notice the 4808m summit in the background - that's Mont Blanc. Consequently, and once we'd figured out how to use the continuous-shot feature of our Canon Ixus 75, we felt the need to get some photos of us actually skiing.


This isn't a photo of us skiing, but yet another example of our laziness as we admire the Roc d'Enfer (2243m).

Today we explored a new region of the Haute Savoie. That says quite a lot about the vastness of the Portes du Soleil ski domain that we've been out here for the last 4 years on ski holidays and for the last month and a half continously and there's still huge areas we've never been to.

This morning we visited the Mont Chery area of Les Gets. And because i'm getting slightly peeved with English tourists out here who know perfectly well how to pronounce these places but seem unable to, let's just be clear: Mont Chery is pronounced Mon-Sherry, and Les Gets is Ley Shay (although where the 'sh' sounds more like a 'z' crossbred with a 'j').

Pronunciation aside, Pointe de Mont Chery gives you spectacular views of Mont Blanc (Mon-Blonk) and shelters a cute valley which looks out onto the Roc d'Enfer (Rock-Donfay). The skiing was less fabulous, however. The dark side of the mountain very icy and the side in the sun very slushy. Actually, it was apparently +8C at Les Gets at 12 noon today. That's quite scarily high and left us baking in our 5 layers of clothing. It also meant the avalanche risk was 4 (out of 5) and that most of the lower slopes at Les Gets were filled with grassy patches that our poor, freshly waxed, skis had to navigate.

However, all this talk is getting us no closer to our goal of Action Shots. So, look away now if you're easily frightened.

This is Natalie negotiating Marmottes (a red run). She was doing about 400mph in this photo.

Next, this is me on the same run, lower down, doing about Mach 6. Look at that cool ice dust i'm spraying up!


Natalie hammers down le Chevreuil, a black run over the back of Pointe de Mont Chery. This photo was taken by a specially adapted high-speed camera. She is travelling at 0.6c which some thought impossible while still within the mesosphere.


And finally, going so fast, you have to go back in time just to look at this photo, it's me again, back on Marmottes:


Just a reminder that you can now click on these photos for a larger image - and you may be able to make out the huge grin on my face which is usually the way it looks when i'm going super-sonic.