Once again it was a chilly day and the thermo was showing about - 15 at breakfast time.
The first thing to happen was the arrival on the overnight Snowtrain from London of Clares mother who is staying with us this week... Olivia was beyond excited when she walked in.... so off to work I went leaving Clare and mum to catch up and Olivia to be, and provide the entertainment!
Anyway the morning session I was with some long standing TDC clients who have been skiing with me and my colleagues for many years and we worked on some piste technique for a few hours. The weather was gorgeous and the pistes empty.... however there was a stiff northerly breeze blowing that made thing rather chilly but it was localised at altitude. You could see the snow being blown off the tops of the mountains that is for sure!
Around about mid morning a rather annoying bank of clouds rolled up the Tarantaise valley and rose up above the dam and for an hour or so caked in the resort about the 2500m level which was rather annoying. Taking a descent down to La Daille we had to pass right through it and it was rather thick!
By lunchtime it was starting to subside down the valley again thank goodness!
I took lunch at Chevallot (treat!) near the post office and whilst I was there I saw a rather bonkers site - I have tried to take a photo below but it has not come out particularly well I am afraid! Anyway it was a man on his (modern) skis near the Post Office, dressed in modern clothes and helmet etc.... but smoking a PIPE!!!!!!
The afternoon session I had the guy from my group and SH who had slightly damaged his knee with me the other day but was able to ski lightly on it. He was with his wife and we worked on red runs for a few hours. Some really great changes were made and we ended up doing an 'around the world' to Tignes and back! It was a pleasant afternoon!
I came home to find everyone in good spirits and it was nice to have an extra pair of hands to keep Olivia entertained and then give her a bath!
Exactly how many people are skiing Diebold this Saturday morning then ehhh.... zero!
The snow was sublime today after we had about 5/10cm of snow overnight up top and there was a little wind blown accumulation greater than that in places!
The outlook is for generally warmer weather for a few days but I dont think it will totally trash the snow before we get into Feb - especially as the sun does not climb too high into the sky and also as most of the runs in the EK are north facing (well many of them!)
Thanks to Radio Val for this pic!
Periscope today..... keep tuning in folks and or following me on Twitter @SteveAngusSnow
It was nice to wake naturally this morning... OK it was still 7am when Olivia started making sounds but it was better than a pre 6am alarm call as it normally is on weekdays. Anyway I did the usual family Sunday scrambled eggs for us all and it was one of my better attempts.
It was chilly (-15) again at breakfast time but soon warmed up and to be honest in the middle of the afternoon it was pretty warm out there - didn't really need gloves for a couple of hours!!!!!!
Clare, her mother and Olivia all went swimming whilst I caught up on some admin..... well between you and I had one eye on the emails etc and one eye on the skiing from Kitz, cricket (Big Bash Final from Australia - well done my Sydney team!) and the test match cricket (oh dear England not your best!). Anyway it was incredibly nice to have the house to myself for a couple of hours!
A very lazy couple of hours whilst Olivia took a nap was followed by a family trip to go sledging. I did some practice transceiver hunts too! She was funny as she was more interested in pulling the sledge around rather than sitting in it and sliding!
A call home to the grandparents followed by roast chicken dinner - yummy.
That was all washed down with a dose of Ski Sunday and that brings you all up to date.
The mountains were gorgeous today and it did feel a TINY bit like Spring but as we all know here in the mountains things can appear differently from what they invariably are!
Back to work tomorrow.
Cocorico - not going off as much as it is likely to mid week!
Olivia doesnt quite get the idea of sledging yet!!!! You sit IN IT not pull it along for hours on end!
Loving the updates and scope Steve though dont always manage to catch scopes live, apologies for 'borrowing' the kitz pic for twitter will be in touch with tdc about lessons/guiding when we are in val for half term.
Loving the updates and scope Steve though dont always manage to catch scopes live, apologies for 'borrowing' the kitz pic for twitter will be in touch with tdc about lessons/guiding when we are in val for half term.
