 Poster: A snowHead
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Not great what Macron said. I had 3 visits booked between now and 20th Jan, so will need to can all of those. I do have one at the end of Jan, that will still happen.
Then we are into Feb and have billions of kids arriving in the resort 
May just have to put up with half term madness and ski in Feb this season.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| bar shaker wrote: |
| Not great what Macron said. I had 3 visits booked between now and 20th Jan, so will need to can all of those. I do have one at the end of Jan, that will still happen. |
Has there been any dates for opening mentioned yet? I know they’ve said no bars/restaurants before 20/1, but they’re still talking about lifts opening aren’t they? I’ve got a 7th Jan trip booked, and I’m not hopeful, but haven’t written that off just yet - my (remote) hope is they’ll stay closed over xmas/new year to avoid the busy period then open up after new year - I know it’s a very remote hope but whilst they’re still talking there’s hope?
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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?
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@Steve Angus, really feel for you at this uncertain time, so wishing all the best for you and your family - stay safe. Put's our worrying about whether we'll get to come over on our holiday in perspective.
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harvsurrey - thanks - yea given the circumstances not so bad!
j b - sure. The 'feeling' is not a great one as you can imagine!
endoman - thanks. Ditto that. TBH there are only a handful of bookings in the system so its something to look forward to from my end!
Minion1980[b] - ill leave the decision up to you. However trust me any booking in the system is VERY welcome for anyone anywhere in the process. Also unless you are travelling in school holidays in March I am sure you can get a booking either way in March! Also id say 23rd January still has a very chance of happening so I wouldnt rush quite yet a while to change! To further reply to your point - yes the short ski season is the lifeblood in these parts!
[b]bar shaker - the problem with what Macron (didnt) say was just that - no real indication apart from 'we will follow what everyone seems to be doing' and 'my preference is'. I understand an extra 10 days may mean numbers do come low enough to open but opening a ski resort etc up takes a good deal if notice really!
andy from embsay - no nothing firm on dates a while! Sorry!
dunc999 - thanks!
A first attempt for this season of getting back in the swing of things
I dont suppose doing a daily update yet a while is necessary but hopefully it will get that way. I thought following on from what I put down last night that a mini update this evening would be welcome.
So as I said last night we will know more in about 9 days time where we stand as far as opening! I really think that the most likely thing is that opening will happen in mid January! However 'opening' is a strange thing. Talking to a friend of mine at the STVI today she says that if they are legally allowed to open the lifts will run wherever possible doesn't matter how few customers there are. And if the slopes are open then you need to think WHO will use the slopes... in reality until bars, restuarants and hotels etc can fully open it is likely to be people in apartments only who are happy to come home for lunch each day etc... that rules out lots of people and thats before you think about international travellers!
Brits coming skiing is a MAJOR issue... there is the quarantine issue (some people (now its 5 days especially) won't mind about it) which will reduce numbers coming and of course some people for health and financial reasons etc won't won't to come anyway - thats understandable! However then you have the issue of holiday insurance (insurers hardly bathed themselves in shining lights first time around so now they are just running scared and many just won't entertain anything this Winter!!!) and if people can get it... then you have the FCDO advise and whether people can / will (insurance wise or not) travel AND of course the messaging from the UK government. Then on top of that without bars and 'normal' things happening lots won't want to come. We also know in the trade that 'hardcore' skiers often dont (I understand of course I do) spend money on the 'extras' like guiding / lessons etc etc etc. On top of that tour operators have to look at the viability of running a program... the uncertainties mean many have just said 'no skiing holidays selling' for us. So that is a barrier to getting people out here - just the hardcore skiers etc again! On top of that tour ops that wont to keep offering trips are up against it as with / without a Brexit agreement they are stuffed either way... take a gamble and bring staff out and pay huge amounts of that and then have to give lots of refunds etc and then go bust or not bring people out then have the issues of having to get work visas processed (won't happen in time) and the costs involved with that. So between Brexit and Covid those of us (and especially in resorts dependent on the UK market) in places like Val have no way out!!!
