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

A snowHead

Warms the heart

I slept really well last night and it was a good hour later than normal when I woke up which was ideal... Clare was not starting until 1000 and with Olivia not on Club until the afternoon it was definitely time for some kids downtime this morning! They played really nice and it was a jolly relaxing morning all round! I did one of my specials for lunch which the kids love of toasted cheese, ham and tomato toasties so I was popular at lunchtime but also got the kids full of energy for the afternoon.

Being another grey sort of day with the strong Foehn wind blowing it was not that appealing out there but anyway the kids and I got geared up to take Olivia up to Club and then Ben and I walked all the way back home checking the post box on the way back and (most importantly as far as Ben is concerned) we popped to our underground parking space to get Bens scooter out. He was a very happy boy riding it all the way home!

A couple of relaxed hours at home (walking all the way from the centre of town all the way back to La Daille is tiring for little legs!) and a movie went down well whilst I got dinner sorted as Clare collected Olivia from Club and took her to a birthday party at the ice rink! Its go, go, go for her eh! Now I really can't cook and Clare does most of the menu planning and sourcing in these parts but today it was my turn.... Now dont laugh but I thought the Fajitas I rustled up were pretty darn good actually!

When Clare got back with Olivia the family meal was a roaring success - yay!

The weather is like today again tomorrow and more or less up and down all week but generally quite cloudy and breezy much of the week tending towards sunny periods!

In other news the communes of the Tarantaise have been working so hard to get collections together for the fall out from the Ukraine invasion and today a huge lorry was loaded down the valley and is on its way to Poland as we speak. Within Val (and other communes in the area I am sure) the locals are doing there bit and apparently over this weekend 14 women and children are arriving in Val itself from Ukraine and most of them are being housed by apartments that the Folie Douce are renting for them which is amazing although we know of an ex pat couple that are taking a family in two - amazing! So we have been told that some of the kids will be in school on Monday! This is amazing and I know the powers that be have been amazed how generous people have been so thats awesome!

In terms of visitor numbers for this week the occupancy rate is 84% and that is not a million miles off how busy it is over New Year so it will be a busy week out there! Lots and lots of Brits in town this week but mainly 1000 international students on the AltiGliss student ski event !

Ill finish with some photos. TTFN

Not sure what the Doune were doing there tbh!

We (Ben and I) fitted in (after dropping Olivia at Club) a lap up and down the Olympic lift - little things make him smile! Bless

A snowHead

I'm coming to Val D'Isere in a couple of weeks and my group of 10 adults need to eat out 2 nights during the week. Can you recommend any reasonable priced restaurants which can cater for a vegetarian?

Thanks in anticipation
Derek

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

Mrs endo is veggie, She enjoyed food in the Danois, L'Avencher, and La Mourra ( pricy) . Think the mushroom based fondue she had in L'Avencher was her favourite.

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Drove up to Tignes early yesterday for another week Very Happy

at 10am descending the valley was already blocked: broken down coach between Albertville and Moutiers (on the twisty bridge - if you know you know) causing 7km tailback, then also all the way from the tunnel de siaix (sp?) through Bourg up to Seez. Ouch!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We drove down from Bourg at about 2:30 yesterday after a Genepi re stock in Super U, took just over 2 hours from Bourg to Annecy, we took back roads to the tunnel de Siaix and after that is flowed pretty well, looked a massive queue coming the other way. My lad went down on Ben's bus at 8:20 , here's what he said, they hadn't made Moutiers by 12:00.

"We had a huge queue all the way from bourg to the bridge/tunnel then it was pretty much ok. Driver ran out of time and had to take a 45 min break so some people missed their flights"

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Is there an easy way to access the live or historical occupancy data ?

Would be interesting to see that to find out which are the quietest weeks (pre covid of course) for future planning.

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We’ve only been through Annecy once, when we had a load of time to kill. We nearly missed our flight. Never again.
We do the motorway from Albertville every time.

@Steve thanks mate, much better now. Back skiing today.

After all it is free

Had to rebook on later flights via the app (Swiss) yesterday, bus was on time on the way down but took over 6 hours.

The easyJet queue had us worried when we pulled up, fortunately I fly a lot so didn’t jump in the queue unnecessarily as a lot of people did and walked straight to the Swiss queue despite the attendant at the door saying we had to wait outside, very poor.

The way up was a brutal journey, 2 hours late for a pickup then 6hr journey.

To top it off I wasn’t able to ski all week after tripping on a kerb and twisting my ankle, such is life!

We’ll drive next year and be the masters of our destiny.

, @Steve Angus,

Amazing response from the area , however slightly controversial but

“most of them are being housed by apartments that the Folie Douce are renting for them which is amazing “

The least they can do considering the amount of dodgy money spent by Putin’s Russian elite at their venues over the last decade or so .

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On that basis all the bars in Courchevel 1850 should be coughing up a fortune.

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My son and his 2 mates have all arrived home after a great week, but have all tested positive for covid, all triple vaxxed.

@endoman, thanks for those I'll take a look.

Any more recommendations?

You know it makes sense.

@Frosty the Snowman, 3 of us have just got back from Tignes, all have cold symptoms and are positive for covid.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

raino / endoman - what a nightmare - sounds like it was even worse with broken down buses etc. One of the tour ops in town canvassed opinion on changing transfer day to a Sunday the other week - I simply replied saying 'what would the case be for remaining with a Saturday'. Don't get me wrong I understand traditionally it is a Saturday and also people like a day after they get back from hols to sort their lives out before work on the Monday am etc but really from a business point of view it makes no difference. The other option is of course pushing the train option so arriving early doors Saturday am and all the rest of it into Bourg BUT the traditional package of Saturday arrival and departure when there is just one (in reality) road into and out of the resorts is madness IMO

A snowHead

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

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After all it is free

@Steve Angus, Have you any slots for morning 3h private lessons, Tignes this week? For me and my wife…

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@Steve Angus, son and his friends are fine. Nothing to worry about if you are young and healthy

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Thanks Steve, my wife is definitely a morning person and legs go away in PM. We’ve both skied a few seasons but looking for a tuneup. Also back 17 April so maybe could book you in for a morning then?