Glad you enjoy and no worries for the kitz pic - I didn't take the pic!
As far as Feb HT - you had better get your skates on as most sessions for half term get booked up months and months in advance (sometimes over a year in advance!) - there is only the odd sessions left available to book! Drop me a PM and ill have a look into it for you and let you know what I can sort. Cheers.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Can I just put a shout out to recommend the ESF avalanche recovery Monday evening presentation/screening and dva demo. Each Monday around 6.15 in the Esf kinder garden Hut
. It's free to attend and very informative for Powder and Piste hounds alike. Any witnesses can play vital parts in avalanche recovery situations and I'm certainly more clued up now.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Stunning!
Well folks it felt like Spring had sprung today... for a couple of hours anyway. If this was the real Spring then the snow would have softened up WAY more than it did today. It was only about -6 this morning and I gambled and took another layer off - whoop whoop! Anyway the 'Doctors Update' conference started today so there are several hundred doctors here for their annual conference. The form is a lecture in the morning until about 9.30 then they ski / snowboard all day and then have another lecture in the afternoon. Between them they seem (in a good way and I'm just commenting) to swamp TDC with lessons so it is always a nice week to be teaching on the hill. In fact I start an Off Piste 'Intro' clinic tomorrow which I am looking forward to.
First up I had a fellow snowhead and number 2 was off injured so it was intensive training one on one instead! We headed up towards the Val glacier working on carving and it was a jolly successful morning I have to say.... some great changes were made! I was pleased with my timings as we got 2 or 3 laps on the Glacier Express before it got busy and then by heading on the up and over got to the Val glacier before the crowds!
Lunchtime was a busy time (it will be even tighter turn around tomorrow). I changed from ski stuff into snowboard stuff and then headed over to Tignes via my Periscope broadcast to teach on the board over there.
Talking of the scope today - WHERE WAS EVERYONE - maybe people were too busy working but it was dead quiet on the comments etc front.... AND I FORGOT TO DO RUN OF THE DAY - AGAIN! Tomorrow.....
Anyway I liked the views I got today - hope you did too!
So the afternoon as I said was spent over in Tignes (well headed Val way for a little while at one point) teaching on the board. It was a pleasant afternoon with a solid rider. I have to say it is not too often you teach someone where you can say that all the fundamentals are present and it is case of tweaking here and there and building onwards and upwards to get better.... rather than having to deconstruct first and then re-build the performance (either skiing or snowboarding). A few blues and reds were the order of the afternoon.
It was a rush to get back to Val at the end of the day but I made it safely enough. After dropping my boarding stuff off back at Snowberry again I got back home about five.
Clare and her mother had had a nice afternoon together so were in good spirits when I got in.
And we have just had Clares cousin around for dinner who is working here for the season in a chalet which has been nice!
That brings you all up today.
Weatherwise the high freezing level does not seem to be having too much of an affect on the snow thank goodness and certainly the north facing slopes (of which there are a lot here in the the EK) still have some nice wintery powder on them (if you know where to look!). The temps and weather should stay similar for another couple of days before the temps gradually return down to normal wintery temps later in the week!
Stay tuned for more tomorrow folks!
Mont Blanc standing proud in the distance
Easy'ish question - what is the chain for????
TTFN
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@Steve Angus,
Quote:
Easy'ish question - what is the chain for????
It's got my beer tied to it, nicely chilled.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:
Easy'ish question - what is the chain for????
You shouldn't ask Mrs Sno trax questions like that, you know what type of answers to expect!
Looking forward to coming out in a couple of weeks.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Winch cat anchor.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Peter S wrote:
Winch cat anchor.
Gee he only asked
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Avalanche safety .... there is a massive grid of chainwork uner the entire snowbase for the whole mountain. When you get buried by an avalanche there will always be a piece of chain within grasping distance. You grab a piece and haul yourself along it and eventually pop up to safety by one of the yellow posts. Only the Espace Killy offers this system
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Sh*t! That's where I left the dog...