It must also be remembered that ski resorts have to make all their money in only 6 months of the year... the end of last season was lost and the way the government helped out didnt really reflect the seasonal nature of the work we do. The Summer brought in some money for a select few organisations in the alps but the Winter is the number one earning time and now the start of the next period is in doubt! A further problem is that in many places (perhaps not places like Chamonix etc as much!) 99.9% of jobs are tourism related - everything (as I always remind people) money wise HAS to come up and down the road to Bourg.... without people travelling up and down that road in and out of the resort there is no money for anything in town!
The knock on effects go on.... e.g. millions of empty apartments that can't be rented out... so people are facing having no jobs and not being able to rent out their retirement nest egg. But still the mortgages have to be paid etc... it doesn't help (again I understand) that chalet owners and (lets call them as I do) professional second home owners who dont necessarily have a mortgage on their second / third / fourth home etc are putting their places up for rent and all this means rents are way below the costs of owning the places... so people are in deficit even before the potential for a ski season has been considered! With losing lets say a quarter / half the season now it effectively condemns much of the season as things become 'better' to simply not open at all! Getting staff in, training them up etc etc etc for 3/4 of a ski season suddenly doesn't make financial sense so things will opt to stay closed!
There are not many turns that can be taken in these parts that offer an escape route!
However having said all that there is a VERY small hardcore group of year round persons here and of course the local British expats and everyone is trying to help each other out. People are putting their hands up to say 'ill be a snow clearer this season' for any chalets that do open and said person may move from chalet to chalet for some cash in hand work this season snow clearing as it goes! Restaurants are trying to offer home takeaway options etc... but again without tourists there is not going to be nearly enough trade to sustain it / them!!!!
So I guess my message to everyone is 'please dont write off this season' - come in as normal a way / alternative way as you possibly can. Whether it be Val d'sere or any other resort you can make a really big difference (seriously). Oh and finally dont forget that any sort of a bail out to help the resorts and (as the French would say) the 'actors' in the resorts such as myself, that might come our way.... it WONT.... why.... well without foreign tourists in places like this the resort will be 'open' therefore no financial help will come BUT the numbers of just a few thousand domestic tourists will NEVER in a million years support the large number really dependent on the masses coming! It will be like the start of the UK 1st lockdown when Boris basically said dont go to pubs etc but didnt actually close them - they were high and dry for a week... its a similar situation here... for months and months at a time!
We'll / I / my family / colleagues and friends will get through this but I just wish people could realise that the effects of Covid HAVENT STARTED yet in places like Val d'sere.
So (in common with almost everyone I know) we are considering other options for income. It might be easier without kids thats for sure in terms of where / what we could do but we are committed to being in the valley! I think there will be dozens of instructors (British and Italian), chefs, transfer drivers etc that just won't come out this season UNLESS everything opens up 100% - hmmm time will tell on that front! Of course tour ops are striped bare (those that are left!) so getting out here might just take a massive effort but it will be massively appreciated thats for sure for those that do get out here whenever that may be!
No-one is 'enjoying' and benefiting (ill not be cynical here!) from this situation but the appeals of furlough, living somewhere where there are least a CHANCE of another job and the failures of seasonality of employment, shouldn't be under-estimated.
Anyway folks I did just really did want to say a massive thank you to some of the kind comments above, some very loyal clients as well as some really nice private messages I have received. There are a lot of very understanding people out there and some people who really do want to help. So thank you
I really do hope to see how this season pans out and to see people on the slopes!
Anyway folks I shall be trying to get some updates happening on a fairly regular basis but at the moment there is nothing really to report... it is a waiting game, I have little jobs about the house that need doing, the kids are at school, there isnt a huge amount to be getting on with and with the cold and short days not much 'outlook'. So I will hopefully be able to start posting much more regularly in the coming days so watch this space!
