Last day - 21/4/2012 12:51

by Alf Alderson

Alf Alderson's last day of the season in Courchevel

Yesterday was one of the best I've had this season. Fresh snow overnight, regular sunny spells from late morning onwards and very quiet slopes - I didn't see another skier until 10am! (there again I didn't see much of anything so heavy was the snowfall first thing.) The skier in the pictures is Tom Saxlund of New Generation.

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Welcome back! - 11/4/2012 20:55

by Alf Alderson

Alf Alderson sees a welcome return to the season in Courchevel

Well, well, well. The season is all but done and dusted and what does Mother Nature do but provide us with the biggest dump since February - just as the slopes empty of visitors. Hard not to like that if you're fortunate enough to still be in the Three Valleys, and with more snow in the forecast this might be the ideal time to sneak in that late season ski trip.

To be honest, the 20cm we had overnight was pretty heavy and the lower slopes were a slushy mess by end of play today (which saw me catching an edge and taking my worst wipeout of the season on a mere red run, Plantrey). If this blog doesn't make much sense it may be the result of the painkillers and anti-inflammatories currently swooshing around my bloodstream.

Prior to that I'd done my best to have a good time in Courchevel but the combination of heavy snow and poor vis made it an uphill battle when it should clearly have been a downhill pleasure, until the skies cleared and I got the large powder field to the left of the Chanrossa chair to myself. Bliss!

Right now the Welove2ski forecast is showing modest snowfalls right through until Sunday, so if you've got nothing better to do over the next few days might I suggest a last minute trip to the Three Valleys - empty slopes, fresh snow and glimpses of Spring sunshine - what's not to like?

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

The best spring skiing in the Three Valleys - 4/4/2012 09:23

by Alf Alderson

Our Three Valleys blogger, Alf Alderson picks his favourite end-of-season runs.

Alf Alderson lets rip on the Côte Brune in Méribel. Photo: Hugh Rhodes/www.mountainvacances.com.

There's a lot to be said for spring skiing. Not only do you get all the usual pleasure that comes from blasting round the slopes at Mach 3. You get long, sunny days too: when it feels as though summer is opening up like a flower right in front of your eyes. The relaxed and happy vibe this creates is infectious. It's almost like hanging out on the beach: but with snow on tap to make things interesting.

There is one big drawback though: the warmth. Yes, you do sometimes get powder days in March and April in the Alps - but the default setting at this time of year is mild, and the quality of the snow suffers as a result. Any slope that sees much of the sun goes through a daily freeze-thaw cycle, and if you ski it at the wrong moment in that cycle you can be skidding about on ice, or wallowing through slush.

But it needn't be like that: hit the right slope at the right moment - when the snow has just started to soften but before it gets porridge-y - and you can have an absolute blast, made more intense by the fact that you know the conditions are so fleeting. Mix slopes like those with runs that are both high and north facing - and therefore still cold - and you're all but guaranteed a day of great skiing.

Here are five of my favourite spring slopes in the Three Valleys:

Pistes M and Suisse - Courchevel 1850

Where: at the top of the Vizelle gondola and Suisse chair.

When: 9-10.30am.

Why: not all pistes go through a freeze/thaw cycle. Piste M faces north and Suisses north-east, and as a result they are less affected by the freeze-thaw cycle. So when they've been groomed (they don't get done every day) the snow can be about as perfect as groomed snow ever gets - with the sun shining and few other skiers around first thing they're an absolute blast.

Côte Brune - Méribel

Where: Col de la Chambre between Méribel and Val Thorens.

When: all day.

Why: The north-facing slopes under the Côte Brune chair offer very easily accessible 'off-piste' that even after weeks without snow isn't too bumped out and retains nice, dry chalky snow for your edges to grip onto. The terrain varies (yes you can even hit those bumps if you want to) from steep to gentle and there's the added challenge of being watched by everyone on the lifts so you have to get it right!

Portette chair, Val Thorens

Where: above Val Thorens.

When: all day.

Why: The slopes beneath the Portette chair face north-east and are relatively high so the snow stays in good condition. They're also very easily and quickly accessible from VT. You can ski the red Portette early morning, then when that starts getting too packed down hit the stuff to the side of this - last time I was this was in great nick, dry and chalky like the conditions under Côte Brune.

Perfect corduroy: Alf on piste 'M' in Courchevel soon after the lifts open. Photo: Duncan Lamb.

Jerusalem

Where: above Pierre St Martin.

When: from about 2pm (on a warm, sunny day).

Why: Jerusalem isn't a challenging red, but I like it for its wide, open feel and equally wide open views; and since the slopes here face south I usually beetle off to the side of the piste at this time of year and often find some superb spring snow - you can scope out the off-piste options as you ride up on the St. Martin 2 chair. Get there soon though - the lower slopes are melting fast and it may not be long before it reaches the point where the piste has to be closed.

Dou des Lanches

Where: Col de la Loze (can be accessed from La Tania, Courchevel 1850 or Méribel).

When: late afternoon.

Why: I like this descent because it offers me a great last run of the day since I usually park at La Tania. The black Dou des Lanches takes you down towards La Tania from Col de la Loze, and if it's been groomed it can stay in good condition all day since it faces due north. You can also head off the piste to skiers left for some quite steep and challenging off-piste, although right now that really needs some more snow on it.

As you get lower down the mountain you hit the red Moretta Blanche where the conditions can often transform to butter-smooth spring snow. The lowest part of Moretta Blanche is usually a slushy mess but hey, you can?t have everything - come to think of it, what happened to that snow the weather forecasters said we could have?

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

The end of an era

Today was an unhappy day Chez Alf, for I had to bid goodbye to an old and faithful friend, a friend who has quite literally guided me around hills from the Lake District to the Himalayas for over 30 years.

