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

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Some people seem to have made it

It was an interesting start to the day as Clare had to be up at crack of dawn to get into town for the rendezvous for the World Cup work.... as it turned out she slid once before, once during and once after the run (cracking race and a good result especially for the American Breezy J!), then popped back for lunch and then spent the afternoon taking down red netting down to the start of the SG!

Anyway the issue was that as soon as Clare was up and no matter how quiet she was the kids were hot on her heels!!!! DOH!

So the day started about 0600 in the end. I tried to get back to sleep but it want happening especially when I heard the kids (and then smelt) them trying to make breakfast - they like a treat of chocolate cereal heated up in milk on a Saturday am - but NOT when they forget to add the milk and stew the cereal - DOH!

Ultimately we got sorted and although I was rather stressed I managed to drop the kids at our friends Emilie house (in this same block!).

That meant I could get up to the meeting point and get started.

Another day with the Ski Club of Manchester and todays theme was moguls! So up we went up the Olympic and it was immediately obvious how much quieter it was on the hill today (always is on a Saturday you have to remember anyway!).

So we did quite a few laps on the Tommeuse and there were some nice changes coming through - well done boys (yes all boys in this team). It was jolly sunny once again and warm to go with it. Anyway a nice morning and we even glimpsed a couple of the racers which was cool!

I dashed home at lunchtime as needed to relieve our kind friend of the kids.... they had had a ball dashing about and playing and even had a yummy lunch - thanks Emilie!

Clare popped home at lunchtime very briefly which was nice. The afternoon was mainly spent chilling out and letting the kids have some down time. Lots of playtime and tv time but they won't have much of that in the next week or so with the various activities they are booked in to do! WOW!!!!

In other news some people do indeed seem to have made it to Val and the planner whilst looking rather empty has a handful of bookings still in thankfully. Phew.

Covid does seem to have taken its toll and there are a fair few people I know that are down with it at the moment.... in fact even the Swiss superstar racer Lara Gut-Behrami and her team have all tested +ve and could not race this weekend!

In other news the fallout from the announcement on Thursday seems to be kicking in with lots of lobbying going on by many groups and plenty of press profile both here and in the UK!. It is also being profiled amongst the local community that some sectors like for example YSE as a tour operator amongst a great deal of others are 100% reliant on the UK market - i.e. what a calamity this is in some sectors... some can adapt their offering or swallow it up but many can't! Anyway John from YSE was interviewed on Radio Val this am all about it.

What with the news of Holland going into lockdown this evening I fear the tip of the iceberg being reached on the back of London declaring a critical incident today too.... blimey so much for a 'few bumps in the road this season but generally it'll be OK!'

So tomorrow I'm teaching all day - luckily alvinsu has made it to town and then I am finishing up with the SCoM with some off piste in the afternoon.

TTFN

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Not as planned

The plan had been for heads down and plough on through the handful of bookings this week before the stretch of no bookings kicks in. Anyway it was quickly overshadowed as Olivia was obviously not well!!!!! OMG talk about bad timing. Anyway a few options considered and chopping and changing about and things were ironed out... so I was staying at home looking after Olivia and Clare took Ben to the village before heading for her lesson. Both Clare and Olivia both took LFT tests which both came back -ve which I guess was good news too.

So the morning was spent trying to get fluids into her and allowing her to rest as much as possible (she didnt really want to eat). I managed to watch the ski racing on tv as she went back to bed for much of the morning and then she had a bath and went to sleep. So all in all it was a very lazy day!

Clare got back later in the afternoon which gave me the chance to pop into town to run some errands. The pharmacy had sold out again of LFT tests so we have a slightly smaller pile of them ready to use but ill try the pharmacy again next week! Anyway I collected Ben from the Village des Enfants where he had just finished his ski lesson... he had a ball and it was lovely to see him so happy and enthusiastic thats for sure.

Bath and bed time was very quick as Olivia needed a good nights sleep and Ben was knackered. So all in all a strange sort of a lazy day. Tomorrow should be easier I hope as we have hatched plans!

