 Poster: A snowHead
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Got back from a week in Meribel on Sunday, my first ski trip for some 8 years or so.
After years of watching season after season disappear and each time thinking "next year, next year I'll go again" a friend suggested a trip to the 3 Valleys and this time it actually happened. That suggestion came about three months ago and the original line up suffered multiple drop outs and changes, the resort changed from Val Thorens to Meribel until suddenly everything fell into place, seven of us confirmed, the chalet was booked and what started as excited speculation over a few beers was actually going to happen.
In the weeks that followed I became intimate with the Meribel webcams and was as familiar with the weather out there as I was in my own London. I stalked "kit" on the internet and made repeated trips to Ellis Brigham, Snow & Rock, The North Face, Mountain Warehouse, Blacks, Kathmandhu and Cotswolds, buying baselayers, hard shells, glove liners and beanies. I begged and borrowed stuff from friends, bought lift passes online, cursed at exchange rates and had several completely unnecessary "trying on" sessions at home just to fuel the anticipation.
Finally we were on a flight from a drizzly Luton to a sunlit Grenoble, a taxi journey bringing the mountains closer and closer. The first few patches of snow gradually became thick cover and after a quick stop at a cashpoint in Moutiers I got my first proper glimpse of the 3 Valleys. Pulling up at the chalet, feeling my feet crunch in snow, choosing bedrooms, stepping onto the balcony and watching skiers schuss down the pistes. A quick trip to Intersport and feet were coaxed into unyielding boots, skis and poles collected ready for Monday.
There was nervous anticipation, that weird feeling of remembering unfamiliar movements and sensations and the relief that comes when you realise that actually you haven't completely forgotten how to ski in the time that's passed since you last looked down a piste. After that it all becomes a bit of a blur, cloudy days, sunny days, soft powder, the scrape of ice, heartstopping moments of narrowly avoided stacks, riding waves of adrenaline, staring with open mouthed joy at light dancing on snow, crisp clean air biting the back of your throat and cutting through layers of city grime, that soaring feeling that comes when you flow down a slope that had you stuttering and stumbling on day one...
...and damn it all that is has to end and you find yourself back home again, dreaming of mountains and wondering just what is going to fill your time now! Is there any more wonderful way to spend a week, but god I hate the low that follows that high.
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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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Mattgcp, Loads of sympathy, it really is the worst feeling. Takes me at least six weeks to get over it. We've not been yet and already the OH is worrying about what I'll be like when it's over.
Still sounds like you had the best time and I'll bet it won't be 8 years 'till the next one. 
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It is only through true suffering that one can appreciate true pleasure. Your current low merely heightens your high from last week.
Of course, it's all well and good me saying that, I've had the best part of three weeks skiing already, and will be having four more by the end of the season... 
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Tue 3-02-09 0:07; edited 1 time in total
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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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Arghhh, I know how you feel. I got back from Nassfeld on Saturday and it was back to work today. I hate coming home from skiing 
I loved it so much I even brought some snow back with me, I think the UK enjoyed it.
Now I'll have to wait until December to go again *siiiiigh*
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Thanks, I don't think I could leave it 8 years again, I want that feeling again too badly. It was like finding a place you feel you belong only to be dragged away kicking and screaming!
I guess the answer is to start thinking about next time...
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Mattgcp, so glad i'm not the only one who goes through this feeling everytime i return from a snow trip. just keep telling yourself there'll be a next time. or hope that we get as much snow in the south so you can go shredding the day after you return home! 
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We All understand how you feel. Haven't experienced it this season yet but will do five weeks on Sunday and then again nine weeks on Sunday. Looking on the bright side it means I've got two ski trips still to come. 
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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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luigi,
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Mattgcp, nice post, I feel your pain!
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Absolutely.
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Mattgcp, great post.
I've got one sad bit of news for you - every time I leave the mountains to go back to work I feel like that - so if you do manage to get to ski more often in future (let's hope so) you'll just get the pangs more frequently...
but they're worth it 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Mattgcp, but it's okay. You've found snowHeads. The slippery slope is well under way. What happens now is that you book for next year, but then you start thinking, if only I could squeeze another week in this season, so you do that. Then you realise that 2 weeks a year just isn't enough, so you look for 3..........!
Get booking!! 
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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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and never bother with any of those booooooooooooooooring beach holidays ever again. Now you've got all the gear it'll be cheaper next time. And there are some great last minute offers at the end of the season.
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Don't!! I'm already thinking about how depressed I'm going to be in six weeks' time when I get back. Must make sure there is no grog in the house then...
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You know it makes sense.
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"get booking" - well, I'd love to but it looks like I'll be off to Oz in October as my girlfriend has bridesmaid duties out there, so so I don't think finances will allow at the moment! And I say girlfriend, but since accepting my proposal in Meribel I guess she is a fiance now, and that gives you an idea of what else our money is going to be tied up organising this year...