Yes, my trusty Silva compass has a finally gone to the big map room in the sky. The bubble inside the compass has become too big for the needle to be read accurately; I guess the liquid that the needle is bathed in has slowly dried up, so now the compass must be replaced.

I bought it (a TYP 3, pretty much as basic as you can get) in the Lake District when I was a teenager, and it's the one piece of mountain gear that has been with me for my entire life in the hills, so whilst it?s not like losing your faithful hound it's still sad to see it finally laid to one side.

Call me a sentimental fool but I won't have the heart to throw it out - I guess I'll just put it in a drawer and forget about it. And I'll have to go out and buy another one later today. I reckon I'll go for another bog standard Silva - after all, you can't argue about the quality of something that's lasted 37 years.

Fork Tree Skis - 27/3/2012 22:31

by Alf Alderson

Alf Alderson finds a rare pair of skis.

The tree.

If you've ridden the Chapelet chair in Courchevel 1650 or skied the slopes beneath you'll probably have seen the famous 'Forked Tree' sitting proudly on a ridge above the lift. And you may have even, probably unawares, seen someone blasting down the powder beneath the tree on a pair of skis named after said arboreal feature.

Fork Tree Skis is a rarity in the skiing world - a one-man enterprise selling unique handmade planks to discerning skiers looking for anything from simple one-off graphics on their skis to tip-to-tail customising in which the customer chooses the shape, length, width, rocker, materials, graphics and everything else they can think of for their dream skis.

All this ski porn is the handiwork of Tom Pinches, the only custom ski manufacturer in Britain, and I met up with him the other day to talk - well, ski porn.

Tom is based every winter in Courchevel 1650, where he works as a boot fitter at The Boot Lab and also sells his distinctive handcrafted skis. These he makes over the course of the summer from his home in Henley-on-Thames at a rate of around four to five pairs per week - rather less than the likes of Salomon and K2 turn out each week.

Tom taught himself how to make skis, turning out his first pairs in 2007, a couple of which he and his girlfriend still use today, so they obviously can't have been that bad for first attempts. And, five years on, Fork Tree Skis is producing some 50 pairs of skis a year - all handmade by Tom - which means that clients are guaranteed to be standing in the lift queue with a pretty exclusive pair of planks.

I asked him how the whole process of buying a pair of Fork Tree Skis works: "I spend a long time working with my clients, finding out the basics like height, weight, age, skiing ability, how much they ski, what they ski - and of course what they want from their skis.

The skis.

"I emphasise the importance of honesty - if you talk your skiing ability up I'm only going to end up making a pair of skis that you can't ski on, although I also have the problem sometimes of people talking themselves down which is no help to me either!"

Tom explains that you have three essential options when buying a pair of Fork Tree Skis. You can have a pair made from scratch to your exact specifications; you can buy a Fork Tree model that you've already skied on and liked, with your own graphics added; or you can use your favourite ski as a basis for the design of your Fork Tree skis with your own choice of graphics.

"About 40% of my clients simply want their own individual graphics on their skis," says Tom. He reckons another 30% buy for the custom shape and a further 30% on the basis of Fork Trees being both unusual and unique.

The tees.

Tom took me through what's involved in making a pair of his skis, from designing the ski template using CAD to cutting the bamboo core, preparing the edges, top sheets, vibration damping, adding graphics and eventually putting the skis into a ski press to emerge (after a few finishing touches) all shiny bright and ready to hit the pow.

Of course it's all considerably more technical and detailed than this, but if you want to know the specifics I suggest you contact Tom and order a pair of skis.

That said you'll have to wait until next season to use them - Tom is happy to keep Fork Tree Skis a small operation, taking orders this winter for skis that will be made over the summer ready to hit the slopes next winter.

It's a considerably longer process for both manufacturer and consumer than buying an off-the-shelf model, but there again how many of us ever get to ski on a pair of one-off skis made to our own design - possibly even in the shadow of the landmark that inspired their name? Oh, and by the way you'll be surprised at just how reasonable Fork Trees prices are...

The skier.

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Teeny tiny ski resorts! - 23/3/2012 10:09

by Alf Alderson

If you have a 'miniature effect' function on your camera, try it out the next time you're in a ski resort, says Alf Alderson. It'll turn your perception of the mountains on its head.

A Lilliputian Les Deux Alpes. Even in Lilliput they could do with more snow...

I got a nifty new camera for Christmas. It's a Nikon Coolpix AW 100 since you ask, which is waterproof - useful in snowy conditions should they ever occur again - and also shockproof which is good in the event of a fall.

It also comes with more techno-gubbins and jiggery-pokery than a Luddite like me could ever hope to use or understand, although one really cool feature (maybe that's why it's called a 'Coolpix') that I recently found was the 'miniature effect'. It works by mimicking the shallow depth of field normally associated with macro-photographs, and according to Wikipedia, "Many diorama effect photographs are taken from a high angle to simulate the effect of looking down on a miniature".

Obviously when you're in the mountains or on ski lifts you're often at a 'high angle' to your surroundings, so over the last few days I've been using the camera to take the pics you see here.

Most have been taken from ski lifts, although the one of Les Deux Alpes was taken from the harness of a paraglider (but that's another story). It's amazing to look at them now. There you are in the mountains, surrounded by a sense of space and height and grandeur - and click you turn it into a toyshop...

Is it a magnificent mountain resort? Or toy? Courchevel 1850.

Maybe I can fit this lift station in my pocket...

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Beauty and the Beast - 22/3/2012 14:24

by Alf Alderson

Alf Alderson has been enjoying two very different kinds of installations in the Three Valleys lately.

