 Poster: A snowHead
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Got back from Tignes yesterday - missing it already!
Basic assessment of holiday:
Love Tignes - lots of runs, lots of fun and really good snow on the pistes given it hasn't snowed for a while (apparently started today!). Linking on skis/lifts between various villages was a bit of a faff, and didn't like the lack of easy runs back to Le Lac from Toviere, given that's the main link to Val. Only a black gets you the whole way down the mountain without nasty narrow cat track (black preferable in my book). Aeroski lift uncomfortable - don't like standing in a gondola much, and being shortish, found the cable car to the top of the glacier a little claustrophobic when added to dislike of swaying high things... Did go up 3 times though, twice on lessons and once with OH and others.
Hate Chambery Airport - Far too small for numbers using it, and they have too few airport buses for an airport which relies on bus transport between plane and terminal. Took more than 2 hours from plane wheels squealing in protest under braking for short runway to getting off the plane, and about 40 more minutes from arrival in terminal to arrival of bags (2 bags, checked in at same time, arrived on different belts about 25 minutes apart!) If I am looking at Chambery again, it will be only on an early morning flight, before knock on delays cause chaos. Ideally I will get the train next year though!
Stayed with Skiworld at Chalet Bouquetins in Lavachet - quieter than Tignes Le Lac, and relatively convenient - about 50 yards from piste to door- although 9am lessons with ESF starting when the lifts opened meant getting a bus for 5 minutes each morning. Chalet host was great, and resort rep was helpful. Booked lessons myself though, as I wanted to discuss level and language in person. Should probably have booked ski pass in advance before exchange rate got horrible, but not really anyone's fault, other than Gordon Brown. Will actually bother to look around for deals on ski hire as well, as Skiworld weren't as cheap as some I saw. Not good enough to be fussed about what skis really, my pink rossignols seemed fine as far as I could tell. Edges definitely sharp and seemed properly waxed.
Ended up doing ESF class 2, but thanks to being sorted through large radius turns, ended up in the top group for class 2 for most of the week. Would perhaps have enjoyed the middle/bottom groups a bit better in hindsight (my confidence and bravery were more limiting than my technique) but ended the week having done 2 blacks (Liesse off Glacier and Trolles) without crashing on either. Also went off piste with the instructor in the vallee perdue, which was a lot nicer than the mogulled red at the end of it. My first experience of moguls of any size was bounce, bounce, turn, splat, pick up poles, bounce, bounce, splat, try to figure out how I would extract myself from lying back on top of my skis... Need better short radius turns before I try any more moguls.
Also realised that I need to lose my fear of heights. Steep wide stuff doesn't bother me once I'm over any lip/edge, but I have real issues with narrow pistes, and frequently gathered snow by getting too close to the mountain edge of the piste. even when what was off the "edge" side of the piste was less steep than stuff I would happily ski if pisted - so no imminent danger of death by falling! Am a bit better with cable cars, but completely freaked about a narrow cat track avoiding the steep bit of Trolles. Kept sideslipping and digging tips into soft edge of piste, with inevitable consequences. Would have preferred to worry about the steep black, even on the first day, as at least it was wide with decent snow.
OH went on an off piste lesson with TDC, and did interesting things (about 10 of the 33 blacks) for the mornings while I was lessoning.
Not quite sure who labelled the pistes in Tignes and Val d'Isere. Verte is a very reddy green in places, and there are blues which are harder and steeper than some of the reds - Carline compared with Double M springs to mind. As for why Saxifrage (under Palafour lift in Tignes) isn't a black, I really couldn't tell. Apparently the unpisted naturide black from the same place was easier (not that I went near either). There were some comments about influence by bar owners that they should be accessible by a blue affecting the decision making process.
According to OH and the experienced skiiers, Sache and Silene were good fun, although each had difficult patches. Face (Val) was steep and icy and fun, and Foret had moguls the size of car bonnets (less fun, mental note to avoid).
Really want to go skiing again, will need to be a very cheap deal if this year, failing that, next year can't come soon enough! Will try and work on short radius turns at MK, as never really got the strength of "Appui" required for a neat hard short turn. Stem Christie "Godilles" were quite hard work - too many parts of anatomy needing moving in a specific sequence. Also need to work on planting poles where I don't stand on them (further ahead) and restraining elbows and shoulders from unnecessary motion - was hoping for braking effect I think. Tried carving (ish) in the last lesson. Won't be doing pure carving for a while though. "Not quite fast enough to carve 100%" comment from the instructor came when I was thinking I was going more than fast enough thank you very much! Did like the feeling of control though, but not sure I'm going to be able to wean myself of skidding the ends of my turns to lose speed that quickly!
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