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

A snowHead

Just want to express my thanks to you Steve for taking the time each evening over all the previous years to type up the day. It really does up our excitement level in the early weeks, and keep the season going for the last few too.
Hope you and your family are all well for the warm months, look forward to reading next year.
Maybe one day we'll meet up.
Nik.

A snowHead

@Steve Angus,
A temporary thread 'The view from .... EOSB'?

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

Thanks Steve for all the updates this season. Really appreciated.

We’re currently packing to make the drive up to Tignes tomorrow morning, Hawaiian shirt and trunks it will be!

I’ll plan better for next season and try and join you all for the opening bash of 22/23 to say Hello!

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Another thanks from all of us here, always look forward to the daily update.

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Steve, thank you for all your advice and lessons over the last few years. I have to say you improved both our skiing today. But the FF is absolutely knackered tonight . Wishing you and the family all the best for the rest of the year. I would be nice to meet up at Lords. Best wishes M and M

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snowornever - thanks... yes looking forward to VT indeed
gixxerniknik - thanks ever so much... glad it makes you dribble! My pleasure! Yes one day you never know!
Kenzie - erm no.... will be enough going on thanks - haha!
raino - ah wow have a really good time in Tignes! Of course make sure you get the timings right for next Winter eh!
endoman - was really good seeing you earlier in the season... until next season!
Subseaeng - again thank you so much!
mpurser2 - my total pleasure. You know what to focus on now - go get em tomorrow won't you! Tired legs - nothing a good sleep hopefully won't sort out! As for cricket - would be really nice yes! Never know! Got my membership card through in the post today (coincidence) so got me thinking about it again! Awesome! Smile and enjoy the ski tomorrow!

Thats a wrap - well in Val anyway!

The sun was shining once again this morning and once again we had hardly had a freeze overnight! Again I was on a 0930 start so it was a casual start to the day but I left at a normal time anyway in order to go grab myself a chevallot for lunchtime for my rucksack.... I also did a quick live update on Insta live and then it was off. Being the last morning with the kids I have had this week I wanted this morning to be a fun last session but also take them somewhere new so we headed to the Grand Pre initially and then after a little time over there when I thought the snow might have softened up we headed over to ski the Verte and then the Petit Cross before taking a hot choc break. I was surprised that even at 1030 the Verte was still totally solid and it was nightmare to be honest - lots of beginners slipping and sliding everywhere - not very nice! Anyway despite one 'whipper' of a fall and slide we got down to the Marmottes for hot choc break OK. The young girl I was teaching and a beginner lady had a coming together at slow speed and both ended up sliding down the slope... whopps - but it happens.

Anyway after hot choc break conditions had improved and softened up so doing Borsat and then back to Grand Pre was a lot easier the second time.... amazing!

We ended up finishing in the sunshine atop Bellevarde as we bumped into the parents there so I took the opportunity to have my lunch there.

No sooner had I finished my lunch than M+M arrived for their session. It was a combo session of trying to increase confidence on one hand whereas make things physically easier on the other..... so a couple of lessons in one. Given the time of day I tried to find the hardest snow I could which meant the 3J would be the best bet and worked on some tactics and reverse psychology and tactics to becoming more committed on what is much harder skiing - that of morning snow at this time of the year! We also talked about how you can ski on soft slushy snow to make it much less tiring - a vital lesson we can all have in these snow conditions!

Alas we spent a solid couple of hours working our way through some drills and tactics. Finally skiing down to a soft, sticky and slushy La Daille to finish! A nice way to finish my season in Val to be honest! Onwards and upwards to M+M I hope. With some luck they might get a ski in down to Brev tomorrow - certainly won't be hard and icy down there I shouldn't think!

I had to dash after the lesson as needed to get home, sorted and get Ben and Olivia from school and then Ben off to his swimming gala. Luckily Clare was also able to come along and see it but basically they got all the kids to demonstrate their swimming ability... amazingly Ben is now basically able to swim a whole length of the main lap pool (25m) all by himself. He especially loves diving in (aka bombing) and can now do some front and back crawl - bless him. It was a good show (although somewhat slow watching them all do their thing) but I was a proud dad! Olivia spent time with her friend chatting away and then we all headed home (I stopped briefly to check the post box in town and somehow we are suddenly getting post that is in some cases 5 years old - not sure where the letters have been sitting all this time but anyway hey ho!).

