We didn't have oodles of time but we did manage to see Avoriaz, Morzine, and of course the Lac de Montriond.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Parental Visitation
A couple of weekends ago the Parental Units came to visit us. They were delivering our car which I cleverly smashed to bits in December. I think they were quite impressed with the awesome French Alps. This makes sense because the French Alps are indeed awesome.
We didn't have oodles of time but we did manage to see Avoriaz, Morzine, and of course the Lac de Montriond.
We didn't have oodles of time but we did manage to see Avoriaz, Morzine, and of course the Lac de Montriond.
Bonny Day
On Sunday Natalie and I had the excellent idea of doing some Alpine Touring. AT or Randonee as it is known in Europe is where you walk up on skis and then ski back down again. You can have multiple ascents and descents in a tour but since we are beginners we're hiking up and then skiing down the same way.
On the way up you fit "skins" to the undersides of your skis which look like animal skins. In fact they are made out of oodles of plastic fibres which all point the same way therefore you can glide forwards but not slide backwards.
We drove up to Col de l'Encrenaz which is about 10 minutes from our house, parked, kitted up (which is much harder with rando skis since they don't clip together) and then started our 2.5km hike comprising an elevation gain of 250m. Ok so it's not quite Mont Blanc but it was a good start for us!
Scarlett loved it too. It's slightly worrying when other skiers come down and she's in their way but we're training her to get out of the path. In the weekends to come there will be fewer people about so that'll make it easier too.
So how was it? It was absolutely awesome. It's briliant being the only people on the mountain (most of the time) and fantastic to find untracked powder that is only accessible by randonee. It's also fabulous that we live next to an excellent rando beginners area where there's very little avalanche risk and also a nice easy slope to practice on. Did I mention that I love France yet?
The only tricky part was actually the skiing. Rando boots are a lot more upright than downhill boots. The skis are also a lot straighter which means that my weight was all wrong and that I couldn't turn the skis. My solution to this was to simply fall over in the ample powder. However i'm definitely going to have to learn how to ski properly before we try anything more adventurous!
As a result of this excellent tour we've decided to buy our own gear which will arrive this weekend. This works out perfectly with Nicola's arrival because we need to practice on easy slopes on our new gear before heading out into the Proper back country.
On the way up you fit "skins" to the undersides of your skis which look like animal skins. In fact they are made out of oodles of plastic fibres which all point the same way therefore you can glide forwards but not slide backwards.
We drove up to Col de l'Encrenaz which is about 10 minutes from our house, parked, kitted up (which is much harder with rando skis since they don't clip together) and then started our 2.5km hike comprising an elevation gain of 250m. Ok so it's not quite Mont Blanc but it was a good start for us!
Scarlett loved it too. It's slightly worrying when other skiers come down and she's in their way but we're training her to get out of the path. In the weekends to come there will be fewer people about so that'll make it easier too.
So how was it? It was absolutely awesome. It's briliant being the only people on the mountain (most of the time) and fantastic to find untracked powder that is only accessible by randonee. It's also fabulous that we live next to an excellent rando beginners area where there's very little avalanche risk and also a nice easy slope to practice on. Did I mention that I love France yet?
The only tricky part was actually the skiing. Rando boots are a lot more upright than downhill boots. The skis are also a lot straighter which means that my weight was all wrong and that I couldn't turn the skis. My solution to this was to simply fall over in the ample powder. However i'm definitely going to have to learn how to ski properly before we try anything more adventurous!
As a result of this excellent tour we've decided to buy our own gear which will arrive this weekend. This works out perfectly with Nicola's arrival because we need to practice on easy slopes on our new gear before heading out into the Proper back country.
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Crazy weird haircut
So to add to my list of weird experiences here today I got my hair cut. In French. Imagine trying to explain the style you want in a language where you barely have enough skill to order a coca cola. Perhaps that's why i now look like a character from Full Metal Jacket. Think Top Gun minus the good looks.
And that's just one of the many things it is impossible to do when you don't speak the same language as everyone else. Today I received a bill for €120 for I have no idea what. I have no clue what it is for and even after getting a colleague to explain it to me I'm still no wiser. I think it might be an annual amount for me to use the French toll roads but since i didn't really understand what the lady who sold me the automatic toll payment device was saying I have no clue what I actually have agreed to.
It would be so great to understand what is actually going on for a change.
