 Poster: A snowHead
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Right then, if you're interested in my exploits (the short version, honest!)..............
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin......... (you're showing your age if you recognise that quote!)
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Hopefully this will lead you to MY PHOTOS
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Well, I have had the most superb week in Vallandry. It's a long story (details on request!), but my lessons ended up being a one-off private lesson with Ruth from NewGen (who says "Hi Rob@Rar!") followed by daily 9-12 group lessons with ESF. Of the 2 levels on offer, I decided to join the "Debutantes", because the most important goal of the week was to raise my confidence level - and boy did that happen!
There were about 10 in the group (we had people leave/join during the week, as they were totally flexible, wanting people to be in the best group at all times) and the group had the attention of TWO instructors, Clement & Cedrique, meaning there was lots of individual attention. Each day we built on the previous day's experiences, but started each day with a comforting warm up on the easiest beginner slope, Flocon, at the top of the Vallandry lift and finished with the La Foret easy blue.
By the end of the week we'd had lessons on various slopes, including doing a section of Morey (amidst cries from us of "are you serious, it's r...r...r...R-E-D!") and had been introduced to doing turns that started in a plough and ended with a parallel "skid". I loved the way this was done. There were 2 pairs of cones placed down the fall line about 6ft apart, then there was a line of cones going away diagonally downwards with a further pair at the end. The instruction was to do a gentle s/plough into the 1st "gate" and then get the skis parallel for the distance between it and the 2nd, but then to try to keep the skis parallel and follow the line set by the other cones, finishing through the final "gate". It was very cunning, as I found myself focusing on following the cones, not my skis and the 2nd time I tried I felt a weird sensation - my skis skidding together along the required path - MAGIC!
Thursday, nothing went right. I was (due to a long-standing health issue) not well, and I'd had only a couple of hours sleep & was rather dehydrated. My legs hurt and refused to co-operate, so after the 1st hour of the lesson I decided to give it best and made my own way down the Foret from the Derby bottom station. That was very very strange, skiing on my own for the first time! Anyway, after a few hours of rest, medication, food and drink I went for a walk & took the Lonsange lift down to Peisey village. And then on Friday I had the most amazing day.
I did 2 hours of the lesson, during which we went up the Derby, & down Reynard, then practised the plough/parallel turn technique in the safety of the beginner area (& they went brilliantly!); then my five friends met us at a pre-arranged point and I went off with them while the group went off to do a final couple of runs. Well I was like a kid at Christmas - couldn't stop grinning! I stayed out skiing (apart from a lunch & later cuppa stop) until 4pm and here is where we went...............
Derby lift
1st part of Reynard
Right onto Belette (RED!)
Right again onto Access Transarc to the Telecabine midstation
Up in this to Col de la Chal restaurant at 2600m and lunch.
Down Col de la Chal
and right onto Vallee de L'Arc, following this right along to the last short stretch down to the Bois de L'Ours lift. **
Up this lift to the Heliski area (NO!)
Down Arpette **
Left onto Charmettoger and on to the cafe just after crossing the red Reches.
Finally along Plan Bois back to Derby & down the Foret back home to a well-earned hot shower!
Oh - the **? Those are the 2 short bits that scared me rigid as they were steeper than I liked and were full of soft "trainee moguls" & what looked to me like icy paths round them!! I did them though, turn by turn!
Chief achievements of the week?
1. Going fast enough to get all the way up most of the various uphill sections without walking
2. My first ski "tour" rather than practising on beginner slopes, as above. (Yeah, I know to most of you this would be a fairly quick boring trek around, but you have to understand that to me it marked the most amazing leap of progress).
3. Discovering the one technical issue that has really held me back - I have been guilty of lifting my downhill heel a smidgen in my boot whilst turning & trying to hold a traverse between turns and pushing down very hard on my toe joint to try and maintain the grip. As soon as I bent my knee a bit, dropped the downhill shoulder a bit and put more even pressure with my whole foot it was so much more effective! So when I felt myself losing grip, I kept on saying to myself "heel down, weight on the downhill ski" and it worked!
EDIT:
4. How could I forget??? Doing the side-slip turning exercise which allowed me to begin to feel what parallel is like!!
Most embarrassing moment?