Anyone who's skied in Courchevel this winter will have seen them: the brightly coloured sculptures dotted around the slopes in all sorts of unusual places. They're part of the resort's latest outdoor art programme - and are the work of well-known contemporary artists. It's not the first time you've been able to ski past sculpture: in the 2009-10 season, the slopes were dotted with the work of Salvador Dali.

What fewer visitors will have seen is a second "installation" that's been developing nicely down by the bottom lift station in La Tania.

It's become ever more visible as the deep snow of mid-winter has melted, and consists of half a dozen rotting cars. I first noticed them when they were walled in by the snowploughs clearing the car park in January - then covered by another of the dump of snow so that they were all but buried. In the last few weeks, the mild weather has revealed them again, and let's just say they're very eye-catching.

Several are British - and I can't help wondering: how did they get there? Were they already this beaten up when they were parked there? Is winter really so harsh that it could have inflicted the damage on them since January? Did the owners abandon them because they couldn't be bothered to dig them out of a snowdrift? It's impossible to say - though it's clear some of them won't be going anywhere again in a hurry, now that scavengers have taken their wheels...

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Coffee with Heston - 21/3/2012 18:18

by Alf Alderson

Le Farçon chef, Julien Machet.

I had a business meeting of sorts in La Tania this afternoon with a colleague. She doesn't muck about with these things and suggested we meet at Le Farcon, one of the Three Valleys' eleven Michelin-starred restaurants, since she was having lunch there and could hang about afterwards to wait for me.

However, as is invariably the case with lunch in France, it went on well past my arrival time of 3pm, so imagine my surprise on getting there to discover that one of the diners was Heston Blumenthal. Clearly Le Farçon is a top place to dine to judge by its customers!

And clearly Mr B knows a thing or two about skiing as well as a lot about molecular gastronomy, toasted curried banana sandwiches and potato milk jam. He told me he'd skied from Courchevel 1850 to Val Thorens and back to La Tania in time for lunch - he obviously doesn't hang about when he clips into his planks.

However the point of all this isn't to impress you with details of the kind of people I hob-nob with (as if) but to point out with what regard Heston in particular and British cuisine in general is now held in France.

For I also chatted with Le Farçon's head chef Julien Machet, a splendidly loquacious fellow who told me how honoured he was to have Heston Blumenthal dine in his restaurant and that any French person not harbouring foolish prejudices about their close neighbours across the Channel now recognised that British cuisine was often of the highest order.

All a far cry from the fishfingers, beans on toast and prawn cocktails of my youth, that's for sure - especially coming from the chef of a Michelin-star French restaurant!

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Joy unconfined - 9/3/2012 16:10

by Alf Alderson

Crazee dudes.

I'm just back from one of the best non-powder days I've had on the slopes this season - cold air, blue skies, warm sun and perfect pistes - tidy as they say in Wales. And I lie when I say it was a non-powder day since yesterday's meagre snowfall did actually provide some stashes of ankle-deep powder which made things even more fun than they already were.

Indeed, my joy became almost unconfined when I encountered a selection of super heroes on the piste at lunchtime. Captain America, Spider Man, Captain Scotland (man in kilt) and Captain Fat (man in sumo outfit) were amongst other crazee dudes seen scooting around the slopes on the last day of their holidays. What a fun and witty bunch they must be to hang out with...

And then, just as I thought things couldn't possibly get any better - well dang me they did! Whilst taking luncheon at the Bel Air restaurant I was - much to my surprise - inducted into the Bozel Powder Monkeys, one of the most exclusive and little known 'clubs' in the Three Valleys.

Founder members Fred 'Freeride' Perry and Duncan 'Doughnuts' Lamb ('Doughnuts' on account of his ability to carve so hard he pulls off 360s by accident rather than any predilection for iced confectionery with a hole in the middle) told me that: "Membership cannot be applied for, one must be invited by the committee" - which appears to be them.

Alf Alderson is inducted into the Bozel Powder Monkeys by Fred 'Freeride' Perry (left) and Duncan 'Doughnuts' Lamb.

Membership figures for the BPM are difficult to come by, but they appear to be in single figures, such is its exclusivity, and qualifications for becoming a member are arcane in the extreme. All I'm permitted to say as a new member (and as such one without a nickname as yet - suggestions gratefully received) is that one must be able to perform, in powder and in full public view, a 'Lippin Crystal' and a 'Gouging Cluster'.

No, I have no idea either but I can only assume I must have unknowingly done both at some point this season otherwise I would not now be relating this tale.

What the benefits and advantages of being a member of the BPM are I am yet to find out; my only worry is that as the famous Groucho Marx once said "I don't care to belong to any club that would have me as a member".

Fresh tracks - most welcome.

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Diner's Club - 8/3/2012 17:34

by Alf Alderson

Outside the Bel Air in Courchevel 1650.

There's a widely-held belief that dining on the mountain in the Three Valleys, and Courchevel in particular, is a very wallet-lightening experience, and to some extent that's true. Stories of 15 euro bowls of soup and 8 euro coffees inevitably make the rounds more quickly than any dining deals one may stumble across. But deals are to be had, and as the one-time presenter of a popular a certain TV motoring show used to say, "I'm here to tell you about them."

So, first stop for morning coffee and cakes is Bel Air restaurant above Courchevel 1650 and next to the Ariondaz bubble. The double café au lait (3.60 euros) is most acceptable, the chocolate brownies (2 euros) are huge and just what you need at 11am, and the service is as friendly as you could want.

There's always a buzzing atmosphere as skiers come and go - and top views up towards Roc Merlet and the Aiguille de Fruit. Although these are the al fresco prices, which means it won't necessarily suit if it's snowing, the Bel Air (+33 (0)479 08 00 93) is well worth a visit of you find yourself on this side of the mountain.