For the moment the view out the front window is of them 'optimistically' getting the World Cup ski races ready. Of course behind closed doors but the marquee will be where the volunteers eat. There is of course not enough snow yet for the races to happen so we think the first week of races, for the men, will not happen but the womens races hopefully will happen in mid December - we shall see. But the 'action' of them constructing the marquee and all the rest of the works (they have tried in vain as there REALLY isnt much snow on the race piste!) is the main excitement in these parts at the moment! Haha!
TTFN - stay safe and well and get the skis waxed as hopefully you'll be able to get them on soon!
P.S. My mum in the care home back in the UK is doing OK still so lets hope that continues as I really can't handle another nightmare to sort out.
P.P.S. Did anyone see our (the TDC) office girl featured in the press at the weekend. Another joyful thing happening at the moment - it won't affect me or Clare but its a sad reflection of what is happening in some quarters!!! And the ski racer girl Emma shown is hopefully going to be my tenant (phew have secured a tenant!) this season too - phew mortgage partially covered!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks again @Steve Angus, some of us are hanging on your every word!
Admittedly in our case it isn't VdI (nothing against it, just wasn't where we ended up buying a very small piece of France) but we really want the ski resorts to get back on their feet. Our uncertaintly is nothing compared to those who it is their living. We plan to be over once we can.
By the way, best wishes for your mother. We have and are going through the issues of elderly relatives, living alone and getting frailer, and previously for others ending up in the inevitable care. I hate to think what this year would have been like if any of those that ended up in care had lived long enough to suffer the isolation that Covid has inflicted upon that group. All we can do is phone daily to boost spirits.
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j_b - thank you. No offence taken! A ski home is where your plank(s) are! Yes phoning my mum (she has Parkinson's Dementia so rarely says a word these days) is more a case of talk to the wall but I try and thats about all I can do!
On other matters it does today look like the French government are playing hard ball and really pushing for no skiing over the festive period... however they haven't quite said that.... in much the same way when Boris said early March that pubs etc should stay open but people must not go to them - it looks like the line the government here are using is 'everything INCLUDING lifts, should close' BUT you can still come skiing - aka skinning etc. I can't believe its a cruel joke but then again I won't it to be one as well! Hmmmmmmmmm we shall see as there is a battle royal starting out in the French alps between the locals and the government if they deem this!
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@Steve Angus, amused me, yes we have planks over there.
Both my father and father-in-law suffered from Parkinson's, with f-i-l also getting a related dementia. It is valuable to keep talking, one of the frustrating things about Parkinson's is that face-to-face they lose the facial expressions that normally tell you someone is taking things in, and it is hard work for them to form words so they don't tend to say much in reply. It doesn't mean they don't appreciate it. And if f-i-l was typical, the dementia wasn't global loss of short term memory, it seemed a problem with complex issues and in his case questions of physical location.
We are fortunate in that we have now retired, so we can follow the inscrutable politics and travel once possible. Looks like some date in January yet to be agreed. Having a place is really helpful for that, and while other things led us to St Gervais the fact it is fairly low does give us confidence driving which gives us flexibility at short notice. We are even thinking of going over earlier without skiing, since we have some furniture bought here to take over and worry about the status post-Brexit.
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j b - thanks - nice to hear your thoughts on P.D. there - makes me feel better about 'trying'! Her memory is quite vivid still I do know that! Yes you might as well come out and have a non ski trip if you can - why not! The status post - B - well thats anyones guess!
A change
Well since yesterday it does now looks like mid Jan is the earliest skiing will be up and running around these parts. However there will be a battle royal to play out between now and then though between the resorts / hotels / etc etc etc and the government thats for sure! In other news the World Cup races have been cancelled and we are also expecting the mens speed events to be cancelled on Monday too which will leave the Womens speed events only in the hunt for mind December - unless we get some snow (and there is non really forecast) then they will get pulled too!
Today I managed to help a friend jump start their car first thing this am, get to the post office to send an important letter off, sort out some of our underground parking space and associated storage unit, sort out our 'junk' cupboard and fit in at least 10 cups of tea!
Tomorrow with the new found freedoms of 3 hours and up to 20km we are going to go to the Manchet and perhaps have a picnic - yes it should be that warm!!! Olivia will hopefully have some play time with a friend and Ben too so we can sit back and relax for a few hours - hmmm lets see eh!