With Clares mum now on her way home it has been a quiet evening.

In other news Bens new passport finally arrived today - only took 2 months to come.... finally eh!

So thats it folks.... another scorching day to finish my season in Val off. The weather will continue to be hot and sunny for a few more days yet and with the resort only expected to be 33% busy next week it should be very nice conditions! Im off to VT at some point tomorrow depending on when Clare finishes her days teaching!

I will be back for monthly (or so) updates over the Summer months so until then.

TTFN

After all it is free

@Steve Angus, It was nice to meet you and the family on frequent occasions this season and also great that we managed a lesson together.
Clare’s lessons with part of my family are still a very positive taking point, they are even thinking about returning a few times next season rolling eyes

@Steve Angus, thanks for another season of great updates. Glad it turned out well, after such a challenging start pre January.
Enjoy the EOSB and summer!

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@Steve - valley traffic was bad between Aime and Siaix tunnel when I drove up about 1130. About 7kms tailback, you may want to take the local route!

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Yea thanks. There isn’t a back road Around much of that. Unfortunately. However it’ll be fine in about 2 hours (hopefully) or so before I leave here! So should be fine by then. But yea thx

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Vale: @Steve Angus,
Spent the day on a uk summer day golf course today and burnt the backs of my calves. Feels very strange to be coming out to close up next week (and a cheeky Black Shoes)

Anyone know what the problem with the Olympic is?

You know it makes sense.

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

@Steve Angus, It was great to catch up with you this season. We've just booked to be out for a month in January so we will see you again then. In the meantime, have a great summer with the family. All the best.

A snowHead

@brovert, looks like the Olympic is staying closed for the moment at least Sad

.

A snowHead

Hi Steve
Think it was you waving from your van exiting oxalys today but didn’t react in time due to being knackered !!
Thanks for the lessons lots in there that helped
J

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Steve - thanks for the lessons on the EoSB. I know it appeared that I was incapable of implementing your improvements, but I will try. Thanks for not mentioning the elephant on the piste - being several stone overweight and simply not fit enough. And apologies for being at least partly responsible for the moguls mutiny on Tuesday.

Have a good summer, and keep safe.

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Thanks @Judwin - my pleasure! Try, try and keep on trying - it'll get better I promise! As for the moguls mutiny - makes me laugh that one! Indeed until next Summer take care.

After all it is free

Still nothing wrong with the conditions if you don’t mind slush after lunch.

Thanks again @Steve Angus for the lessons. I must have improved something whilst away as my slalom turns are super smooth now back in the dome. Hoping Snozone fix the chiller and snow making system sometime soon and can build me some bumps to practice on so that I’m not responsible for any more ‘moguls mutiny’ in future Toofy Grin

. Have a great summer.

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@stephap - that's great to hear. Brilliant news. Yes you too re the Summer. See you next time and keep on practicing.

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Its Summertime - well not this weekend

Some 8 weeks since I did my last daily of the season here we are in early June and what a crazy few weeks it has been. The first thing was to get through the end of season and the EoSB in particular. It was a really nice bash and it was nice being back in Val T. All the instructors had a flat together so we had a good laugh and had some darn nice cook ups thats for sure.

No sooner was the EoSB bash over but it was back to Val for the usual end of season events including a final family ski together or two as well as Clare and Olivias birthdays and then the big one - the dreaded tax return 'lock in week' - burning the candle at both ends it most certainly is but after a week of that I got the return sent off - yay thats that for another year!

Suddenly it was early May and the whole of the Summer lay ahead.... oh what to do with your time - well plenty actually! I have been working hard on moving our building project forward.... had a bit of a set back yesterday as found out that remortgaging the traditional way as I assumed could happen like in the UK with my current lender is not an option in France so need to look at other options now! However on other fronts things are progressing slowly but surely!

Ive been doing a range of projects at home like installing some new heated boot dryers in our ski cupboard, putting up some new drying racks into the eaves of our balcony so we can dry laundry on sunny days. Ive also been helping some friends with odd jobs. You name it really have gotten plenty of things to occupy my time thats for sure.