Right, now we're heading all the way over to Méribel for a relaxed lunch at La Grange (+33 (0)479 08 53 19) in the centre of town on the bridge over to the Olympic Centre (but still under a two-minute walk from the lifts).

"Zut alors!" I hear you cry, "I'll need to sell my youngest born to eat there, what with the fancy ambiance pastorale, log fire and all that stuff".

Well, that depends on what you dine on, mon ami. We were there recently my missis had a bowl of mussels that was only one removed from bucket-sized, for a mere 12 euros. Now I live on the coast back in the UK, where you might think that a bowl of these bottom feeders - if you'll excuse the term - would be relatively cheap, but either my local pub is ripping me off or La Grange is providing a good deal. I think it's a bit of both, but it goes to show that even the more upmarket restaurants can offer a good deal if you go for the right dish.

Finally, deal of the season (thus far) goes to Hotel Courchneige, just above Courchevel 1850. We regularly pull over here for a pit stop, not in the restaurant or on their sun deck, but at their dinky little open-air café just below the restaurant.

Here you can sit in the sun and enjoy a panini, frites and a coffee or soft drink for a mere 8eu - it's tasty, filling and possibly the best on-mountain bargain in the Three Valleys. Add to that friendly staff who make it their job to have some top quality sounds playing all day and the chance to watch helicopters landing at the Altiport and appallingly attired Russian skiers falling over on the easy blue run beside the hotel and, as our erstwhile TV presenter also used to say: "I commend it to you, my friend".

Relaxing in the Courchneige's open-air cafe.

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Fireworks on and off the snow - 6/3/2012 20:36

by Alf Alderson

Wow! What a pleasant surprise I had this morning. Despite the fact that the recent snowfall in this part of the Alps came to next to nothing I journeyed up to Courchevel 1850 with my mate Duncan for a ski anyway - expecting another day of searching for the best of what was becoming an increasingly bad lot in terms of good skiing. And what did I find? Good skiing, remarkably good.

Despite a pitiful performance on the part of the weather system that passed over us yesterday, a first rate team effort by the piste bashers of the Three Valleys and Ma Nature came up with some great piste skiing beneath cold (-10C) but sunny skies on the likes of Turcs, Park City and Creux. And there was even a bit of off-piste powder here and there (to be treated gently - ankle-deep fluff on top of icy crud doesn't take too well to being hammered hard).

The view belongs to everyone - 1/3/2012 21:00

by Alf Alderson

Graeme having fun in the sun high above Meribel.

It's hot here in the Three Valleys at the moment - too damned hot. The thermometer on my car read 18C late this morning as I drove down into Bozel, and the snow is melting fast, but all is not lost as I discovered skiing in Méribel yesterday.

I'd made a late start to the day with my mate Graeme, by which time most of the groomed stuff was either a slushy mess or the euphemistically termed 'packed powder', so we knew to head for high, north-facing slopes, with the terrain beneath Côte Brune chair being our destination.

Here we enjoyed playing in chalky, dry snow, headwear and jackets discarded thanks to the heat and plenty of stops to enjoy the fantastic mountain views from the top of the lift. Which was where we had the best idea of the day - let's head back to La Tania, hang around at the viewpoint just south of the Col de la Loze after the lifts have closed, and enjoy the view in solitude and silence (apart from our effortlessly witty conversation of course).

You can see my house down there, and Mont Blanc in the distance.

So it was that 5pm came and went, as did 5.30pm, whilst we sat above La Tania at 2305m and set the world to rights as the sun bathed the northern Alps in a splendorous glow. From our viewpoint I could even see my home in Montagny la Roche with Mont Blanc in the background - how cool is that?

At one stage a ski patroller wandered over to inform us that the pistes were now closed and they were going to do some avalanche blasting on the Méribel side of the mountain, but when we told him we'd be skiing down to La Tania he was happy and left us to our mountain idyll.

Eventually the time came to head off - we had an appointment with friends for drinks and tapas at the excellent and highly recommended Cave des Lys in La Praz, so we clipped back into our skis and enjoyed the best run of the day, starting off on the surprisingly dry snow off the black Dou des Lanches before dropping onto the still soft Moretta Blanche piste and eventually skidding to a halt a few metres from my car.

There's no great lesson to this tale other than to say that it just goes to show that with a bit of nous any day in the mountains can be a good day, whatever the snow conditions, whatever the weather; oh, and that the views from Col de Loze are something special - have a gander next time you're here.

Enjoying the view above La Tania.

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Utah: not always "The Greatest Snow on Earth" - 1/3/2012 19:15

by Alf Alderson

Alf Alderson doubts the wisdom of Utah's "best in the world" marketing strategy.

Lewis Panther on a good but not exceptional day in Utah.

Andy Humphries skis 50cm of fresh powder in the Three Valleys, France.

When is the "The Greatest Snow on Earth®" not the greatest snow on earth?

When I'm skiing on it, for a start.

I've recently enjoyed a week in Utah, which markets itself using the world-beating snow claim, above. But this was my third visit, and apart from two very excellent days at the ski resort of Brighton about seven years ago the snow in my experience has never been anything other than average. In fact, if I were judging the experience entirely on how great the snow was, it would have been much better for me to have stayed back home in the Three Valleys in France. Generally, the snow there in the first half of the season has been much better than that in North America.

It's got me wondering - what's the point of making such a claim? Yes, the resorts of the Wasatch Mountains, north of Salt Lake City, do get a lot of snow. The average in Alta, at the far end of Little Cottonwood Canyon, is around 14m a year - more than double that of most resorts in the Alps. The white stuff tends to be light and dry, too - and if you do luck into one of their famous powder days, you will be amazed by the magic carpet-effect of skiing there.