I keeping thinking of my last run down the hill as it seems to be etched into my memory. The bottom was in shadow, but heading up top we had that wonderful mini-sunrise moment when the sun suddenly seems to leap back into the sky. It was a blue we'd done a few times in the first day or two so felt a bit like revisiting an old friend. I remember going down a couple of steeper sections which had given me trouble before and wondering what an earth the problem had been as I glided over at twice the speed but with double the control! The odd icy patch didn't seem to matter as my edges bit in and there was even time to play with the occasional tentative bunny hop as I went over the bumps.
Conscious of the end getting closer I'd pause sometimes to remind myself to look around me and savour the moment - how the sky looked with wisps of cloud showing a new front coming in, the white still clinging to the trees, gondolas passing overhead, the sound and feel of the snow changing from moment to moment. I don't think there is anything else that makes you feel as free as that and I wanted to capture every part of it so I could be back there even when I'm sitting behind my computer at work!
Far too soon we reached the short path that led to the hire shop and I swear my heart felt a tug when I took my skis off for the last time and turned my back on the folks still enjoying the slopes. Putting shoes on again (for the first time that week!) felt so unnatural, I had to keep remind myself it was ok to walk in the snow as it felt like I just had my socks on. Standing in the bar afterwards with my friends I also had to remind myself that I didn't have to stand with my knees slightly bent anymore, but you know what, it really felt more comfortable like that!
I think somehow you invest more in a ski trip than a normal holiday. I don't mean that in terms of money (although goodness knows they cost enough) but in emotional investment. They feel more special, completely outside day to day life. There is different clothing and a different culture, after all, you don't tend to get communities like this dedicated to lying on a beach!
I'm going to miss it all, the fun of anticipating it almost as much as the thrill of actually doing it, but in the words of Arnie - "We'll be back!"
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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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Unfortunatly this is a feeling I can relate to. Looking out the back of the car/bus. Firstly seeing the resort dissapear, then seeing the big mountains dissapear followed by entering the foot hills and then the mountains are in the distance. Sad times 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mattgcp, so why don't you organise a skiing honeymoon?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Or even a skiing wedding 
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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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Mattgcp,
Great post, you have a great way with words.
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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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| Quote: |
Putting shoes on again (for the first time that week!) felt so unnatural
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If you wore ski boots all week I think you can count yourself fortunate that your girlfriend said yes. Congratulations, by the way. Did she wear her boots all week as well? Whatever floats your boat, I suppose.
PS Have you worked out how many ski holidays you could get for the price of a wedding?
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Mattgcp wrote: |
Conscious of the end getting closer I'd pause sometimes to remind myself to look around me and savour the moment - how the sky looked with wisps of cloud showing a new front coming in, the white still clinging to the trees, gondolas passing overhead, the sound and feel of the snow changing from moment to moment. I don't think there is anything else that makes you feel as free as that and I wanted to capture every part of it so I could be back there even when I'm sitting behind my computer at work! |
So true. Reading that has made me very wistful indeed!
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I think somehow you invest more in a ski trip than a normal holiday. I don't mean that in terms of money (although goodness knows they cost enough) but in emotional investment. They feel more special, completely outside day to day life. There is different clothing and a different culture, after all, you don't tend to get communities like this dedicated to lying on a beach!
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I agree, skiing is a special thing. You simply can't beat the feeling of being in the mountains (and their bars!!!) with a group of like-minded individuals.
But hey, there's always the next one
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My friend who's been staying here and left today did tell me that her sister was so thrilled with her Brownie Hat (she was 8 years old at the time) that she wore it to bed for a week.
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WE felt like this in Jan 2007, after we got back from our one week a year in france. We now live in Calgary and have done since Nov 2007. How long for - who knows!!!!
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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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Toughen up Soft Pants! and book another one - theres still 3+ months of the season
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Pam W and Hurtle - Clearly I have to explain the boot situation! In the morning I would get up, go down to the locker room in my socks and put on my ski boots. Obviously they would be worn all day for skiing and for the occasional stop off at the Rond Point for a bit of Apres Ski on the way back to the chalet.
Back inside the chalet I would either be barefoot or wearing socks. The only time our group went out for dinner I was laid out with the dreaded norovirus and so stayed in the chalet with a bowl of soup. That pretty much describes my week from Monday to Saturday - apart from heading out to ski I never left the chalet, so never had to put on a pair of normal shoes!
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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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Mattgcp, Great thread, I feel your pain!
The only cure is more skiing, with shorter gaps in-between. We try to get at least 4 weeks a year on the snow, split over the season. We usually take our first trip in December and our last in March or April. So it's only the end of the last trip that feels painful and even then it's only 8 months until December again. Also find mountain biking helps a bit in the summer. If I knew I was only going to ski 1 week in 8 years I'd be literally in tears, so I think you've done very well!!
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Two weeks on and I feel the pain as acutely as you do, tempered with the snow here but at the same time it is like walking down the street and catching a trace of perfume of an ex lover who has callously left you...
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You know it makes sense.
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Mattgcp
Enjoyed reading the post. My guess is that some of the posters will find it hard to empathise - I mean those who do multiple trips a season and know that every season they will hitting the slopes. Whereas there are others of us, like you and me, who aren't sure when the next on will be.