Think thats all for now - forgot a photo today and cant get Radio Val to work so can't add a photo!
TTFN
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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.
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@Steve Angus, thanks for keeping your updates going!
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forgot a photo today and cant get Radio Val to work so can't add a photo!
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...how about this one, from an exercise to evacuate the Laisinant chairlift earlier this month?
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| Steve Angus wrote: |
| ...So I guess my message to everyone is 'please dont write off this season' - come in as normal a way / alternative way as you possibly can. |
Just joining this thread as we've just booked an apartment in Tignes Le Lac for the first week of the Easter hols. This will be our first visit to Tignes or Val d'Isere. The area's been on our short list for the last few years but a decision to ski late next year (and therefore high) has pushed it to the top. We drive for most of our ski hols anyway and that's certainly the plan. So I'll keep reading this thread in hope.
| Steve Angus wrote: |
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Brits coming skiing is a MAJOR issue... there is the quarantine issue... |
That would be the killer for us even if things are open. If we had to quarantine at all on arrival in France or for more than 7 days on return to UK we'd have to cancel. Us adults work from home and don't have much of a social life at the best of times but daughter doing A-levels would need to be back in school.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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PeakyB - good one! Thanks
Higs - well thats good you have a booking in the system!!!! The quarantine is a worry! At least now its less than it was as it was non-started beforehand!
Colder
Well this drought of snow continues but we are hoping that snow might just about fall tomorrow. I have to say that IF we could get up top (yes we could skin up if we were that keen!!) it looks OK up there.
So our old tenants moved out today and the new one moved in so it was busy day checking them out and checking the new girl in. Anyway apart from a rather long maintenance list to get on top of all seems good so that is another job ticked off. I also caught up on some maintenance jobs that needed doing at home and have a mighty large number of emails to catch up on too! Im trying to get through my annual CPD at the moment.... doing an interesting course on 'Flow' - have a whole evening session this Thursday which should be interesting I hope.
Here in Val the snow is being made like mad as they try and get enough snow down for the World Cup races to happen - the decision on whether the races can happen or not will be made next week - I think it is less than 50:50 that it can happen - hmm we shall see! In some ways it is good that the snow is not great so far - distracts from the pain! Haha!
Not much else happening this end.... got a boring morning of sorting the underground stores out again tomorrow am, a walk with a friend and probably some more filing. Ah the joys of lockdown!!!! Hope fully we should get an idea on when and what might open and a date sometime quite soon but we are hopeful for the 23/1 at this stage!
TTFN
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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.
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| Quote: |
| FIS have greenlighted the speed events |
Greenlit surely?? 
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Steve Angus, lovely family pic. Great to see you all smiling through these challenging times 
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Poster: A snowHead
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+1
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lovely family pic Steve, thanks for all the updates. Can’t wait to have another session with you.
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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?
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@Steve Angus, love the family snap. You're all looking great - but I can't believe how grown up Olivia looks! Hopefully we will get to see all of you in the flesh sometime in 2021. All the best.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Looking better out there
Thanks for the nice comments above. Yes we got some good photos!
Well outside the weather the last few days has improved in terms of snow and temps! In fact we have had a few cms of natural fall and with the low temps it is staying on the ground - as you can see in Radio Val's photo it looks much more like a ski resort.
With the low temps they have also being making snow and the good news of the mens and then the womens speed events starting next week is proving to be a good decision. We will be ready! Day by day now there is more and more activity in and around the course with officials and workers as well as the piste bashers getting the race piste all set up - it is looking good! However the cold temps - boy I forgot how cold Winter can be!
With the kids at school I have been filling my time doing a million and one things.... I have been finishing off painting the entrance area to our apartment that we bought and renovated this Summer - so nearly finished there AND our underground parking space - well that was a mission as that needed a massive clear out... again I finally got that finished off today - yippee!