The problem is, of course, that it doesn't snow every day. It doesn't even snow every week - not even in a big season like 2010-11. And if you don't get lucky, then what? I for one felt massively let down to be skiing unremarkable snow in Utah, again. My disappointment distracted from all the other good things that the state has to offer skiers - the variety of the terrain, the reliably cold weather, the friendliness of the people, the wide choice of ski areas so close to Salt Lake City. There were so many things to enjoy about the trip, but I felt cheated all the same - as if I'd found myself at a Jay-Z concert when expecting to see Led Zeppelin.

Now I know this kind of hyperbole comes naturally to many Americans. I was reminded of this fact when a ski host in the Utah resort of Deer Valley told me that the tree skiing in a small glade we found there was "the best in the world"; a glade that was so tiny you'd lose it in La Tania, a mere 'pocket' of the Three Valleys.

But shouldn't they try and dial back the rhetoric a little - and lower expectations? After all, I probably wasn?t the only skier feeling let down that week in Utah - and some of those people, like me, may well have been wondering if it's worth going back.

Time for a new slogan, perhaps?

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

The essential ingredient of a great day's skiing... - 29/2/2012 11:34

by Alf Alderson

...is good company on the slopes, says Alf Alderson in the Three Valleys.

Graeme Houston enjoying remarkably empty slopes in Courchevel.

I've just been assigned the not unpleasant task of showing my mate Graeme - who is out here from Pembrokeshire - around the mighty Trois Vallées. We last skied together about ten years ago on a road trip around Europe, and it's been a treatl to reconnect on the slopes with one of my best friends.

In between the banter on the ski-lifts I pondered - albeit briefly - on this basic pleasure, so often lost amidst the frantic rush to be first onto the corduroy, and first into the powder: the satisfaction that comes from skiing in good company.

The actual skiing is almost always done in silence, in your own little bubble of concentration and action. Comments are only passed when you stop to relieve aching quads or admire the view; during which you'll find comments on technique ("You look like a constipated duck, mate") or incisive views on geomorphology and geology ("Is that Mont Blanc over there?") are the usual topics of discussion. You usually steer well clear of what you're actually feeling.

Next stop.

But this sharing of the experience makes a massive difference to the enjoyment of a day on skis. I enjoy solo skiing too, but you have to be in the right mood for it. For instance, about ten years ago I spent a winter in Montana and Idaho working on the Rough Guide to the Rocky Mountains. It was a splendid commission which involved skiing virtually every lift system in two of the most magnificent states in the USA, usually alone, and towards the end of the trip I found myself at the relatively unknown resort of Lolo Pass on the Montana/Idaho border in fresh powder, sunny weather and quiet slopes ? and I was bored.

I couldn't figure out how it could be possible to be bored in such sublime circumstances, until I realised that after two months of skiing more or less on my own I was desperate for someone to share the experience with.

So it is that I'm really looking forward to the rest of this week of scudding around the mountains with me mate. The snow conditions are still half decent if you know where to go, the sun is forecast to shine all week, temperatures are set to go subtropical and I know where the best value restaurants on the mountain are (all will be revealed shortly) so what's not to like?

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Knocking Utah into a cocked hat - 10/2/2012 14:44

by Alf Alderson

Ski and surf writer Alf Alderson reports on the snow conditions in the Three Valleys.

It doesn't take a genius to realise that this is one of the best seasons in years for heading out to the Three Valleys, and the good people that organise things out here are making it easier than ever to enjoy the fantastic conditions we've been enjoying this winter.

Well, kind of. Here's how...If you like faffing around on Facebook, click on this link and by entering the quiz therein you could win one of ten FREE day passes for the Three Valleys ski area.

The questions are so easy your ski boots could answer them, so it's all in the luck of the draw really, but hey, if it's your day it could also be your free day of skiing in the world's biggest - and one of the world's best - ski areas.

And take it from me I know what I'm talking about. I'm currently in Utah which as you'll know likes to boast about having the 'greatest snow on Earth'. Well, not this year it doesn't; in fact this year the Three Valleys knocks Utah and its 'greatest snow' into a cocked hat. So much so that I can't wait to get back to the Alps...

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Four tips to help you enjoy half term in the Three Valleys - 3/2/2012 17:56

by Alf Alderson

Ski and surf writer Alf Alderson reports on the snow conditions in the Three Valleys.

Empty slopes above St Martin.

Well, that dreaded time of year half-term is almost upon us, so I'm off - curmudgeonly it may be, but I can live without the crowds and lift queues that are about to descend on the Three Valleys so am departing for a couple of weeks across the Atlantic and will be back when things have calmed down a bit.

That said, I'm not so much of a git that I wouldn't wish anyone coming out for half-term a spiffing time, and with the snow conditions as they are at the moment it's hard to imagine how you could not enjoy some great skiing.

And if the slopes get a bit too hectic for you, here are a few half-term tips that might come in useful:

1. It will be busy wherever you go on the slopes, but if you want a run that will suit everyone other than the most demanding adrenaline freak I suggest heading for Jerusalem, the fine red that runs from just below Tougnette to the junction of St Martin 1 and St Martin 2 lift above - yes, you guessed it, St Martin de Belleville.

It's a lovely undulating run, usually very well groomed, wide and open so it can handle the crowds, with marvellous mountain views, and anyone from timid intermediate upwards will have a blast here. There are even a couple of nice mountain restaurants at the bottom, and I hear that it's one of Graham Bell's favourite Three Valleys runs - if it's good enough for him it's good enough for me and you...