For fear of being accused of saying too much

Today has mostly involved shuttling the kids (well Olivia really) to the snow front for her skiing this morning and snowboarding this afternoon, dragging Ben all the time as Clare was working all day so it was all down to me. Anyway Ben and I did manage to fit in a swim which is always fun and especially afterward when we go upstairs to the soft play. As usual Ben saw lots of his friends in the pool and we had a lovely hour or so.... always a lot of fun! Brilliant. With the weather some what windy and perturbed it was a good day to be inside!

At lunchtime a quick eat and dash and some tv time for the kids to chill and of course watching the ski racing was on the agenda! After we dropped Olivia back for her afternoon (her first session on her snowboard which was her early birthday present along with boots) season Ben scootered all the way back home and we played 'monster' quickly in the garage at Le Cret!

It was a really rushed evening of eat, bath and bed time for the kids but we got there in the end. The kids are beyond tired so an extra early night was needed.

In other matters I am aware that saying too much on here about where I have been / what I have taught etc can be spoilt when people getting silly. I also know that some people are out to attack others and punch fun or criticise etc. I have always wanted to make sure this blog is full of positivity and to paint a picture of what life is like as an instructor, some of the things I come across, successes and challenges that the job brings etc but recently there has been some unpleasantness. Likewise I have always kept things strictly anonymous and vague (as necessary) as possible but it seems pretty impossible sometimes to keep people happy. Likewise even little things like me saying where I have been off piste could lead to persons deciding that if they ski such a such a place they could be judged as not good enough or whatever. Basically what I am trying to say is that some incidents have ruined things for the many. I know for example that another mountain guide in the EK that posts regularly elsewhere has chosen to use the phrase 'code mode' as people pinch the snow as soon as they read where he goes. As there are lots of locals / regulars on here (I know there are very very many 'readers' and 'lurkers' (thats their perogative) that never make themselves known as this is a public forum) there are invariably some that dont use their heads or wish ill towards me / others / the postings. "Loose tongues, cost lives" was one of the sayings in WW2 I believe... Anyway needless to say I am a little peeved off today on a couple of fronts and I know those that read this that know what I am talking about will relate to this but on the same front you will understand why I am now going to be a somewhat quieter in some aspects of my posts which is a crying shame. I CANNOT tell everyone how grateful I am for the continued positive feedback and endless +ve comments I get / this blog gets so PLEASE keep it coming. 99.9% of people are level headed and can see through the fog of others and take this blog 'as seen' so please keep on getting stuck in and remember that skiing / snowboarding is, well, just that. Keep on smiling people.

Right back to the humble day job tomorrow and with views like this who wouldnt want it - haha!

TTFN

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Next year then! Thanks for the great blog and it’s a shame I couldn’t put any business your way this time.

A snowHead

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

Who the hell is accusing you of saying too much? Tell them to do one it's your blog and no doubt the most visited on the site. I guess in a fallow year like this some people are getting selfish, it sounds like territorial surfers tbh. Anyway it's a shame you've been subjected to whatever it is you've experienced but I think I speak for many that you should stick to your guns. Of course none of us mainly UK based readers can understand what it's like to live in a small community like the Alps so do whatever is best but the still sad to read and hear. All the best Steve.

I'm in town this week (well tignes actually), weather was not too fun today, seems like the west facing slopes of tignes have some serious sheet ice lurking beneath the top soil which felt distinctly man made. Actually looking forward to a bit of warmth and softening of the pistes which seems forecast for Tuesday onwards. Also think the cold wind damaged my right toe strap today, the locking mechanism is not springing back, feel like it's a matter of when rather than if. Disappointed seeing as it's only the third week in the Union bindings. My cheap old k2s were hardly and decent shouldn't have bothered upgrading! Anyone know any decent shops should my binding fail for either a repair or a good deal on a new pair?

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@Steve Angus, thanks I'll try the give it a whack option, dreading being that boarder walking down the hill due to broken bindings Wink

All thanks to you Steve, you put in so much effort we can all see that and we appreciate it greatly.

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@GeorgeVII, thanks George I'll make my way over there and see what they say.

After all it is free

@Steve Angus, we’ve just arrived in Town and would love to catch up. Let me know if you have s gap one lunchtime and we’ll try to come and meet you.

Just to say I read the blog all the time and love hearing about life as it happens in Val d’Isere. It makes me smile and I feel like I spend a minute in the mountains each day when I read it.

Keep it coming!

There are so many people on Snowheads who, over the years, have been so generous with their time and help- it’s a great community. We have made real life friends. There will always be a few who seem to need to find fault or pick an argument, but like most things in life, you have to not let the few speak for the many.

Thanks for a great blog, and thanks to all the regular contributors.

I don’t post much but I’m here in the background enjoying this and many other threads.

Don’t be disheartened- 202 pages speaks for itself. We’ll done!

Blimey @Steve Angus, didn’t see that coming.
Ignore and carry on as before (which has always been most acceptable and appreciated).
Cheers!

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Please keep up your normal output Steve. I look forward very day to reading about your life in skiers' heaven. Ignore the trolls.

Help!!

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

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