Anyway it is a strange mix about town at the moment as should feel mega busy but it doest really at all! Luckily it looks like there is some lobbying of the government which might bring some results to make up the shortfall for the loss in earnings and also we luckily have a handful of clients that are in town so tomorrow should be a full day teaching and then as a ski school we are practicing transceiver searches at 1630 and then ill be on collect Ben duty - will be all go, go, go!

TTFN

P.S. Awesome ski racing to watch today
P.P.S. Cant believe it is another year come around for SPOTY!

Coco's hardly rammed!

Would be nice to have some more snow - temps are still warm but it'll get colder and snowy'er later in the week and over Xmas itself!

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What a day!!!!

All seemed OK on the 'ill little girl' front at first light this morning. So far so good.

She grumbled a little bit but seemed way better than yesterday. Meanwhile I got Ben ready and whipped him up to Village. I was on the bus when Clare messaged me to say Olivia was once again not feeling too great but had been persuaded to plod on through!

Anyway being a Monday morning it was a little hectic at the meeting area but we met as planned about 0910 after kids were dropped at ski school and then we were off. We headed up Solaise to work on some technique that side and layered up the learning and some really nice changes were made! Later in the morning Clare got a call from her ski club coach to say that she was not on form at all and also (weirdly as it was pretty hot again today) had cold hands - strange! Long story short Olivia hung out in the sun at the top of Solaise until I managed to get there... I took my lunch in the sun and then bumped into our friend and wife of a fellow SH who kindly took Olivia down off the mountain (she was heading home anyway) and home. Luckily Clare was not teaching into the afternoon so was able to go grab Olivia and get her home.

Meanwhile my lunch was truncated by this somewhat change of plan.

Anyway a 5 min breather before straight back out for the pm lesson. The afternoon was a couple of strong skiers but wanted to break their skiing back down to the nuts and bolts components. I took the opportunity to head to the Fornet and up onto the Val glacier whilst the weather was good and it was both glorious and quiet up there - amazing! It was a good afternoon.

However the day was not finished yet a while as we had a ski school off piste session lined up - heading up Solaise to practice some transceiver searches etc. Off we went but had to be quick with the light fading at the end of the day! I haven't skied Danaides for a LONG time so it was nice to head down there once again although by the time we got to the bottom the light was gone - bushwhacking! haha! Anyway a good session had by all!

Hot off that and back into town and I had to collect Ben from the Village and its quite complicated with COVID restrictions at the moment as you can't get really into the area so the staff have to do the dressing of the kids etc for you and there are only a few of them and lots of kids / parents collecting - doh!

Anyway by the time I got home I was SHATTERED.... still am. WHAT A day.

So hopefully Olivia is back to her best tomorrow and we can get back to normal (pretty please!!!!!!). More of the same tomorrow but for a few more days until the guillotine of bookings comes and the last remaining people in town leave work wise and then tumble week ensues! Doh!

Sunshine again tomorrow before bad weather perhaps moving in at the end of the week - hmmm we shall see.

A few people made it then!!!! Was definitely busier today on the mountain than Saturday!

TTFN

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Le Dauphiné reporting a small electrical fire in the base station of the La Daille gondola, saying it will be shut for a few (unspecified number) of days. Just what Rosies and The Foolish Douche need in a not such peak week.

After all it is free

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Bit deflated

I have been really blown away with how kind people have been on here (and elsewhere) trying to take on extra bookings and lessons to 'help out'. Of course they get a lesson but it helps me (us) out massively as we head into a really lean time. So THANK YOU to those who have / are booking lessons when initially not planned!

However (and as I explained on occasion today) the issue is that when the current crop of people who beat the escape deadline and have fulfilled existing bookings pre-booked (we thank you) leave in the next few days and we move into next week there will be no-one to replace them! What that means is that this week we have been surprisingly busy and bookings have trickled in nicely and all in all it has been a pretty normal week work levels wise for Xmas week BUT the guillotine falls next week. Something like a 90% reduction in bookings across the school in what should be the 2nd busiest week of the season this is. So for that reason I am feeling a bit deflated this evening.