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Isn't that the chain for the plug at the bottom of Tignes Lake that keeps all the water in?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
The Fresse /Bollin chairlift was closed most of today. Nothing on Tignes app about tomorrow. Has anyone heard whether there will be an issue tomorrow as well?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
It's really where ski instructors leave their most annoying clients.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Peter S - of course a Snowhead would get it right.... on pistes steep enough the winch-cats use these winch points for securing themselves to the mountain so they can pull themselves up the piste safely!
Steveee - just a temp issue as far as I am aware so should be no problem tomorrow... I dont think so anyway.
I say it was the first thing I did today but today was a lot of moving and shifting this and that:
To the office, drop snowboarding gear there, collect lots of off piste gear, meet group, distribute said gear, go ski and teach, collect back in, drop back to office, change into snowboard gear, ride to Tignes for pm lesson, eat lunch on way, do lesson, ride back to Val, collect skiing and snowboarding gear, home, time for Daddy duty! PHEW!
Anyway my morning group came in dribs and drabs as half of them are on the doctors conference and that doesnt finish until 9.30.... anyway the first session on an intro to off piste group clinic is always a little slow as we get the safety chats out the way etc. However we did a couple of laps in the Jardins de Borsat North and found some nice snow.... there were some great splat du jours that is for sure but I think for the first day it was pretty successful. Plenty more ski time tomorrow!
The afternoon was once again spent over in Tignes teaching on the snowboard and I got her doing a couple of simple freestyle things as well as starting on the road to carving. So it was another good afternoon!
At lunchtime the Folie is a fairly quiet place!
All we had was a few high clouds so once again it was a very pleasant place to be!
The weather was amazing once again and the snow is holding up really well.... it didn't really soften up much at all today which is good. The hazy high cloud just blocked the sun enough to feel a pleasant temperature. The avalanche risk is once again 2/5 and rises in the afternoon a little! The outlook is for nice weather to continue and the temperatures to drop back down to more seasonal norms!
I am posting that last photo to highlight just a couple of things I noted whilst waiting at the top of the Tufs lift out of Tignes Val Claret this afternoon. I was waiting for my pm snowboarding lesson to arrive. In this job I see a lot and often you see the same poo-poo happening over and over again; week in week out the same sorts of things happen, attitudes, mistakes and cycle of events and for once I thought I would share a couple that stagger belief and grate on me.
Firstly when you get off a lift / bus or wherever, just because you are on holiday does not mean you leave behind all common sense. The guy in the middle of the pic got off the lift and proceeded to open his piste map out and stare at it for many minutes whilst blocking the lift exit right up. It is the same when people stop in the middle of the piste and block it right it off when their mates ski up next to them!!!!! Anyway some common sense people.....
The second is the girl in the snowplough.... they were French but that is nothing to do with it.... well meaning boyfriend is taking her WAY out of her comfort / technical zone up there.... Over the course of the next 5 mins or so she got down about 50 yards down towards Piste H and fell about 20 times..... WHY do people do it?
Anyway folks rants over for the evening... I try not to be a grumpy old man - ha ha!
TTFN
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Steve Angus wrote:
Over the course of the next 5 mins or so she got down about 50 yards down towards Piste H and fell about 20 times..... WHY do people do it?
at least she had a helmet on:p
Jokes aside I've been a silent observer of this thread for the last two seasons and have to say I enjoy the daily updates. You definitely have something going with the periscopes and audience engagement.
@Steve Angus, What I did come across today was this article about livestreaming from a gopro through periscope which opens up a whole new ball game! Link is below:
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
extremerob wrote:
Steve Angus wrote:
Over the course of the next 5 mins or so she got down about 50 yards down towards Piste H and fell about 20 times..... WHY do people do it?
at least she had a helmet on:p
Jokes aside I've been a silent observer of this thread for the last two seasons and have to say I enjoy the daily updates. You definitely have something going with the periscopes and audience engagement.