Of course at this time of the year spending lots of time with the kids is also high on the agenda.... last weekend we managed to get away as there is basically 4 full days in a row we could get away. We headed to a lovely campsite between Lyon and Chambery and since the weather was set really nice for the long weekend we had an amazing time and awesome weather.... lots of BBQ's and everything inbetween. One of the highlights of the trip was taking the kids to the French version of Alton Towers in this corner of France - Walibi Park its called! Boy it was a good day out but the queues for the rides etc were insane! Ice cream and lots of treats that day for sure! Olivia particularly enjoyed her first ride on a real rollercoaster - although she couldnt eat anything for a couple of hours afterwards and didnt say much either! Anyway it was a wonderful day out and the whole trip was amazing.

We were supposed to be making the most of this bank holiday weekend (its a 'traditional' Monday one here - no Jubillee stuff over here of course!) so Saturday (today) until Monday by heading to the campsite in Bourg St Maurice but the weather is somewhat unsettled this weekend so we canned that idea!

The only other thing that has been happening as such this last few weeks is LOTS of time watching the kids play and taking them to events ranging from kids parties to sleepovers to mountain biking lessons - you name it really!

Meanwhile within the realm of Val d'Isere there has been lots going on (as usual) but it is of course more mundane things at this time of the year including lift maintenance etc.

The Club des Sports had their end of season fun ski race which Olivia went dressed as Flamingo for but the Club des Sports also has some disappointing news in that the traditional double header of the consecutive weeks in December of World Cup Mens SL and GS racing on the Face followed the following weekend of racing down to the La Daille with the Womens World Cup Downhill etc... anyway the Womens leg of the racing has been cancelled - the first time I have known that in nearly 20 years here. Quite a shock to the resort thats for sure! Not sure how we are going to get anywhere near our mandatory community service days this year but then again I am not sure what else they are thinking of to allow us to get our days in - hmmmm we shall see! Either way it is a bit of a shock to the resort to lose the race and instead going to just have to make do with the mens racing the weekend before - but I think the ESF will be running those races - great news as we dont have to do it!

One of the big pieces of news though (AGAIN THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED) is that they got the Col d'Iseran road open to traffic BEFORE the end of May on the 31st - so that was good news but it also heralded bad news in the fact that being able to open the road early as there was less snow to clear than normal and coupled with record May temps means that the Val glacier is NOWHERE near good enough to open for the Summer.... it is the first time that Val will NOT have a Summer season - quite a blow to the resort!

Some of the impressive lift maintenance that gets done at this time of the year!

We've had the first couple of car rallies come through town already this year

This year like other years there is a LOT of building works going on around town.

The road clearers getting the Col d'Iseran road ready for the Summer opening

The first tourist of the Summer crosses the Col - on foot!

Not enough snow up top to open... getting off the glacier would be interesting (to put it mildly) if its this bad already!

TTFN

P.S. Some good news though - in that the broken Olympic lift has now been fixed
P.P.S. We head off on our mega camping trip this year around France in about 4 weeks time so I should think it will be after we get back from that in late July when I will do my next update.

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@Steve Angus, good to get an update, and an opportunity to thank you for all the updates over the last few years when Covid stopped many of us getting near the Alps - a great help to morale.

That glacier (or not-glacier) picture really makes the reality of climate change hit home for anyone familiar with the location.

YSE cookery school are looking for diners/guinea pigs June 13-22.

You know it makes sense.

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

@Steve Angus,

Thanks for all of your postings last winter.

Please say hello to Murray & Christina for me, I've just booked 4 weeks with them next winter.

A snowHead

A snowHead

@Steve Angus,
Is the Val glacier still there? It doesn't look so on the webcams.

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

It was already mentioned that it wasn't opening this summer as snow conditions were so poor. I think this year the Iseran opened to road traffic on the earliest date in many years.

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Kenzie - indeed it is and yes the info from NoMapNoCompass is correct - they got the road open on the last day of May (1st time ever) and also this is the first time that they are unable to open the Val glacier due to lack of snow this Summer.... the Grand Motte in Tignes is a in bad way too (albeit open (just)).

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Summer is here

I have just realised that it is a month since I did my last update so better get typing - so here I am. We also head off on holiday tomorrow for the next few weeks.

So firstly the exciting bit - our holiday plans. So we head south tomorrow and camp a couple of days near Nice and explore that area. Then the same over Avignon way before we head all the way across the country to Biscarosse (south of Bordeaux) and spend a week on a nice campsite there - that will be the real holiday. We then head further south and even cross to see a little of Spain (San Sebastian). After nearly 3 weeks away we come back end of the month via Aix-En-Provance.... im looking forward to lots of fun times with the kids. Bring it on. The van is packed and we are ready to go. One of the big things I have been doing the last month or so has been making some shelves to go into van so that has been sorted out now - exciting!