It also doesn't help that Olivia still seems to have gastro - talk about nightmare timing as we will probably have to take some more time off work in the next few days.

Anyway enough negative talk and more about today... After an emergency call to our friend Kellie (a Mrs SH non the less!) we had childcare options tied up for the day... I took Ben to Village (apparently (another new nightmare coming down the line!) 2 staff are off there with COVID which means a third case and they will have to close the Village so for all the locals in their busiest week that will be no childcare options - FFS!!!!) and then headed to the meeting point.

It was a good morning session including a descent of the Face - there are certainly some big spots of blue ice on the lower section but all in all it is in pretty good condition. However as the temps have finally seemed to drop they are now able to make snow once again - yay! Since the pistes are quite busy this week (yes lots of Europeans are in town) the slopes are getting scraped and we really need a top up and that should be coming over Xmas itself! Hmmm we shall see! So anyway there is definitely some welcome snow making going on. Anyway some technical challenges and good technique was worked on and in the 2nd half of the lesson we worked on a little carving!

I took lunch at the bottom of the Solaise (they have totally refurbed the loos under the Sun Bar by the way!) and then this pm it was onto a new booking. A father and son who only started skiing a few years ago but certainly seemed to have progressed fast. It is always nice when you have a client who doesn't know the area as you can really show them about as well as deliver a lesson and that is what I did. We took a trip over to Tignes... the Double M in particular was magnificent. The pistes over there seemed quite busy too. However apart from the MASSIVE new Club Med development (see photo) I also noticed that they have moved the end of the Carline piste so it now joins onto the end of the Double M piste which seems better! We also tried out the new rope tope that effectively links from near the bottom of the Grand Huit area over to the Palafour area which is pretty cool and saves that extra bit up Grand Huit if you are doing a 'round the world!'.

So it was a good session but they were tired by the end that is for sure! I popped home and Olivia was pretty much in the same position as she has been all day - on the sofa looking sorry for herself! She barely took in anything more than water and a little toast all day... fingers crossed she will be better tomorrow - we need her to be!

In local news there was an small engine room fire at the bottom of the La Daille gondola yesterday and that means that the lift is out of use for a few days - could be interesting trying to get down after a boozy session at the Folie!!!!!!

So tomorrow hope to be teaching again all day and then Thursday again before it all tails off - well for about 2 weeks in actual fact more or less bar a booking here or there.

The new Club Med in Val Claret right next to the base of the Tichot lift! Bit more work to be done then!

TTFN

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Good luck @Steve Angus, It's much the same here in the UK. I'm on my fourth covid job after the bottom fell out back in 2019.

Was chatting to a job agent back then and he was stuck in a studio flat in London under lockdown. Not nice at all!

Everyone is desperate to get out to the mountains so my predication is for an extended season so treat the next couple of weeks as a nice Christmas holiday.

You know it makes sense.

HoneyBunny - indeed it does make the end easier but fear not the piste arcs right around and ends up coming in parallel to the Double M so no issues I doubt! As far as shutting the Folie early - can you imagine the fuss that would be kicked up!!!!!! I dont think much in the way of euro bookings will come in but you never know! Problem with 'other' jobs is that they either mean leaving the family / town e.g. back to the UK for work or nothing at all as virtually all jobs are tourist related as you know - what a nightmare! Yay re booster and yay re March!
russ_e - there is absolutely no way the season gets extended - contracts / maintenance schedules let alone the fact that as soon as easter dawns no matter what resorts do people are no longer interested in skiing anymore.... I always joke that IF Easter was on the 1/1 one year that by the 2/1 no-one would be coming skiing anymore - instead they would be thinking about swimming / cricket and tennis - a weird but true reflection on the human psyche! Also a 'nice xmas holiday' - again the issue is that with only 20 odd weeks in the season is that every day REALLY counts.... so with a few weeks being lost about the best end of season result will be break even and that is best result.... also when your job is teaching i much prefer doing that job. Anyway we shall see. Anyway a 4th jab - blimey what happened the third time around!!!!!!!!
Kenzie - lets hope Brits come out extra times anyway!