2. But maybe you don't feel like skiing...if you fancy a break but still want some downhill fun, gather the kids together, young and old, and head for Val Thorens and France's longest toboggan run. The six-kilometre descent is open to anyone over five (kids from five to ten - who go for free - must be accompanied by an adult).

It takes you down 700 metres of 'vert' and needless to say you'll be laughing all the way, and at only 12 euros it won't break the bank - find out more at valthorens.com

3. But maybe you'd prefer some indoor action - simple, head to Meribel's Parc Olimpique where you can enjoy everything from swimming to ice skating - and if you fancy hitting the slopes before or after, you're right beside the ski lifts.

4. Finally, if you want to get out of your resort for a day, here's a great little spot to go for lunch - Conflans, a lovely medieval village above Albertville. You can just see its roofs peeping down on you as you drive past Albertville, but relatively few people make the quick detour to visit.

I'd recommend it for lunch on a sunny day followed by a short stroll around the streets and maybe even a wander around the museum if you feel in need of a bit of culture. But don't spend too long on any off these ideas (other than number one) - after all, you're here to ski.

Le Chardon Bleu above St Martin de Belleville.

For more information go to our Courchevel, Méribel, St Martin de Belleville, La Tania and Val Thorens resort reports.

Wishing winter lasted longer - 31/1/2012 12:25

by Alf Alderson

Ski and surf writer Alf Alderson reports on the snow conditions in the Three Valleys.

The view from my window today

Normally when I sit at my desk and work I have a fantastic view out of my window (see pic) towards the 3398m Grand Bec and the 3854m Grand Casse. Today, yet again, that view is obscured by heavy snowfall (hurrah!).

But on the sunny days, which are in as short supply this winter as snowy days were last winter, I also have to deal with the sun pouring through the window around 9.15am, making it difficult to view the screen of my laptop (oh, the trials and tribulations of life in the Alps...), which can sometimes mean shutting out the view by drawing the curtains.

The last time that happened I noted how the sun peeped over the top of the mountains a few minutes earlier than it had the week before - naturally enough, since we're past the mid-winter solstice. And I had a small flutter of concern - because the earlier the sun shines through my window each day the closer we are to spring and the end of the ski season!

The view from my window when sunny

Now that may seem a very 'glass half empty' view considering what a great season we've had so far in the Three Valleys, but I bet I'm not alone amongst ski freaks in wishing winter lasted longer - especially a winter like this.

It's not that I don't love summer too of course, I guess it's basically that, like most people, I can never get enough of a good thing.

For more information go to our Courchevel, St Martin de Belleville and La Tania resort reports.

How to find untracked powder in the Three Valleys - 21/1/2012 18:34

by Alf Alderson

It's simple, says ski and surf writer Alf Alderson. Get up while it's still dark.

Finn gets first tracks.

I've never been too keen on getting up before sunrise. But there are times when you have to make exceptions - and today was one of them. All night the snow was falling heavily above Bozel, and although the forecast was for cruddy weather for most of the day it seemed foolish not to head over to the trees above La Tania to sample yet more of this season's meteorological munificence.

So it was I rose at 7am, let the Finn dog out to leap around in snow so deep he could barely see over the top of it (his little mate Spike couldn't), threw down some breakfast, and dug out the car. An hour or so later I was having my second breakfast of the day as I ate the fresh powder flowing around my shoulders and into my gob, which was open to laugh, hoot and holler.

Later in the morning I bumped into Andy Humphries, an instructor with New Generation, and we meandered around the mountain with no real idea of where we were going and no real worries about it, because every run was through powder.

Always get up early on a powder day. Even the pistes have powder on them first thing.

Andy Humphries of New Generation ski school about to sample another tree run.

It had clagged in again by lunchtime and is snowing on and off again now which promises fun times again tomorrow. And the slopes are pretty quiet at the moment so it's taking longer for the more accessible stuff to get tracked out. What a huge difference from last season, when I only saw snow fall in Bozel on one occasion (today it was over a foot deep in the middle of town).

Andy Humphries gets snow down his neck.

For more information go to our Courchevel, St Martin de Belleville and La Tania resort reports.

The best off-piste in the Three Valleys - 19/1/2012 09:22

by Alf Alderson

This winter, ski and surf writer Alf Alderson reports on the snow conditions in the Three Valleys. Today's he's skiing the off-piste, January 19.

Red marks the best place for a laugh in La Tania at the moment - Alf's current favourite off-piste run.

One of the biggest dilemmas I'm facing whilst skiing the Three Valleys is knowing exactly where to ski - there's so much terrain to go at it takes ages to get to know your way around, although it has to be said that I've faced worse problems in my time.

As Le plus grand domaine skiable du monde the mighty Three Valleys offer you 600km of pistes served by 173 lifts - not even Darth Vader or Superman, both of whom have been spotted on the slopes recently, could get around them all in a week.

But we soldier on, and thus far my favourite runs have been Ariondaz (blue) at Courchevel 1650, Jerusalem (red) above St. Martin and Suisses (black) above Courchevel 1850. But when it comes to the off-piste...

Well, I'd be lost without the most excellent tome Les Clés des 3 Vallées by local mountain guide Didier Givois. This beautiful hard-back book is packed full of info on the best off-piste routes in the Three Valleys, complete with spectacular photographs and diagrams and written information on each route and its dangers, difficulties and the skills required to ski it.

Even so, it takes time to match up the routes to the terrain, using piste maps and topographical maps plus knowledge gained as you get to know the area. But it's quite reassuring to come back after a day scouting the potential off-piste terrain to then find that a slope that you thought had potential is featured in Didier's book and can be approached with some degree of confidence next time conditions allow.