My wife graciously agreed to me having a long weekend in Cham last season - so I skied for 3.5 days last year. And it was only on the last morning that I really started to feel I was getting to grips with it. This year, with No2 child on the way, and a house move planned, I have had to concede that the finances need to go elsewhere other than skiing. By next season I'll have a 2.5-year-old and a 6 month-old, so will probably be pushing it to dare think about skiing.
To make things worse, I got a text from my brother this morning. Exactly a year since we went to Cham together, he is skiing in Tignes, and informs me the sun is shining and the conditions are great. (I am genuinely pleased for him)
For me the highlights of a trip are the beauty of the mountains, the clear air, the feeling when the boots come of at the end of a day's skiing, having a good meal and a nice bootle of wine with friends, and sleeping like a baby 
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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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Tim - you sound just like me. I hope you get that next trip and I hope its a blinder!
I'm certainly in no position to complain, my fiance is an Aussie and like most Aussie's she has the travelling bug. In the three and a half years I've been with her we've been to a fair few places. I love to travel, it seems by far the best way to spend your cash and at the moment I'd far rather collect memories than "stuff". The post holiday blues aren't fun, but they are only temporary. We are alreay planning a weekend up in the highlands of Scotland, grabbing the sleeper train from Euston and spending a weekend bagging a couple of Munro's. I'll get to wear that nice Mountain Equipment shell I bought for skiing and I'll be able to breathe some fresh mountain air. It might not be quite the same as tearing down the Col in Val Thorens, but I'm excited already as its another trip to plan and look forward to.
The thing I like most about people who enjoy forums like this is the sheer love of life, just wanting to get out there and experience things, push yourself, laugh, fall, pick yourself up again and just live really. There's always another adventure just around the corner...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Mattgcp, I hope that if your fiancée reads this she'll forgive you for having produced several paragraphs without even mentioning the fact that you got engaged on your holiday...... It was because of the withdrawal symptoms that we decided we'd just have to spend the winters out here. Had to wait till I was retired, but you can't have everything!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I recall returning from Zermatt a few years ago...and having to get the bus from Victoria station through Peckham (with ski luggage) back to East Dulwich.
The contrast in scenery on that bus trip could not have been more different and the post-holiday blues hit new lows...
This year I have to miss the mountains completely as finances and logistics prevent - owing to our 16 month old daughter (but we are already thinking about how soon is feasible - hopefully within 8 years!)
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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 certainly know how to sum up the skiing experience that we all love, also you give a good insight to those who are about to head for the mountains for the first time. Im late to this special time and lucky enough to have two trips a year!! for how long, who knows (while we can do affordable cheap deals) is the answer. You'll be back,if there's a will theres a way.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Mattgcp, spent our honeymoon in the Highlands six years ago. Awesome mate. One of the most beautiful areas. I love the remoteness of some of the passes, and pulling over in the car, stepping out and just listening to the silence.
I'm still dreaming about taking two wee children to the slopes in a few years - maybe five or six? - and watching them get the hang of skiing.
Is there any failsafe way of ensuring they are gonna like it?
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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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I got back on Sunday after a week in Courchevel. It's not so bad now that I've downloaded all the photos onto my PC so I can reminisce at work!
I'm sure there's a real chemical reaction involved; something to do with going cold turkey now that there are no skiing induced endorphins in the system.
Tim Sawyer - Watching kiddies develop on their skis is fantastic. Get them out their as soon as the local ski school will take them!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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The Flying Snowplough, I'm interested to know the psychology involved in getting a, say, 4-year-old onto skis and actually persuading them that having these bazzare planks on their feet making movement almost impossible is going to be a great experience and they will thank you for it in years to come, especially when said 4-year-old does their first splits, or uncontrolled slide into some immovable object.
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Tim - The French ski schools are very good at this sort of thing. They also have lots of instructors on duty, positioned strategically to catch runaways! When we went last year, my four year old was in a pre-beginners group. They just played around on skis, fell over a lot and slid down the nursery slope every now and then, with a turn if they were lucky. On the family ski day at the end of the week, she was all over the place and kept falling over, but still had a good time until she retired for an early lunch and abandoned her skis. This year, with an extra year of growth, strength and coordination and four half hour lessons at XScape under her belt, she bypassed beginners and went into improvers and basically skied until she collapsed with exhaustion! They pick it up very quickly, so long as they are physically mature enough, which the four year old wasn't last year.
I view the whole thing as a long term strategy. There's no point pushing it too hard when they're young. Even though skiing well on greens this year, the youngster would not tackle chairs or drags, so I had to haul her along quite a lot to gondolas! I found a pocket full of sweets was very handy to overcome the psychological damage of the odd face-plant...
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Mattgcp, love the b/w pic!
There's an obvious cure for your pain... it's called the EoSB and you take one every 12 months
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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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The Flying Snowplough, Sounds like lot of fun, although challenging.
Maybe we should try him at an indoor centre in the UK as well, before heading out (BTW, his 2nd birthday next week, so no rush!)
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FAQ
. Now, if I could just get a week in at Easter 