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She skis again!

It was good news this morning as Olivia (with some gentle persuasion) was off to club so Clare did that end of the bargain whereas I took Ben to the Village. It was then the usual mass of people at the meeting point left, right and centre whilst I waited for my am booking. It was the same team as the other day and the plan today was to develop work on some steeper terrain and to look at rotational separation to some degree. We went the Bellevarde direction and had a really good ski about and avoided any hint where there might be a queue but to be honest you have to be really unlucky if you get anything more than about 2 people ahead of you on a lift... yes there are a few bottlenecks such as getting up Olympic first thing in the am or Borsat about 1000 as everyone tried to get up that sector. Talking of lifts the La Daille gondola is still out of action and will be for a few more days yet!

Anyway when I got down to the bottom at lunchtime I was lucky to spot Olivia walking up to the Village for her lunch! I quickly caught up with her and help carry her skis (poor thing is a little weak having not eaten that much of recent (and she had a modest breakfast!)). Anyway it was great to see that she was happy and content and had managed the morning... yay!

Clare when she finished at lunchtime took her home so she would not overcook it on day 1.

The afternoon I once again had the same father and son from yesterday afternoon and I decided that a trip up the Val glacier would be a good move and to work on carving. Since these two were pretty new to the sport it was a very gentle intro to carving and so little by little we worked on the technique and enjoyed the sun.... it was fun afternoon including a couple of comedy falls. At the end of the day we session we skied down the Mangard to get to Fornet (as usual it was a case of 'this is never a blue run' moment) and the lower slopes they are making snow non stop now - the change in weather cannot come quick enough! We need some more snow as the snow cover is both thin and what there is is ice lower down!

So tomorrow is the last full day of work until Sunday 13th Feb as it stands (that had better change!) and then of course its Xmas! Its same as, same as for the kids tomorrow.

Meanwhile within the resort covid really is raging and seems to be everywhere - I know of loads of people either with it or isolating at the moment - hope you get better soon!

Tomorrow night I might be a little late in posting as Clare and I REALLY REALLY need to wrap presents for the kids!!!! eek

Oh and what a nightmare 2nd run for Ryding this evening eh - been watching it as I type here!

TTFN

A snowHead

Fingers crossed for you @Steve Angus, I am sure we are not the only ones (at least on this forum!) who are frustrated by not coming out but have merely moved our booking a few weeks in the hope governments will become less strict. We will see.

(Though I am perturbed by the number of rocks poking through on your lower picture, I do hope snow cover isn't deteriorating after such a good start).

A snowHead

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

@j b, I wouldn't worry unduly about that short stretch of off piste. It's southish facing and a lot of those rocks will be there at mid season. It's a funny old area, with lots of mini cliffs and hollows and pointy sticky up bits. My skis have been back on the bench a couple of times after excursions down there! I've not walked it in the summer but suspect it's an area of limestone that erodes quite quickly.

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j_b - lets hope so! And yes the rocks are nothing to worry about - nearly always like that most of the Winter!
chocksaway - yea I agree I think its limestone there as well - would tally.

Final

I was a little apprehensive that Olivia would not be on form today and the whole morning (well day really) was going to be thrown in the air - the last days work at that! Alas apart from being washed out she was OK and ate an OK breakfast. I took her to club this morning and Clare took Ben. Actually getting her to club was interesting as apparently I can't dress her properly and she was somewhat uncomfortable she kept on informing me! Anyway it got to the point of basically telling her to lump it and leave it and get on with it. She finally did and apart from being a little tired at the back of the group she skied with the club all day and that allowed Clare and I to complete a full day of teaching! Thankfully.

The morning with my team we worked on moguls and initially they did struggle a little but for the first time in moguls that was to be expected however I was blown away with how good they got and really really it all started to click together! There were a couple of funny falls though including some double ejections - good on them all for dusting themselves down and carrying on again though!