However the big news is that after quite a few weeks of talks and interviews etc I have finally started teaching part time at the Apex Ski Race academy over in Tignes. People may or may not know that I am also a qualified school teacher. So anyway I will be working part time teaching PE as well as Maths over there. At the moment it will be about 2 days a week teaching and I start formally on Monday so frantically lesson planning at the moment! It of course does not mean that I am will give up ski teaching - of course not... not that it matters right at the moment anyway!!! So the plan will be to do both along side each other certainly for this season and then take it into the off season. Thats the master plan. In the given climate I think this is going to be a really good move and I am certainly excited - perhaps a little apprehensive to get my Mr Angus hat back on - haha!
Anyway folks not much else to report around these parts.
TTFN
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Tazz2bme and motyl - thanks - we try
franga - how very kind of you - someone my friend, sometime!
lynnecha - thanks so much... yes she is 6 going 16 trust me!
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@Steve Angus, All the best for the new job!
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Brill news on the new job Steve I start a new contract next week been out of the contract market since my last role with the NHS back in April but have been keeping busy like you with lots of painting and renovating so back to work now I suppose.
Anyways good luck with the maths teaching my old maths teacher was called Mr Grimes and always put the fear of God in us real old school with a gown and mortarboard 
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@Steve Angus, Huge congratulations on the new job Steve. They'll be lucky to have you. All the best.
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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.
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Well done @Steve Angus I hope it goes well for you and like @lynnecha says they'll be lucky to have you.
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@Steve Angus, Congrats on the job. Shows the person you are that you don't get down, you get another job.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Steve Angus, Hope you enjoyed your first day back at school today
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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.
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tman80 - thank you
Pirate42 - hope your return to work has been good too! Don't think I am that scary as a maths teacher!
lynnecha / Minion1980 - thank so much - you're too kind!
thefatcontroller - quite. Jobs like this in these parts dont pop up too often!
muppet - yes was somewhat odd!
Ski racing and a new job, oh and new snow!
Well since I last updated the other day a lot has happened.....
It has been cold (not REALLY cold) but cold enough thats for sure. And there has been a little snow... it does finally feel like Winter now after a very long inter-season!!!! I might just have to park the car underground soon (the nearest spot that fits our car is Le Cret U/G parking and that is a little too far away to be 'handy') as I had to dig it out the other day and I forgot what a faff that was!!!
Yes my first couple of days teaching have gone pretty well thanks. Im only teaching the 13 year olds maths so its not too taxing and its certainly my 2nd subject id say as I quite enjoy it... The PE on the other hand that I was mostly teaching today (have already done my hours for this week so no more until early next week again now!) is interesting but matching up content to the needs (e.g. GCSE wise) is tricky... teaching for the exams and all that. Anyway that and a mixed bag of kids has meant it has been interesting! The younger maths kids have had some that barely speak English too that makes it tricky and I am also sure Carol Vordermans son is in the class too! Class dynamics are interesting!
Anyway it has gone pretty well thanks!
Over the weekend the news also came through that 'professionals, pretty much all ski racers and those on courses' could now access the mountain so there was a frantic re-arranging of lessons so all the kids could ski every morning... anyway a little bonkers but we got there! I dont think (I have sort of closed my eyes and ears to it as I can't stand the sadness it brings!) there has been any real new developments on when / if etc the resort might open but I think it is safe to say it won't be anytime soon in any meaningful format. However despite that the resort are trying to welcome tourists for the Xmas holidays in the form of foot passengers (so to speak) and trying to get non ski lift related activities up and running like ice-skating etc.
Meanwhile down here in La Daille they have been frantically getting ready for the WC ski races... the men are now in town (bubbles in each hotel nation by nation) for the speed weekend so training days start tomorrow. Being in La Daille the views over the finish area really couldn't be better! So for the last week tv camera trucks, catering trucks, padding ON TOP of the snow-groomers etc have been hard at work. Whilst most of the ski area probably wouldnt have quite enough coverage to ski on (lower down anyway) the piste to La Daille now looks in mint conditions! Not sure how 'good' it is for the resort but certainly it will be nice to see the racing and be part of the work on it! Will actually get to ski next week... yippee (well sort of).... high speed side slip without poles is not the best but hey ho!!).