And that's just one of the many things it is impossible to do when you don't speak the same language as everyone else. Today I received a bill for €120 for I have no idea what. I have no clue what it is for and even after getting a colleague to explain it to me I'm still no wiser. I think it might be an annual amount for me to use the French toll roads but since i didn't really understand what the lady who sold me the automatic toll payment device was saying I have no clue what I actually have agreed to.
It would be so great to understand what is actually going on for a change.
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
The Roc d'Enfer Circuit
On Saturday we skied the circuit of the Roc d'Enfer. For those few of you who don't know the circuit is an 11km route from the top of la Grande Terche back down to the bottom of that station via la Cheverie which, for those few of you who don't know, is in the Vallee Vert which, for those even fewer of you who don't know is the next major valley west of the Vallee de l'Arve which, for the one or two people who for some bizarre reason don't know is the valley that we live in.
In other words, skiing down into the next valley is a Big Deal. And also very cool because you get the sensation of being in the back country because there are no lifts, very few other people, and beautiful Alpine forests you can just glide through.
The best bit is that throughout the entire 11km route you only see hear and use one chairlift and one draglift. The rest of the time it's just you and the mountains.
This was also an excellent opportunity to test out the GPS tracking feature of my iPhone. I'm using an application called trails and it's really cool. It produces GPX files which you can load into google earth and create the following visual masterpiece.
The vital statistics of our circuit are 11km in 47 minutes with a total descent of 1.4km. Neato.
We actually skied it twice to see if we could do it faster non-stop. This would have worked except that I decided to take us down some "powder" that turned out to be crust. People need to learn not to follow me!
In other words, skiing down into the next valley is a Big Deal. And also very cool because you get the sensation of being in the back country because there are no lifts, very few other people, and beautiful Alpine forests you can just glide through.
The best bit is that throughout the entire 11km route you only see hear and use one chairlift and one draglift. The rest of the time it's just you and the mountains.
This was also an excellent opportunity to test out the GPS tracking feature of my iPhone. I'm using an application called trails and it's really cool. It produces GPX files which you can load into google earth and create the following visual masterpiece.
The vital statistics of our circuit are 11km in 47 minutes with a total descent of 1.4km. Neato.
We actually skied it twice to see if we could do it faster non-stop. This would have worked except that I decided to take us down some "powder" that turned out to be crust. People need to learn not to follow me!
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Packed Weekends
Last weekend Jonathan came to visit us for a smidgen of Genevan sight-seeing and some light skiing. As usual he did amazingly well skiing the vertigo-inducing Abricotine ridge after warming up with only a single run on the nursery slopes.
Natalie and Jonathan on the Abricotine ridge.
It was only his fifth day of skiing ever but by the end of the day he was skiing the nasty home run (called Parchets) which is marked as blue but has a nasty red section in the middle of it. Natalie and I had dog-entertainment duties so we didn't get to witness this feat but according to the Phils (his excellent guides for the afternoon) he did this spectacularly well.
I think he enjoyed the skiing (who wouldn't?) but I think he was less impressed with Geneva. This is unsurprising because there really is nothing there to see besides an over-sized broken chair, a rather big fountain and lot of expensive watch shops selling expensive watches that basically no one can afford.
On the Sunday after our morning ski we took the Scarpers up to Col du l'Encrenaz which is about 10 minutes up the road from our house. We, to the amusement of some French man in the carpark, then strapped our skis to our backpacks (with difficulty), strapped our racquettes to our boots, and hiked about 250 vertical meters up a black mogul field and then a red track on the Mont Chery side of Lets Gets.
Natalie and Scarlett walking up Chevreuil in Mont Chery.
Of course by this time the lifts were closed and we were totally alone apart from a pisteur who was checking for lost day skiers on her way home. She just waved at me. Normally they yell at you to get down the mountain but I guess she assumed we knew what we were doing. So the more hardcore you look and the more dangerous the activity (ok parents, not dangerous really, we were still in a marked ski area - just with no one else around at dusk) the more likely you are to be left to your own devices.
At the top of our climb we unloaded the skis and very heavy boots from our bags, kitted up, strapped the racquettes to the backpacks this time and stowed our walking boots. Then we skied the 1.5 kilometer downhill it took us an hour to walk up in about 8 minutes.
It was so awesome I can't really explain it. This weekend we're going to rent proper randonee gear and see if we can get a little further. It'll be a while before we venture out of the resort and we have to do avalanche training first for that but I've already decided that i love Alpine touring and i can't wait until lifts are a thing of the past.