It was another sunny day and temps are just about cold enough for them to be making snow which is good but in the midday sun is it lovely and warm to be able to sit in the sun and enjoy so thats what I did at lunchtime! Yay!

The afternoon I had the wife of someone from the other day - a SH in actual fact. After a bit of a confidence knocking fall it was time to rebuild a couple of elements of her skiing to get her back on the straight and narrow. So we did some work on a variety of red runs and even in the stade where the snow was still perfect this afternoon. A jolly successful afternoon all in all!

With a slight change of plan as far as pick up logistics it was me who collected Ben from village.

And that is that really as far as work for the foreseeable future. Next few days ill be mostly internally looking before re-assessing what the **** happens next next week!

In local news the La Daille gondola I think got fixed today so that is good. Meanwhile covid is raging across the resort and they are reporting something like 15 - 20 cases a DAY within Val and that is of course symtomatic people! There is some level of worry about how little checking of pass sanitaires is going on around town after so much hype about it. Apparently to hit government requirements they only need to check 5% of people e.g. on the lifts.... well apparently they are doing 6x that number... not sure that can be correct as I have not been checked ONCE!!!! In the week of the 12-19 December some 6000 checks were made - again I was not checked during that time.... so I guess what I am saying is that as and when the travel restrictions are eased there is a good chance that having to get daily tests may not be needed - if you are checked and someone in the party gets turned away chances are try another lift a few mins later and you will get through just fine - make a mockery of it all really! Although apparently more Police are coming to enforce mask wearing etc etc etc soon too!

Apart from that I think that is all for now.

TTFN

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

All the best to you, Clare and the family for Xmas and 2022 and for the next few difficult weeks. Who knows how this will all pan out but best wishes to you all. Fingers crossed for some easing very soon.

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@chocksaway, to be honest I couldn't locate the actual area - though we have skiied in Val d'Isere the last time was a few years ago.

@Steve Angus, I just wish we could confidently look forward to relief from all those restrictions. Though cases everywhere make that unlikely unless there is really good evidence of mildness. And reading your teaching stories, perhaps we need to pop down when things ease up and get the all important tips on skiing moguls!

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@j b, It's under the top of Fontaine Froid. Hope things change soon Steve,

After all it is free

Wow @Steve Angus, I can’t believe you are still a regular poster to this thread you started back in 2011.

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@Steve Angus Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family. Hope 2022 brings much needed joy to you all. All the best.

snow reports

Subseaeng - thanks... you too.
j b - for sure ill put you through your paces in the moguls when we get a chance - haha! fingers crossed it all opens soon
endoman - thanks - bring on March eh
Renry - indeed I can't believe it has been 10 years too!
Kenzie - oooooh that takes me way back - the year On The Piste was filmed in Val d and behind the scenes of tour ops was really exposed! Anyway how on EARTH can you remember all those dates 25 years later anyway!
franga - thanks and you too.

Oh the joys of parenting

I was going to start with the latest announcement by the prefecture re COVID rules (tightening) in the Savoie and in particular within the ski resorts BUT crucially having read them I dont really know practically how they have changed apart from bars and restaurants can't sell alcohol unless to seated guests after 1600 each day from what I can understand AND masks are now compulsory outside everywhere ALL the time (apart from when you are actually skiing) it would seen! Otherwise I can't really make head nor tail of the other differences from now (if there are any)

Anyway as I was not working today it seemed a somewhat slower start to the day and easier.... all I had to do was get Ben to village and get on my merry way and thats what I did. I made the most of the morning (well most of the day really) and made some (found a recipe) red cabbage using the slow cooker / wrapped some presents / did the laundry - all very casual really!

Mid afternoon Mr and Mrs Sno Trax popped around for a cuppa and brought some lovely homemade mince pies with them which was nice before I had to dash off as we were in for a few busy hours with the kids and this is how it went....