The weather has been up and down - we had a heatwave week where being up here in the mountains when it was 'only' 30c was a godsend. Being down the valley when it was 40c+ would have been murder. But up here in the mountains we get a mix of the nice weather with the storms and we have had some BIG thunder and lightning.

One thing that we have not been able to change thought is after the Winter the amount of snow on the Val glacier. In fact the weather this season was not conducive towards having a good Summer ski season up the Val glacier so they decided NOT to open the glacier at all which was sad... the Tignes glacier did open on time but then had to close early the other day as the weather again has trashed the fragile amounts of snow up there.... so there is now no skiing on the Val or Tignes glacier at all. What a shame. Of course the weather and poor skiing conditions are the opposite for the road cyclists etc and the Summer non skiing season is well underway and doing really well. The ski lifts are open and the town is opening up. We had the flower market and the tourists are coming - its a nice time of the year.

Back at the start of the month and just after posting the last update I headed back to the UK to do the necessary admin that I need to do for my mums life... accountant meeting and all sorts were fitted into a week back in Bournemouth. I also managed to fit a trip up to London to watch a cricket match at Lords and christen my MCC membership and into the Pavilion. Luckily my best mate is a member so we had a nice evening out and then had a curry! However most of the trip was meetings and paper pushing etc. I did manage to see my mum a couple of times too and she is very frail but just about hanging in there. Despite waiting 2 hours for baggage handlers to load the aircraft on the way back from London to France the journey was OK too.

Work wise the last few weeks I have been tasked with a big clear our of a property down the valley on behalf of the owner of Mountain Rooms. They have just bought a place down there that they plan to knock down and rebuild as staff housing / storage. So the whole place needed to be cleared out. Luckily a large trailer and the use of a 4X4 helped out. MANY shuttles up and down and a LOT of loading and unloading was needed but I got there in the end. Knackered.

Oh and of course the school year finished too - yes they have a LONG Summer holiday they really do. The annual school fete last week was a real highlight and lots of fun.

The resort up on the mountain has been busy too... they have done the replacement of the Glacier lift drive cable and recharged the gasex systems too. Lots of busy goings on.

Anyway as usual I will finish with a load of photos from Radio Val. Back next month for another update.

Lots of maintenance work on the lift cables goes on at this time of the year

The school organises the cycle proficiency scheme for the last school year group. They all passed apparently.

The flower market always marks the real start of the Summer in these parts

The view from the top of the Borsat is very different in the Summer!

The school fete was fun as always

TTFN

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@Steve Angus, have a great summer trip. Provence one of my favourite tours many years ago. Arles, Aix and the Luberon all wonderful.

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Hope things are OK on this part of your trip. Saw on news that Biscarosse is very close to serious wildfires, with camp sites being evacuated Shocked

After all it is free

Hi@Steve Angus, Hope and the family have a great adventure. The kids will have a ball.

PeakyB - thanks - it was awesome - more on that below. Yes the fire got close!
lynnecha - thanks - the kids did indeed have a ball!

What a great and sunny month

As I sit here and hear what must be the first rain in a month falling hard this evening on the roof I can reflect on what has been a very warm and dry and sunny month. At one point the temperatures on our trip topped 45C as we crossed over into northern France (yikes). Here in the Savoie we have hosepipe bans etc and the local fountains have all been turned off and no watering of communal areas for much of the daylight hours is allowed. Some of the springs on the mountain have dried up so the poor precipitation feel from the Winter is following through this Summer.... will the Autumn be a reverse leading to a good start to the Winter!

Anyway the main event from the last month has indeed been our 'grand tour' around France (well southern France really!). We started a month ago tomorrow with Nice and seeing the sights and sounds as well as a trip by bus to Monaco for an ice cream as its so close to Nice. I must say that it was just cool to see some of the sights (amazing yachts and cars) in Monaco as well as the routes of the Grand Prix. We had planned a day to drive and see Cannes (it was way too busy so we just kept on driving!) but ended up just stopping for a nice lunch in St Tropez and dipping our feet in the Med. Avignon was cool and I thought it was a lovely place and best of all the famous Pont and centre of town was literally 200m over the river from our campsite with a free river taxi to get us across. It was a very interesting place to see.