Being bodily lifted up & plonked back on my feet like a 3-year old by a super-strong liftie after I'd gracefully slid down the exit from the Bois de L'Ours chair!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 24-02-08 15:41; edited 4 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Great report, and really pleased it went so well for you. Your tour via Col de Chal, Arc 1950 and Arc 1800 sounds rather more adventurous than you hoped for before the trip, so top marks for that 
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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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Butterfly brilliant - well done. A great trip for you. I can see the grin from here 
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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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Butterfly, It sounds brilliant, I'm really pleased for you !!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Jo225, I have one planned - but not till June!
I mentioned the heel-raising issue - was just wondering how much my heel ought to be able to move within my boot. I have them done up as tight as I can reasonably do them, but there is a few mm of movement, obviously it's impossible to gauge exactly how much. I am trying to train myself to keep my feet flat at the moment, but is the boot-space something I ought to be looking at too? I began to find the pain in my calf muscle (and quite severe pain in my left big toe join by Fri afternoon) was a fairly good reminder that I needed to flatten my foot!
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Butterfly, Well done. 
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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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Butterfly, you want to aim for as little heel lift as possible inside your boot, preferably none whatsoever. You really should not have to work at keeping your foot entirely on the footbed inside the boot - this should happen because the boot holds you securely. Are they your own boots? You can add pads and shims to the outside of your liner to help with heel retention.
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rob@rar, yes they are my own boots, complete with custom footbeds which I had in order to stabilise my dodgy ankle (which works a treat). When the opportunity presents itself I will get someone to assess and help with some pads then but for now perhaps it's teaching me a useful lesson about my skiing position? BTW Ruth was delighted when I told her you'd asked me to say hi from you.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Butterfly, glad you had one lesson with her, she's a great girl. It's a shame that NewGen had to change your plans, although your ESF experience sounds very positive so it all worked out well in the end.
Take your feet and your boots to see CEM. He'll give good advice about the fit.
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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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Butterfly, well done! Sounds like you had a geat time and came on no end! 
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Butterfly, Well done! Sounds like you had a fantastic time  What did you think of the resort?
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You know it makes sense.
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Butterfly, excellent news. it's great isn't it
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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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Butterfly, Well done, lovely to hear you had such a great time, improved and enjoyed it
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Poster: A snowHead
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Butterfly, Listen with Mother right?
Great report, you're fallen in love with skiing - am I right?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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red 27, got it in one - on both counts!!
Megamum, The nervousness hasn't gone, it's just diminished a bit & I began to cope with more as my confidence grew during the week. I made it perfectly plain to the instructor that confidence building was the aim, not "pushing the envelope" and this is what we did. Video-wise I only have about 20s and it's not very good at all - there just weren't the opportunities. Sun, Mon, Weds & Thurs I only skied in my 3 hr lesson while my friends went off doing their own thing all day. Tues pm two of them came with me for just a very gentle run back down 3.5km of La Foret, which is a blue that's a mountain road in the summer. It was Friday that my breakthrough came - I felt good, the skiing was going well, I had succeeded in sideslipping the end of some turns and I felt I was ready to take on the "grand tour", looked after by my friends - the decision wasn't made until that point as I had to feel up for it.
We must see if we can get together again at MK perhaps!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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geri, we loved it apart from the apartment being a trek up from the centre and the Navettes not starting from our end of the resort until 9.15 whereas my lessons began at 9!
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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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| Megamum wrote: |
| [Was the switching off of the nervousness a 'light bulb' moment or did is just come with increased hours spent on the slope? |
I've never seen nervousness "switched off". Just a slow process IME. "Switched on" is a different kettle of fish, however.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Butterfly, Lovely pictures
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| Quote: |
Thursday, nothing went right
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this is so common. There's usually a day when you feel that you are going backwards. Sounds as though you had really been trying to "grip" the soles of your feet with your toes, which is very common. A good way to stop that is to remember to just lift up your toes a bit - it's easier than trying to "push down" with the heel.
Do your heels lift even when you are in maximum ankle flex ski position? If so, you'll definitely need to do something about it. I can lift my heel slightly with straight legs, but not at all in ski position, so I think that's OK.
Well done, great to hear you sounding so positive. You've cracked it. But don't stop the lessons; sounds like you were lucky with your ESF chaps.
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Butterfly, excellent report - glad it went well. Did you find the "secret hut" near the Transarc mid-station?