@Steve Angus, What I did come across today was this article about livestreaming from a gopro through periscope which opens up a whole new ball game! Link is below:
and for those who use 'scope' if you search Abe Kislevitz (he's one of GoPros's Creative Directors) you can see some of the first 'live streams' from Aspen. I'd guess we are going to see some live feeds being included in the X-games broadcasts going forward.
After all it is free
After all it is free
extremerob wrote:
@Steve Angus, What I did come across today was this article about livestreaming from a gopro through periscope which opens up a whole new ball game! Link is below:
I will be in Espace Killy on Feb 5/6/7 with a friend who has a GoPro (hopefully the Hero4) - I will try to broadcast from @alansk on periscope, so start following me if you like and wait and see
Then hopefully Steve can critique my shoddy skiing technique too!
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
ansta1 wrote:
and for those who use 'scope' if you search Abe Kislevitz (he's one of GoPros's Creative Directors) you can see some of the first 'live streams' from Aspen. I'd guess we are going to see some live feeds being included in the X-games broadcasts going forward.
Abe is the guy behind the GoPro Japan - in search of perfection that came out the back end of November.
Also very interesting story he was a Uni of Southern California Student that was part of the Ski and Snowboard team and he use to put edits together. It became obvious he had a creative talent as well as being a great skier - he got picked up by GoPro.
Getting a little hacked off with reliability of key chairlifts in ES this week. Yesterday it was Fresse.
Today we planned to ski from Val Claret to glacier du Pissaillas. As Fresse seemed stop/start we took Tufs, skied down to Mont Blanc. Across to Borsat and then to Solaise via genepy and santons. We planned to take Glacier and the Lessiers lifts but Glacier was not working
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
extremerob wrote:
Steve Angus wrote:
Over the course of the next 5 mins or so she got down about 50 yards down towards Piste H and fell about 20 times..... WHY do people do it?
at least she had a helmet on:p
Jokes aside I've been a silent observer of this thread for the last two seasons and have to say I enjoy the daily updates. You definitely have something going with the periscopes and audience engagement.
@Steve Angus, What I did come across today was this article about livestreaming from a gopro through periscope which opens up a whole new ball game! Link is below:
Yes I have had it mentioned to me a few times in the last couple of days about this Go-Pro link up.... however I am struggling to see how it will work other than just seeing what I see as I slide down the slope etc.... it could work BUT the main problem I can see is that it still needs a good internet connection. Watch this space!
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Ansta - there is certainly potential in this for sure!
alansk - that sounds like a plan... I will try and critique yes!
Steveee - yes sorry we seem to be having a run of bad luck with the lifts at the moment dont we - not sure what the Glacier lift problem was today but hoping sorted tomorrow - whoops! Not normally hit and miss!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Hi Steve,
Thanks for keeping us updated with what's going on in EK, and thanks for replying to my question on periscope this morning!
I had just got to work, so it was nice to catch a live view of Val before getting stuck in. My phone notified me as soon as you started broadcasting, which was a nice feature.
I just wanted to know what you thought the conditions will be like over the next few weeks? I know you don't have a crystal ball, but I'm beginning to worry about how warm it's getting / lack of fresh snow! I don't seem to be able to find any long range forecasts.
Cheers,
Andy
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
An enjoyable day and lovely ambiance
Once again I will start with my Periscope as that was how the day started:
It was deja-vu this morning to a large extent although I did do the Olivia drop off run before heading to work. She was not really that happy about being sent to creche this morning which was a first so hope each day does not become a battle from now on in!
It was about -6 first up and felt a little chillier than it had done which is a relief as we are still in January!
Anyway I collected all the off piste safety gear I needed for the team....
We had a nice morning. The only problem was that I had to change plans quite considerably when it became apparent that the Glacier Express was out of order today! Anyway we found some lovely snow in my secret spots!!!! Well I utilised one of my secret spots today and found some pretty nice snow.