Talking about my job over in Tignes again and it is funny how many 'connections' there are there, whether it is staff and people I know from outside of Apex or their family or people they used to work for / with. Also some of the kids parents I know and indeed one of the kids has a younger sibling in my daughters school - the connections go on - spooky!
Anyway think thats all for now folks.... no more teaching tomorrow but needless to say plenty of planning needing to get done.
TTFN
Yesterday after the snow clouds parted.
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@Steve Angus, really appreciate the positive attitude. As you say maths is something a few kids really have a feel for. And PE for a GCSE has very different challenges from regular PE (but saying that, my daughter's peers who did PE GCSE did feel appropriately challenged and never lost their sense of motivation).
In a previous post you mentioned 23rd Jan as a possible date for opening - I assume that was intelligence on the ground? There seems to be a rather wide range of dates people have talked about.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Steve Angus, Nice to hear your story about teaching maths. At the age of 68 I decided to retire as a university lecturer (to spend more time skiing and rock climbing). All my career I had been teaching fairly technical civil engineering including some fairly advanced fluid mechanics making use of partial and total differential equations. Having heard that I was retired and hence available the University contacted me again asking if I'd do some part time teaching. This involved maternity cover for land surveying which I'd taught for over 40 years - so no problem and a maths module for a course that was just starting and no one had sourced a maths lecturer yet. The syllabus looked quite interesting so I took it on with 2 days notice. Fortunately there is a lot of material for teaching maths to engineers in universities in the form of the HELM project.
Then Covid hit
Everything then moved online.
Some of the students only had GCSE maths and I hadn't realised just how low level GCSE maths was.
The end result was lots of Microsoft Teams tutorials. Lots of them. I don't think I'd ever seen so many students' bedrooms.
However, every student passed and most of them had come a long way from where they had started and are making good progress in the next year of their degree. It was very rewarding to see how much they had learnt.
No doubt you will see the same pleasure in the progress your students make. Keep it up.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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j b - thanks.! Its interesting stuff and I do like numbers so it helps! As far as 23/1 - yes the 20/1 is when we might be allowed to run the lifts but since 99% of people arrive here on Saturdays and Sunday it means that likely opening date would be 23/1 but we should get more info tomorrow! I doubt it will be earlier than that (lifts wise) anyway!
johnE - fascinating story! Thank goodness for technology eh! Yes it helps when you have a mind like that that can adapt! I am quite a numerical and 'tangible' based brain rather than linguistic and theoretical for the most part! Yes I hope to see some good progress - thats what I love about ski teaching so why not in the classroom!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Weather and live racing!
I slept really badly last night so need an early night tonight but I also managed to pack a lot in today so perhaps that has made me feel more tired too!
It was cold but very sunny today and they had a cracking first day of training for the Mens DH and it was nice to see a little of that going on - something to see!
I didnt get to see that much actually as I had a jam packed day of chores... putting the car away, finalising the sort out of my underground store, checking and catching up on the piles of post (I have all my mothers post directed to me out here so bills galore to pay too for her!). I had the electrician around to take a look at something, managed to complete some online learning for my CPD... oh the list goes on - there was lots on thats for sure! Oh and also sent a million emails too. Phew what a day.
So tomorrow as I mentioned above we are expecting a decision on when the ski areas might possibly open or not - I dont think it will be a 'x' date 100% type decision but more likely to be '100% definitely not before Xmas' etc.... yes there is still a chance that it might open before Xmas if the appeals to the legal powers are successful!
I think thats all folks!
TTFN
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Steve Angus, grandstand view of the course and socially distanced...perfect!
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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?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Was trying to spot you on TV sat on your balcony Steve!