The main event of the trip was to get to La Rive campsite over near Biscarosse which is about 1 hour south west of Bordeaux. The campsite really is 5* with everything you can think of from evening entertainments to foot trucks to eat at, multiple pools, kids clubs, soft play areas.... pretty much everything you can think of. We had an amazing time the 6 days there and the kids loved every second of it. We took a jet boat ride on the lake one day, Olivia had a couple of surf lessons and we enjoyed some lovely meals out. Of course the main news in the area at the time was the massive forest fires that were raging just across the lake from us. Indeed they were close to where we were BUT there was a huge lake in the way and the wind would have had to change direction / take out a massive military base and then change direction once again to get anywhere near us and of course that didnt happen. So all in all apart from seeing the planes dropping water over the other side of the lake and one evening when the wind changed direction and we got a covering of ash on the camp ground we were not really affected. It was scary though being so close and feel sorry for those worse affected than us!

After a few days there we headed further south to near the Spanish border and in particular the kids loved the day trip to Biarritz and the aquarium there and then crossing into northern Spain. San Sebastian was a lovely place thats for sure! We had some amazing meals on this trip thats for sure and some of the BBQ's we had at camp were amazing.... happy memories!

The last stop (we ended up doing some 2000 miles on the trip!) was back across to Aix-En-Provance and again that was a super lovely town... loved exploring the old streets around there and had the most AMAZING pizza lunch ever there.

The thing about these trips is that they are about the experience for us all and building those memories. There is a lot of effort involved in planning and executing these trips and it is tiring thats for sure. It would be a lot easier to simply sit on a beach somewhere and do nothing but thats not our style.

So no sooner did we get back but there was the Val fete to enjoy (and there is the most amazing Foire Avaline on this weekend which is my favourite of the lot - can't wait). There has been the kids having days at the kids club in town, they have been swimming (Ben having lessons), trampolining (Olivia can now complete a front flip quite easily now) and some tennis lessons as well as a rugby try out session and lots of other things too.... go, go, go. Oh and also there was a cool Pump Track competition too which both the kids entered..... so many things and so many more fun things to go this month before it all calms down in September when they go back to school (and we get a break! haha!)

Elsewhere there have been work on the lifts and more building continues around town - boy the hole in the ground for the new Club Med is still MASSIVE!!!! The Vanoise High Trails (running weekend) was a huge hit too but we werent here then but looks like it was a success! The E-Bike festival last weekend was pretty successful too!

On the personal front I am still plodding away with the big renovations front and the work that that is needed. The Mairie have basically said yes to our planned works and there have also been some other progress too but it is financial funding that is the hold up at the moment. I didnt think financing it would prove tricky but a combination of personal affordability to extend a mortgage with the tightening of belts of lenders etc all adds up to a nightmare trying to get € in place and in France they dont really lend against perceived value of projects! Anyway I am trying lots of ploys to get € still. But once that is sorted out I genuinely think we can then see a way forward. Hopefully!

So anyway here is some photos to reflect the last month or so. Ill be back in about a months time as we move into early Autumn.

TTFN

Flipping amazing at the pump track comp and this display by a pro!

We spent a lot of time at the pump track since we have been back against a background of blue skies

Pont d'Avignon from our camp site

Dipping our toes in the water of the med in St Tropez!

Olivia surf dudette - she loved learning the basics!

The fire... notice the multiple planes that were picking up water from the lake and dropping on the fire below!

Learning the basics of rugby (our kids) at the Manchet

Nice was lovely but hot!

Some cool face paints for my little man at the L'Avancher hotel summer party the other night!

The theme for the floats this year was 'cartoon' characters!

The water park at La Rive camping was just amazing!

Amazing just been outside the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco and seeing the cars!!!!

Our kids LOVED the foam party one night at La Rive - they out partied us that night!

Ben with his favourite thing - diggers on Biscarosse beach!

TTFN

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@Steve Angus, glad you had an awesome summer trip….and that the wildfires only came close enough to toast your marshmallows and not your camper van Laughing

The places you mention take me back 30 years Shocked

to a very happy and eventful trip I did myself. That was in May though, so we hit a few snowdrifts rather than raging fires. Happy days and memories all round.

Help!!

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

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