Top information for lost souls in the Three Valleys.

The only way is down.

Which looks like being pretty soon as it happens, since snow is forecast yet again over the next few days. Right now my favourite off-piste run has been the short descent under and off the side of the Dou des Lanches lift above La Tania, although that's largely because I can see it from our apartment and vice versa.

And the disadvantage of it being close to the lift is that all and sundry can see my appalling technique - although it warms my heart to know I can make so many people laugh in such a short time?

For more information go to our Courchevel, St Martin de Belleville and La Tania resort reports.

Tree of life - 15/1/2012 17:05

by Alf Alderson

This winter, ski and surf writer Alf Alderson reports on the snow conditions in the Three Valleys.

Apropos of nothing much, I thought I'd post some pictures of trees taken in the local vicinity recently with the nice new camera my girlfriend Claire bought me for Christmas. But what's this got to do with skiing I hear you cry, to which I would reply: 'The following: How much nicer does a ski resort look with snow-laden trees (as here depicted)?

'And how much fun is it to ski trees - especially when the weather is socked-in as it has been during the recent heavy snowfalls?'

Trees also have lots of other things going for them too, of course, especially if you're a bird, a dog or a lumberjack. And a nice picture is always worth a quick glance...

For more information go to our Courchevel, St Martin de Belleville and La Tania resort reports.

Courchevel cut off! - 11/1/2012 19:12

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in The Trois Valleees is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from Courchevel - January 11, 2012.

Well, it may be...at least if the villagers of Montagny la Roche are not placated by the local authorities in the next 24 hours. You may recall my mention of the rockfall on the Montagny-Bozel road last week, an act of nature which apparently takes place on a regular basis; and when it does it requires hundreds of people to take a detour of several kilometres and at least half-an-hour to get to Bozel, the main community for the area. Anyway, it's now seven days since the hills came alive and nothing at all has been done to clear the road, so the locals are threatening the council that if they don't get onto it by tomorrow they're going to blockade the main route to Courchevel.

This being France, a country where people are not averse to taking direct action against the authorities (unlike us feeble Brits) I have no doubt this is a very real threat. That said, it's hard to imagine the authorities not sorting the matter out since the loss of income and the bad publicity that would result from such an action doesn't bear thinking about.

As I type I hear that the fire engine has just turned up at the site (which has had more visitors than the Pope in the last few days). This perhaps indicates action is about to take place to clear the offending rocks. Let's hope so, or I may not be skiing in Couchevel for a few days...

For more information on the resorts mentioned here, go to our Courchevel, St Martin de Belleville and La Tania resort reports.

Space Oddity - 9/1/2012 17:14

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in The Trois Valleees is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from St Martin de Belleville - January 9, 2012.

The empty slopes above St Martin. Where is everybody?

It's official - the Three Valleys are experiencing one of the best ever early season snowpacks. Well, it's kind of official. I had a chat this morning with Vincent Lalanne-Clouté, the director of Les Trois Vallées and he told me that in 20 years of living here he's never seen so much quality snow throughout the region.

OK, it's not based on detailed scientific readings, but Vincent's observations are good enough for me - and records do show that both upper and lower slopes at Courchevel have more than double the seasonal average amount of snow at the moment.

Sparse tracks, even sparser skiers.

But I'm having a problem with all this snow - or to be precise, with all the skiing that's available to me here. There's too much of it! As the biggest ski area in the world the Three Valleys can be bewildering when you first start trying to find your way around them as there's simply so much terrain to go at.

This embarrassment of riches is an admirable thing of course, since with the huge early season's snowfalls we have virtually guaranteed great skiing for the rest of the season - all I have to work at (apart from my crap ski technique) is finding out where the best of it is.

Our correspondent getting his 'crap technique' sorted out.

And as you'll see from the attached pics, it's hardly crowded either on or off the pistes at the moment. Bloody hell - tons of snow, wall to wall sunshine, empty slopes - what more could a man (or woman) want? Indeed, despite its forbidding reputation for being cold and dark January has always been one of my favourite months for skiing since you get the mountains to yourself.

The particular advantage of this, if you're out for the season, is that you can make all your voyages of discovery around slopes now whilst it's nice and quiet. So that when it gets manic at half term you know where to go to escape the crowds.

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And for those who can't enjoy the luxury of a full season in the mountains January has still got to be an option worthy of consideration for your ski holiday if you like plenty of elbow room - but don't all rush, I'm enjoying the space right now...

More soon...

Plenty of space for lunch at Le Chardon Bleu above St Martin de Belleville.

For more information on the resorts mentioned here, go to our Courchevel, St Martin de Belleville and La Tania resort reports.

Prisoners of the snow - 6/1/2012 19:14

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in The Trois Valleees is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Tania - January 6, 2012.

Blocked road above Bozel

Yes, according to the regional newspaper, Le Dauphiné Libéré, we are 'prisoners of the snow' here in the Three Valleys. The latest dump, finally petering out as I write, has been 'apocalyptic' according to my mate Nige (seen here digging out the car this morning before we spent an hour driving to La Tania, which we can see from our window).

Put yer back into it!

The road from our gaff to Bozel has been blocked by a landslide; trees have been felled by a combination of snow and high winds; power outages have occurred widely; roads have experienced varying degrees of chaos; most of the lifts in the Three Valleys are closed due to ridiculous levels of snow; and most pistes are out of bounds since the avalanche danger is currently five.

Careful now...

We were only able to ski a limited amount of terrain at La Tania, where unfortunately the powder was quickly tracked out, but the skies are clearing and there's the promise of sunshine for at least part of tomorrow, so the skiing could be absolutely epic.