1) collect Olivia from club
2) get angry when I thought she had disappeared whilst I was attaching her skis / boots to my pack but realise she had just gone to retrieve her ski poles from the Village as they had left them there at lunchtime!
3) go and see Ben finish his week of lessons and he had just missed out on his 1 star but since it was a bonus he was even in that group that was fine - he was by far the littlest anyway!
4) take kids into town to see Papa Noel and the other celebrations the town were putting on
5) March Ben home as he had gotten angry and kicked Clare in the shins in his ski boots when we told him he could not stay longer
6) finished off preparing the lovely home cooked meal Clare had prepared of chicken and ham pie with mash and my red cabbage
7) realise both kids (Ben more so than Olivia) were not that into the meal (think they had eaten too many sweets etc during the day) and commiserate ourselves
Cool

persuade Ben on my lap to eat a few mouthfuls of the chicken / ham / mash separately
9) proceed to have Ben projectile vomit all over me / the walls / floor / plate etc
10) have a shower fully clothed with Ben and then get new dry clothes on whilst massive load goes straight into the washing machine
11) find Clare finishing the clear up operation whilst Olivia and then Ben retreat to the sofa and demand mince pies
12) finally eat some cold dinner by myself

Oh yes the joys of being a parent! Think Ben is OK just really tired and perhaps a little bit of the gastro that is going around!

Anyway we have now put all the presents in stockings / in place etc. The mince pie / beer / carrots and milk are ready for santas arrival and I am ready for bed.

Only other thing to note was that of a sad death in Val / Tignes yesterday... I had noted the medical chopper come in yesterday pm and land next to the Edelweiss piste (which was strange enough). It was even stranger when the chopper shut down and didnt move for a long time.... anyway the news came through today that what had actually happened was a 47 year old Parisian woman had taken a strange fall and somehow squewered herself on her pole.... but basically died at the scene sadly. Blimey! Not a good Xmas present!

So anyway that is all the latest news. Xmas day tomorrow so lets hope the kids are not up too early - yea fat chance.

Merry Christmas.

TTFN

P.S. There are now SOOOOO many people I know of in town that have tested +ve for covid - it is literally everywhere. From colleagues to friends - everywhere - scary!

You know it makes sense.

@Steve Angus, Re the meal. It's the red cabbage...bleugh.

Merry Christmas x

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Chrimbo

Sorry I didnt post yesterday - rather a large food coma and perhaps a couple of extra shandies and a snooze infant of the tv put paid to a posting last night. haha!

Needless to say I survived Xmas day. Kids had us up fairly early.... but a nice breakfast and then a walk in the snow was a nice way to spend the morning. The weather was a mixture of clouds and then snow light snow and back to sun again - bit of everything. However as soon as we got in and sat down for lunch what was happening outside was forgotten and of course a movie to throw into the mix and the present opening and a few glasses of bubbles and it was a nice day to forget everything outside the flat!

I was exhausted by the time I got to bed after a sneaky snooze in front of the tv - haha!

Today was a little more relaxed in the morning and Clare went for a snowy run whilst I gave the kids breakfast. The morning was then spent watching the kids play with their various presents and attempting to keep the peace between them. I did have to shoot off at lunchtime as I had one of my only lessons of the week in the afternoon an off piste session with a guy who had been in town for a week and was staying a few more days. Being a strong skier I knew there werent many places I couldnt take him but the main problem was the clouds were coming and going and the 5cm or so of fresh snow that had fallen yesterday was not really enough to give a total clean canvas unfortunately! Anyway after a warm up tester under the Datcha we headed up and over the back and did my first descent in 2 years of the Cugnai - it was so good to be back out there! By co-incidence we followed the only other 2 people we would see for an hour under the rope at the top and down into the guts of the descent - a couple of pisteurs having a ski on their break! Didnt see anyone else the whole time down there which is SUPER rare.... I know today was in effect transfer day but still! Anyway the snow was pretty descent all in all - can't complain.... however the snow cover is still a little hit and miss in most places lower down and getting out over the river was interesting as the weather moved back in at just the wrong moment!

A bus stop / super L and the glades above Mattis all were excellent as we were limited by this stage due to a thick cloud bank at exactly the wrong altitude! Anyway it was nice!