Peisey looked nice - will get there one day, even though have been there 4 times! Trust the apartment was good?
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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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Just looked at the photos - you had good weather as we did. Some of those runs don't look awfully wide though 
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pam w, I know what you mean - one of our group had one of those days Weds. For me it was a combination of tiredness & the stress of it all that set me off being unwell on the Weds evening and meant Thurs was a non-starter. You're right that I have a tendency to operate non-existent "toe-brakes", but additionally I have been extending my downhill leg to nearly straight and pushing wth my big toe joint. Yes, my heels can still lift a bit when I am flexed but I have a limited ankle flex range anyway. I am going to get to Xscape soon and practise so will think it through there properly.
Boris, no but I found the bear's private hut on the Foret! We went to the other cafe near that one, cos one of our party prefers (for some reason I can't fathom) to sit inside!
Thanks ever so for the suggested route - my friends found it a really great help to start the week off on the Sunday, though it was beyond me at that point. As you can see from my report, we did something longer but similar on Friday.
Peisey village is worth a visit - takes about an hour in total to walk around it including a trip up to and around the church. I don't know if it's possible to ski down to it ever - nothing obvious to me, certainly and of course you'd then have to walk round in ski boots! Reckon it's a pedestrian trip for an afternooon off. THere is a Sherpa, a bakery and a few other little bits but that's all down there, but it is a real village not a resort.
The apartment indeed was good - just a few niggles such as they forgot to tell us about the ski locker room and it was 4 days before we discovered it through someone else in the complex using it! Also we needed 3 keys not 2 - I feel 2 for an apartment designed for 8 people is mean.
We found the route up to the Foret access, going right at the top of the steps and then left to the bridge, but it was extremely icy for the first few days. However on Fri it was fine and even I left the run there and snowploughed nearly down to the tarmac.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Butterfly, Fantastic and well done - if the confidence increases the ability certainly does! Very inspiring
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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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Butterfly, good report. Glad you had a great time.
A word of warning...
you're hooked - and like any white powder addiction, it's not cheap
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Butterfly, Yeah the ski locker was a bit away from the apartment - we only found it by accident, luckily on day 1, by walking through the wrong door when trying to find the apartment.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Nick L wrote: |
A word of warning...
you're hooked - and like any white powder addiction, it's not cheap |
Ah but at least I have the excuse that it's good for me!!
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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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Butterfly, Sounds like you had a grand time. I really like that area and have stayed in Peisey on three occasions now. Your photos reminded me of our hols, but I was surprised at how little snow there was around Vallandry/Peisey, they really need a top up now. I guess we were really lucky when we have stayed there as it was possible to ski down to our chalet (albeit down some peoples gardens!)
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Poster: A snowHead
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Kitty, we watched the snow disappearing during the week at resort level as the sun was so hot. THere was plenty where it really mattered though
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome back Butterfly, very pleased for you that you had a great time. Im in Les Arcs at Easter with a big group of 30 , including a couple of nervous folks who struggled a bit on their first week last year - I'll show them your "big day out" and see if they are up for it!
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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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Butterfly, it was great to read your report, and well done for making such great progress. Sounds like you had a great confidence boost and a good time as well.
Great photos!
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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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docsquid, thanks - was just on msn to my sister and we are going fix up another girlie day out & meet up half way between us at Tam - will let you know when, just in case you happen to be around!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Butterfly, great - I'd be happy to meet up. I work Thursday and Friday mornings at the Snowdome now, in the gym/fitness area, doing exercise prescriptions for people with medical problems. It would be great to meet up again. I'm off to Courchevel for 2 weeks on Sunday.
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FAQ
Wow! I'm so envious of your tour round - you got (much much) further than I did. I think I'm due a dose of playing 'catch up' in April!! Well done you, I know how nervous you have been esp. when we met last year because of my similar nervousness, I think by the sounds of this you are cracking this better than me. Was the switching off of the nervousness a 'light bulb' moment or did is just come with increased hours spent on the slope? Also, did you get any video's to show us at some point. NB. I have noted your comments in my trip thread and will post back accordingly there. I think you have every justification to feel as pleased as bunch about your trip and I think you do because of how positive your trip report reads. Well done you!! I'm so pleased for you! 