Tomorrow we're skiing the Roc d'Enfer circuit. 10 kilometres of undisturbed downhill Alpine beauty with only one chair and a drag in the way. Hopefully we'll have the resort to ourselves.
Natalie and Jonathan on the Abricotine ridge.It was only his fifth day of skiing ever but by the end of the day he was skiing the nasty home run (called Parchets) which is marked as blue but has a nasty red section in the middle of it. Natalie and I had dog-entertainment duties so we didn't get to witness this feat but according to the Phils (his excellent guides for the afternoon) he did this spectacularly well.
I think he enjoyed the skiing (who wouldn't?) but I think he was less impressed with Geneva. This is unsurprising because there really is nothing there to see besides an over-sized broken chair, a rather big fountain and lot of expensive watch shops selling expensive watches that basically no one can afford.
On the Sunday after our morning ski we took the Scarpers up to Col du l'Encrenaz which is about 10 minutes up the road from our house. We, to the amusement of some French man in the carpark, then strapped our skis to our backpacks (with difficulty), strapped our racquettes to our boots, and hiked about 250 vertical meters up a black mogul field and then a red track on the Mont Chery side of Lets Gets.
Natalie and Scarlett walking up Chevreuil in Mont Chery.Of course by this time the lifts were closed and we were totally alone apart from a pisteur who was checking for lost day skiers on her way home. She just waved at me. Normally they yell at you to get down the mountain but I guess she assumed we knew what we were doing. So the more hardcore you look and the more dangerous the activity (ok parents, not dangerous really, we were still in a marked ski area - just with no one else around at dusk) the more likely you are to be left to your own devices.
At the top of our climb we unloaded the skis and very heavy boots from our bags, kitted up, strapped the racquettes to the backpacks this time and stowed our walking boots. Then we skied the 1.5 kilometer downhill it took us an hour to walk up in about 8 minutes.
It was so awesome I can't really explain it. This weekend we're going to rent proper randonee gear and see if we can get a little further. It'll be a while before we venture out of the resort and we have to do avalanche training first for that but I've already decided that i love Alpine touring and i can't wait until lifts are a thing of the past.
Tomorrow we're skiing the Roc d'Enfer circuit. 10 kilometres of undisturbed downhill Alpine beauty with only one chair and a drag in the way. Hopefully we'll have the resort to ourselves.
Friday, 12 February 2010
Morzine Weather Report
So rather than moan about the now massive number of people in the resort, I thought I would provide a useful public service by telling you what the weather and conditions are like here in the Portes du Soleil.
And the answer is Good! It's been really cold recently and we've had snow every day for the last 4 days. It looks like more is coming too.
So basically. If you've just spent 5k on you and your childrens ski holiday rest assured you will have plenty of snow. It's likely to be very cold though and if you're a fair weather skier get prepared for some chalet time too.
As a final note on my public service announcement remember that the most dangerous place on the mountain is a blue run on a Sunday. Don't ruin your own or someone elses ski holiday by skiing like an idiot. Especially mine.
And the answer is Good! It's been really cold recently and we've had snow every day for the last 4 days. It looks like more is coming too.
So basically. If you've just spent 5k on you and your childrens ski holiday rest assured you will have plenty of snow. It's likely to be very cold though and if you're a fair weather skier get prepared for some chalet time too.
As a final note on my public service announcement remember that the most dangerous place on the mountain is a blue run on a Sunday. Don't ruin your own or someone elses ski holiday by skiing like an idiot. Especially mine.
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Geneva is hilly
And cold. And overcast all the time. It was very annoying on the news yesterday seeing pictures of London in the sunshine while here in Geneva in 6 weeks i've only had three days of sunshine.
My commute is getting better. Now that I'm cycling I can get from door to door in less than 1 hour and 20 minutes. Once the half-term Muggles have gone home it should be even faster. And considering that's how long it took me to get to work in London that's not bad considering we now live in a much nicer place.
My commute is getting better. Now that I'm cycling I can get from door to door in less than 1 hour and 20 minutes. Once the half-term Muggles have gone home it should be even faster. And considering that's how long it took me to get to work in London that's not bad considering we now live in a much nicer place.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
New toy
Ok so I've joined the masses and got an iPhone. I'm paying Orange France a bajillion Euros for it but you know it's worth it.
It's so pretty I'm going to sleep with it under my pillow.
In other news Jonathan has arrived and tomorrow we're off for no doubt epic skiing. Lot's of snow here tonight so it should be awesome. Stay tuned.
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