One of the surprisingly nicest pitches was in fact the 'bus stop' glades above the Lievre Blanc that I ski / snowboard quite often but it was rather nice today and the ambiance was wonderful.
Lunch time was the usual mayhem... however I was not changing into snowboarding stuff and I was not heading to Tignes but non the less I had a 45 min turnaround!
At lunchtime I was chatting to the owner of Snowberry and we were both agreeing that the modern expectation on ski equipment was leading people to effectively blame their tools whenever they cant do something rather than realising that their technique may in fact be the route cause of their frustration! Anyway always interesting chatting with Jock who knows a thing or two about ski equipment that is for sure!
In the afternoon I was working on piste technique with a snow heads regular and Tignes resident. We had some major breakthroughs and I will give myself a pat on the back as he is a handy skier but is dead keen to perfect his technique. Several laps on Fontaine Froide were the order of the day and then later on we switched to the Orange. A few key things were identified that needed work on and we thrashed it out over the course of the pm.
I did see the PGHM chopper at one point in the afternoon but I do not know what was happening but it is always a worrying thing to see that flying around!
When I got back home it was a relatively quick turnaround before Clare and I left Olivia with 'granny' as we were out for a TDC team ice-karting evening. The ice karting here in Val is a lot of fun.... for €20 you get about 15 mins on the track and if you go as a group it is so much fun.... but take gloves as it is chilly on the hands that is for sure!
We had a quick beer at Fall Line then grabbed a takeaway before relieving 'granny'.... and that brings you up to date!
A quick congrats to my colleague Lena who announced her engagement today - AND she also got back on her skis for the first time this season after suffering an ACL injury on the VERY first day of the season (at least my injury occurred on the second day of the season and not the first!)
TTFN
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Andymarsden1 wrote:
Hi Steve,
Thanks for keeping us updated with what's going on in EK, and thanks for replying to my question on periscope this morning!
I had just got to work, so it was nice to catch a live view of Val before getting stuck in. My phone notified me as soon as you started broadcasting, which was a nice feature.
I just wanted to know what you thought the conditions will be like over the next few weeks? I know you don't have a crystal ball, but I'm beginning to worry about how warm it's getting / lack of fresh snow! I don't seem to be able to find any long range forecasts.
Cheers,
Andy
Hi Andy,
Thanks for joining in and your queries.
I had the same question the other day. Basically fear not... the weather will have minimal effect on Val and Tignes.... why a) we are very high b) the freezing level is dropping all the time but most importantly so much of our terrain is north facing so doesnt receive too much of the direct sunlight..... as far as fresh snow is concerned - we had 3m of it only a few weeks back and I am pretty sure there will be more on its way - it comes - it always does. So it will only be an issue if you are a powder hound day in day out!!!!! Pistes will be nice.
PS welcome to SH's!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Steve Angus wrote:
this Go-Pro link up.... however I am struggling to see how it will work other than just seeing what I see as I slide down the slope etc.... it could work BUT the main problem I can see is that it still needs a good internet connection. Watch this space!
IMHO
Better quality
wide angle lens
*could* be used whilst actually skiing, phone on streaming in pocket whilst GoPro filming....all hands free obviously!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Booked Val today for mid-March! Super excited. I spend all season glued to webcams and Steve's blog (and now Periscopes!!).
It's an addictive place for sure.
Nice update today, I wonder if I'd ever be able to do off-piste like that. Lessons is the answer.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
kitenski wrote:
Steve Angus wrote:
this Go-Pro link up.... however I am struggling to see how it will work other than just seeing what I see as I slide down the slope etc.... it could work BUT the main problem I can see is that it still needs a good internet connection. Watch this space!
IMHO
Better quality
wide angle lens
*could* be used whilst actually skiing, phone on streaming in pocket whilst GoPro filming....all hands free obviously!
You can switch between the gopro and the phone on the camera running periscope.