I got home and Clare pretty much straight away had to head out as she has managed to secure a week of evening massages in town (her lockdown massage qualification is coming in handy!)... so I was on kid bath and bed duty!!!!

Anyway we got there in the end and now there is peace in the house once again. Dinner was day 1 of 2234234 of left overs from yesterday which his perfect for me - yummy!

So tomorrow I have my only other booking of the week as it stands at the moment and Clare has a one off with a little girl too so the kids are booked into the Village (as they were all week anyway!) tomorrow. Weather wise we are in for an unsettled week of weather and snow and more snow coming BUT crucially it looks like Macron might be about to announce changes to covid restrictions and I think it will be for the worse not better as cases are going crazy here now!

TTFN

A snowHead

Steve I don't know you but I have visited EK many times and always enjoy your reports and photos.

Best wishes to you in these troubled times snowHead

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

Not to worry, Steve. We can all cheer ourselves up watching the Ashes. Shocked

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red_27 - thanks ever so much! Appreciated! Glad you enjoy reading etc. Kind regards
Bergmeister - oh gawd dont talk about that - sorry state of affairs that!

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The weather is coming on in

I am doing my update a little earlier in the day today party because I can and partly as Clare is doing some massages this evening it'll mean I'm ic the kids and their bed / bath time which will no doubt be chaotic! Anyway it was the normal start to the day but the kids seem to have gotten used to a more casual start to the day of recent so needed to chip them along! Anyway the weather was reasonable and not too bad at all. Clare headed off to a 0900 start and I to take the kids to the Village. They do enjoy going to kids club as it is basically a day of play for them and for the whole week in actual fact.

Anyway with the kids dropped of I popped home and got myself ready for the mornings lesson.... it was a meet at the top of the Tommeuse and so I headed over that way. The other day I had said that I thought the La Daille Gondola was up and running and working again but alas it along with the Mont Blanc chair officially has technical problems with them - however I think it is more of staff shortages more than anointing in actual fact.

Anyway I got to the Tommeuse and met up with Ross and his wife for a good 3 hour session working on their general piste technique! There was some really really skiing going on. It was nice that they had a good underlying level of performance to make some changes and keep moving onwards and upwards! There were a few lift queues here and there but bearing in mind it is the start of New Years week there really were no problems. It is sad that things are this quiet.

The impact of covid cases and people having to isolate is really starting to have a negative impact on things with staff shortages left right and centre. In fact Clare has been asked to do some cleaning for a French chalet company this week now as they have no staff left for the time being!

Anyway back to the lesson.... later in the lesson we had some time to work on moguls as the weather was slowing starting to move back in. Indeed it is now really socked in out there... the snow is moving in quite heavily now but the temps are quite high so almost rain... however over the next 24 hours it will get more and more snowy.... the torch lite descent tomorrow night has already been cancelled as they think the weather is going to be real bad - hmmmm time will tell!

So yes Clare is off doing a few hours of massage this afternoon and then a few hours of cleaning in chalets this week - needs must!

I am off to collect the kids in a moment and starting to get the cogs turning for the evening whilst watching the snow fall outside the window. For this who have made it out here either via the Geneva 'dodge' or the Italian sneak around your presence in the resort is very welcome and if anyone is looking for lessons or anything then please do get in contact as things remain very very very quiet.

TTFN

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Grotty

With 15cm of wet soggy snow overnight, thick low hanging clouds and rising temps its probably a good thing I am not on the slopes today but would rather be up there working thats for sure!

Anyway with no need to rush this morning we didnt set any alarms but of course the kids made sure it was an earlyish start but respectable at 0730. Clare has managed to pick up not only some cleaning work in some really swanky sets of chalets this week but also has some massage work too which means I am more or less the stay at home dad this week but of course with the kids pre-booked and paid for kids club it would be silly not to make the most of them in there. So I got them up to club and then ran some errands about the place including booking Ben in for a lesson in a couple of weeks time amongst other jobs!