2 meters of fresh snow, must be great conditions out on the mountain.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Likewise was trying to spot you. Looked like a really lovely day, blue sky and sunshine and a different result as well. Congrats Steve on your new job, hope it goes well, all the best to you and yours for Xmas, New Year and 2021. Bring on the new normal.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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russ_e / Subseaeng - haha thanks!!!! We took our daily exercise jolly to coincide with the racing so happened to 'walk past' when the racing was on - oh and back the other way again a few mins later but then remembered we had forgotten something so had to walk past a third time - naughty us!!!! HAHA! Got to see a fair few racers come on down but with the kids in tow and them loosing interest very quickly it was mainly the favourites that we saw come down! I recorded it on my Sky box so actually watched most of it on catch up at lunchtime - to see the surprise result!
Yes 2 metres of snow (I'm not so sure its THAT much up there) will make for juicy conditions up there. I was talking to Henry of HAT fame today (he is my neighbour) and we were saying that come proper opening time in (whenever that will be)... it could be spicy safety wise! Certainly down here in town there was about 30 - 40cm of fresh and with the wind it will be over a metre in places up there so after a poor November, December is going well - just a pity we can't use it yet!!!!!
It was a beautiful day and we spent a while playing with the kids in the snow! Thanks on the new job front there... ill do my best.
Sunday and its starting to feel Xmas'y
We were treated to a bit of a lie in by the kids this am who woke us up just before 8 which was a real result! Clare took a quick run whilst I did my staple family eggs on toast for us all and then we were outside (as above) for the ski race / and making the most of the sunshine and fresh snow.... I could not believe it that it had gotten to lunchtime in the end but it had!
After lunch and Olivia doing some school work with Ben and I getting the Xmas tree out we spent most of the afternoon trying to get the tree and lights etc up! It was a rather chaotic - mainly with the lights as half of them werent working etc. Anyway what felt like about 5 hours later the tree was up (we have a small flat therefore there is not really much space for it so its only a 80cm high one) and decorated and Olivia and Ben had put tinsel and baubles in about every possibly imaginable place in the flat - doh! Anyway it certainly feels festive now!
So one last week of school coming up so better make the most of it. I am teaching over at Apex tomorrow and Tuesday so it will be a couple of pretty busy days coming up.
TTFN
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No need to wait until ‘proper opening’ for it to be spicy - PGHM out yesterday to assist an avalanche burial in Grapillon de Merles area...
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@Steve Angus, Steve, I assume when you say that those on courses can access the lifts you mean professionals on courses, not punters like me.
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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.
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offpisteskiing - yea 4 tourers I believe. Im sure you have also seen the footage from Courcheval yesterday too!!! Blimey!
john2 - im afraid you're right. You have to be doing an official training course for a French pisteur / ski instructor style exam yes. Sorry!
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Warmer
Well folks as the number of cases rises so have the temperatures - doh!!! But on the plus side there is still live skiing to see out the window... oh and term has now finished at Apex so I have finished my (short) stint of teaching for this term - all eyes now towards 2021!
It has been a nice day in many respects what with the pleasant temperatures meaning getting outside with the kids was joyful especially as the Womens downhill training was happening in the background of where we were playing with the kids! Also now since lockdown has finished it feels much 'free'er' out there. Yes there may be a curfew etc etc but to be honest that has absolutely no effect on us - we would be at home anyway and especially with the kids and lack of anything being open there is no reason to be out anyway! So as far as we are concerned we feel free again and as I said after the last lockdown the thing I am rejoicing the most is the freedom from having to fill in the blooming attestation every time we leave the house and monitoring how far from home we are and the time... freedom indeed - yay!
So with only 2 more days of school remaining we need to make the most of it as the holidays will be long and drawn out. However the good news is we are hearing that they are going to open the ESF magic carpet over the school hols as apparently that is allowed... I have no idea how that qualifies and talk about favouritism BUT for us possibly being able to get Ben into group lessons that will be really good news - he gets to start his skiing career properly and Olivia gets some time with us directly! Letting someone else take the strain and teach the little one will save our sweating - haha!
Anyway not much else to report this evening I dont think! Looking forward to actually being able to put skis on again on Sunday - it has been the longest break I have had off skis for about 20 years!!!
TTFN
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FAQ