Yup folks the Go-Pro / Periscope thing has possibilities that is for sure!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
A slight change in weather
The weather crept in on us today... initially it was sunny with a little high cloud but by the end of the day it was grey but no real sign of snow but certainly flatter light than first up!
After dropping Olivia at creche and picking the off piste gear up we headed straight up and worked through a couple of pitches off the Madelaine and Datcha and then Glacier lifts. I wanted to allow a long period of time to get the tour du Cugnai done. The team were up for a bit of an adventure so we headed over the back. It was my first trip off the back there this season and to be honest I was disappointed.
For starters the snow was not great and was surprisingly stripped in many places and far skiers left was a rock fest which I was really surprised about. Secondly it was pretty busy with lots of off piste groups (mostly guided with the correct equipment but there were a few exceptions (sadly as usual!)) going down there. The entry was a little tasty as usual but we got going.
Unfortunately the light went crap on us pretty quickly - well flattish... so it was not the easiest of descents but there you go.
However the main thing is everyone loved the ambiance down there and it was fun that is for sure!
We just had enough time to do a Super L down the guts.... this weeks off pisting has shown a mix of under and over expectations.... I certainly expected little but got lots out of that descent.... it was wonderfully chalky and perfect really.... I really enjoyed the descent! But not going too far along the path (as everyone is pulled into doing) you get the right mix of snow and vertical!
Despite the poor snow I still LOVE the Cugnai itinerary!
The team with yours truly at the end!
Lunch was the usual mad rush (as it has been all week).... however I still got to the meeting point on time to meet my seasonnaires and we enjoyed a great afternoon working on some moguls... we lapped around on the Tommeuse lift (my usual hunting ground for moguls for those who have had lessons with me on moguls!) and then later on I decided to change sector and try the Sache down to Brev..... the moguls have certainly increased in size in the last few days down there that is for sure. Anyway the seasonnaires got something out of the session I am pretty sure.
I was a little late finishing so we finished atop the Toviere mountain and by now the weather was really starting to flatten but not really threaten with snow - boohoo!
I was surprised (so made the most of it) to find that I had a 4G signal at the top so put in my Periscope.
So this evening has been marked with a really yummy meal from Bon Apetit here in Val. If you dont know anything about Nick and his business (www.bonappetitalpes.com) then essentially he delivers AMAZING (honestly it is really nice) frozen food - a little like the 'Cook' franchise in the UK. The food is made in an award winning kitchen near Chamonix and frozen and the menu runs to about 30/40 things from starters to puddings. We had a Thai green curry and other stuff such as nann breads etc. When you think for about £25 we got a delivered dinner for 3 INCLUDING pudding it really is great value for money. Cant recommend it enough!
Tomorrow should bring a return to sunshine but tomorrow I am running a heli ski trip in the morning and then more seasonnaires in the afternoon and then over the weekend it looks like I might (just might) have a blank or two... I have Sunday booked off but Saturday is looking pretty open at the moment so you never know it could be a relaxing couple of days! Clares mother leaves us on Saturday afternoon so it really could be quite quiet on Sunday!
Traffic wise for the weekend it looks like the initial forecast is for 27000 cars on the road up.... this should still not lead to massive issues and jams we hope but in the afternoon there could be a few snarls so allow a little extra time to be on the safe side!
Long range weather forecast is showing some descent snowfalls in the reckoning over the weekend perhaps!
And I think that is all for now. Thanks for those who continue to follow this thread and now the Twitter (@SteveAngusSnow) and Periscope options too. Passed over 200 on Periscope today.!
Seems to be more snow fencing appearing around EK last couple of years ?
Probably a cost effective solution for snow holding.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Peter S - yes there is.... just makes sense in most ski resorts the world over these days to do it!
A very pleasant day
The day started with a veil of cloud that was covering the very highest peaks in the area but it was always meant to clear up and indeed it was to do just that.