The weather could best be described as damp so I wasnt upset having to get home and dry after only being out for an hour or so. I have mainly filled the day so far with sorting the fridge out, watching some ski racing, looking around for some temp jobs about the place (one of the issues is that all jobs are related to tourism in these parts making it hard finding things). Some jobs that could work are tricky e.g. driving the bus about Tignes (means getting there and back each day) or being a temp transfer driver (Brexit has made that so much harder even with an EU residence permit) and of course not as many transfers happening at the moment anyway!

I called my sister and will head into town shortly too collect the kids and do a few things.

The torchlit has been cancelled tonight (officially because of poor weather but I suspect as many instructors told them to shove It (I know take the instructors still standing and have a mass spreading event knocking all those left standing down!)).

In other news I hear the resort are still hopeful to push ahead with the plans to modernise the Vallon gondola this Summer but I think finances from the sale of enough lift passes will be crucial in that! I do know that so many things have been put on hold because of the pandemic and you have to remember that this is now the 3rd year of upheaval.

However I also know that the resort are now pushing the government quite hard to try and come up with a financial aid package to the resorts and (quite rightly) pointing out the flawed thinking the government have.... that is that the French (and other mainland Europeans that are allowed to travel to Val / Tignes / La Plagne / 3 V etc etc etc) WONT make up for the lost custom of the Brits! In other news to try and diversify more for next year the resort are also looking into better transfer links by train so that (for example) getting here from Paris will be easier and better and onward connecting buses etc. We shall see.

Otherwise not much else to report... just trying to see any glimmer of positivity there is out there.

TTFN

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

So keeping the Brits out clearly worked then...

https://www.france24.com/en/health/20211228-who-warns-of-omicron-overload-as-france-reports-record-high-of-nearly-180-000-cases

After all it is free

Snowed in - well nearly

I woke to the sounds once again of the snow ploughs working outside so new that it had been snow, snow, snow all night long. In fact there was a good 40cm of fresh snow out there and it was warm - as has been for the last 48 hours or so lurking either side of zero making for wet snow.

Anyway like yesterday no major rush to get the kids out the house as Clare was not starting her cleaning until 1030 and I am not booked again today.... might have changed for tomorrow though.

So with the kids dressed and ready I headed into town via wading through very deep snow. It is always an adventure in the mornings when this amount of snow has fallen getting anywhere! The bus was rammed but the main thing I noticed was how few people were wearing masks - by few I mean there was a handful of people not even attempting to wear a mask. What annoys me somewhat is that whatever the science and wisdom (lack of behind it potentially) is that with more cases etc there is only 1 way restrictions can go and that is the wrong way... so basically even if you dont agree with it is is not likely to make much difference to the individual but can make a big difference to the outcomes / restrictions etc.

Oh well. I then popped into Snowberry on the way home as needed to get some ski poles for little Ben and his next ski lesson next week and then came home.

I have spent the day so far once again catching up on some work and watched the ski racing on TV as well as sorting out a few jobs.

Last week I mentioned the fire at the La Daille gondola well finally today the lift is fixed and today with the weather really bad it was extensively used as the pisteurs had to do a LOT of clearance of the slopes so not much could open, certainly not initially! It also looks like the fire was actually arson and undertaken by a disgruntled STVI employee. Apparently hand sanitiser was rubbed in the electric circuit boards before the fire was started! Not sure what the disgruntled nature was but speculation that it could have been confirmation that people needed a vaccination in order to continue working for the company from next month onwards! The person faces a €45000 fine and possibly 15 years in prison apparently ! Wow.

Anyway the weather has continued to be snowy all day and we have now had getting on for a metre of snow in the last few days... great snow for improving coverage and the snowball of course but it is making the avalanche danger very high and is currently 4/5. I suspect at first light tomorrow morning there will be a lot of avalanche clearance to do and again there will be delayed openings! The road between town and the Fornet is already closed to all but the Train Rouge for now. The snow is very unstable and the wet snow is also not that nice either! Up high there is a lot of wind too! Lets hope it calms down in the next couple of days eh!

I think that is all for now.

TTFN

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