I was at the office early to get the necessary off piste gear for the team that was to come on a Chevril heli trip with me. As an aside someone today asked on my daily Periscope video update how much the heli trip costs.... well all in including equipment hire (if you need it we provide it free of charge) along with the cost of the heli and the session itself it comes in around about €100 a head based on 4 people so very good value for money for a half day of fun and helicopter trip thrown into the equation!
Anyway by the time we were half way along the boot pack up from the Tommeuse the sun was coming through and was getting a little warm!
The snow itself was out of this word.... east and north facing aspects (if you know where to look) were still delivering some lovely wintery pow turns. All the way down to the lac du chevril was sublime and at worse we had chalky snow.
The heli trip was as usual first class and the boys loved every second of it.
At the Solaise end we gave the Super S couloirs a go and to be honest it was a mixture of nice 'chalk' coupled with horrible crust so that was not the best way to end the morning but the boys loved it non the less - as an end of week adventure for them! Despite most of them having gotten to bed in the VERY early hours / in one case not been to bed - I think they did exceptionally well! One of my colleagues was also running a heli trip and he managed to have 2 of the 4 as no-shows due to alcohol related 'issues' shall we say - bet the two that remained were rubbing their noses in it!
Anyway lunch was taken in the sun at the Sun Bar and we watched as the last remaining few BASI Level 4 candidates were sent around and around on the Bellevarde Express to prove their long and short radius turns!
The afternoon was equally satisfying but for different reasons. I had my seasonnaires for their third lesson and we get to work on taking them off piste from next week. So this week we were on piste working on carving and I thought it was most enjoyable! They really improved. They also particularly loved 'twirly birds' as trick of the week!
Anyway it was nice to chill out with Olivia for an hour and now the baby-sitter has arrived as I type this which is good as we are off out for a meal with Clares mum and some other family members who are coming out for a long weekend (not staying with us). There will also be some of Clares cousins who are doing seasons here and boyfriends etc.... so anyway it should be a fun evening!
The cloud veil and Mont Blanc showing us the way of things to come shortly!
@Steve Angus, interesting you didn't think there'd be much snow/rain this weekend, others seem to think lots around!!
Is the heli pick up only or can it drop you off in places? Starting to mull ideas over for my 50th next year....
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
As we wrap up an amazing three weeks in VDI & EK I would like to send a huge shout out to Steve Angus for his daily Periscopes and Blog updates on this forum. The daily insights really helped us pick our itineraries for the day and never steered us wrong! After the first stormy week we enjoyed the superb snow the storms delivered. The final week has been endless sunny skies and warm temperatures. But I'm pleased to say the snow has held up very well and most runs are open and skiing nicely.
TDC were a pleasure to deal with and Becky in the office was efficient in organizing our lessons. I really took away a lot from my sessions with Steve. He is very patient, is able to rapidly pin-point areas that need improvement and really makes you think about what you are doing - just brilliant!
Snowberry delivered excellent service for ski-hire, allowing several ski changes and edging and waxing for the hire skis at no charge. They are a great outfit providing efficient and courteous service at their shop at Rond Point des Pistes.
After three weeks; the vote for best on-mountain coffee goes to Le Trifollet on Bellvarde, followed closely by L'Ouillet on Solaise and L'Alpage above Tignes (by the Chaudannes lift). We enjoyed excellent on-mountain lunches at Edelweiss, on the Mangard run at Le Fornet, L'Alpage, Les Marmottes (Bellevarde) and more than once at Le Palet on Grattalu above Val Claret.
We have fallen in love with Val D'Isere and the EK. It is a well run ski area and I was constantly impressed by the piste and lift maintenance and the efficiency of getting things open and running after the bad weather was truly impressive. In addition there were always little extras going on in town, from the light shows on Thursday evenings, the ski races around the snow square on Wednesdays, to the Classic Val concerts and torchlight descents - it all rounded out our enjoyment.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
We've had a lovely week in the Espace Killy, we're heading home tomorrow. Big thanks to Steve for looking after Michelle earlier in the week. We made it down the Face de Bellevarde today, it was a bit scary but we both got down unscathed!
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