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A bigger change from last season could not be imagined. And as a skier, being a 'prisoner of the snow' is a dream come true, surely. For now, however, I must away and drink tea, eat biscuits and soak in a hot bath after the rigours of my incarceration.

Ski boots and gin palaces - 4/1/2012 10:02

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in The Trois Valleees is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from Courchevel - January 4, 2012.

Alf and Duncan Lamb taking a break from the Courchevel powder. Picture: Nige Robinson

So, the season begins - for me at least. We arrived at our rented apartment in Montagny la Roche above Bozel a couple of days ago and will be skiing the mighty Three Valleys area for the season. And what a belter of a start it's been - more snow than I can shake my new Salomon Sentinels at, it's still falling and there's more to come. 'Bang on!' to quote a favourite musical rendition of mine by once popular contemporary crooners the Propellerheads.

Waterfalls and snowfalls - 12/4/2011 12:09

by Alf Alderson

Our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson and he reports from La Plagne - April 12, 2011.

Champagny le Haut with the Grande Motte in the background

My last blog was supposed to be - well, my last blog for this season, but what with no skiing to be done worth speaking of right now I thought I may as well fill in some time with a little tip on how to spend a worthwhile afternoon in Champagny en Vanoise next time you find yourself caught at the arse end of the worst season for 62 years (so save this for your grandchildren).

It's quite simple really - go for a walk. Even an easy amble like the one if I did yesterday will take you through the kind of scenery that postcard manufacturers would kill for.

There's a free bus from our gaff in Les Rochers up to Champagny le Haut, a magnificent high alpine valley that's surrounded by high mountains down which tumble lovely cataracts, and by taking this you can then wander back home at a leisurely pace on foot.

Grazing bouquetin

Once you've had your fill of being mesmerised by the waterfalls, you set off down a quiet footpath traversing the valley sides, along which you may as I did spot bouquetin grazing on the high slopes, climbers scrambling up one of the vie ferrate that lace the local crags or buzzards circling on the updraft (I saw a golden eagle just up the road in Pralognan last week too, although I'm not sure whether they nest on the local crags).

Passing a lovely old 17th-century chapel (where no doubt the local peasants would - understandably - have once prayed for safe passage to and from the mountains) there are magnificent views across to the alarmingly snow-free slopes of Courchevel, after which you descend steeply to pick up the Ancienne Route de Bozel, which as the name suggests is the old route down to the main local settlement of Bozel.

This winds its way between some of Champagny's more rustic homes, which many visitors are unlikely to see as they're a little off the beaten track - although a number are now gites, so if you want to stay in the real Champagny these are the establishments to seek out.

Old Champagny

Onwards and downwards, we pass the town's enchanting medieval church perched high on a rocky outcrop and dedicated to St Sigismond, a lovely bloke who has his own son strangled for insulting his new wife (so that's what it takes to become a saint...) and finally, back home to tea and toast.

Not exactly a wild day on the slopes, but not a bad way to spend a sunny spring afternoon. And, of course, now we are due to high tail it for the excellent Sea France ferry service at the end of a very disappointing season in terms of snowfall, wouldn't you know it, it's due to dump...

Pretty alpine flower

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

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They think it's all over - 10/4/2011 21:22

by Alf Alderson

Our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson and he reports from La Plagne - April 10, 2011.

Belle Plagne, seen on one of La Plagne's webcams, April 1, 2011

Welcome to Match of the Year, where this week we analyse La Plagne's 2010-11 season with top pundits Alf 'Alfie' Alderson and Jimmy Mountain (Hill - Mountain - geddit?).

'Alfie' Alderson: Well James, it's been a bit of a shocker hey - not so much a game of two halves as much as a game that never really kicked off...

Jimmy Mountain: Oh I don't know Alfie, I wouldn't go that far - I'd have to say La Plagne got off to a pretty positive start with some all-out attacks on autumn at the start of the season, but much like Team England in South Africa last year, when the big test came in the New Year all the early promise came to nothing.

AA: Couldn't agree more James. I thought we were seeing a new Rooney in the making with some of La Plagne's early moves on the upper slopes - the fans were ecstatic with the quality of the attack. It seemed like we were in for a blinder of a season, but then the lads just faded away in the face of some remarkable early season form from spring.

JM: I concur. Apart from a couple of promising forays in January and February, the spring just went out of the step of Team La Plagne if you'll excuse the pun. In all my years of reporting on the beautiful game I've never seen anything quite like the performance from Team Spring - it put me in mind of the great Brazilian squads from the seventies, all sunshine and warmth.

AA: Yes Jim, I hear they're playing sambas in the streets of Belle Plagne these days - they tell me it's more like Brazil than the Alps there right now.

JM: I'm sure the viewers would love to see you dancing in a thong and playing with your maracas Alfie! Ha ha!

AA: Very droll James. Back to the matter in hand, how do you see La Plagne shaping up for next season after this year's dismal performance...

JM: Well put it this way Alfie, they can't do any worse - can they? There's got to be concern throughout the Northern Alps that, after a season like this, the fans will be staying away in droves...so they need to pull something out of the bag - and look at North America - we introduced the sport to them and now they're showing just how it should be played.Some of the top teams out there have scored more in one week that the teams in this area have managed in a season.

AA: Indeed - another season like this and the likes of La Plagne and Meribel are in danger of becoming the Bradford Park Avenues and Halifax Towns of the skiing world - and as someone who has had season tickets for both La Plagne and Halifax Town, I know where I'd sooner invest my hard earned! And with that viewers we sign off for another season. See you in December

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

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Top tips - 6/4/2011 22:28

by Alf Alderson

Our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson and he reports from La Plagne - April 6, 2011.

Top dogs in La Plagne

As the intense heat blazes down on La Plagne and the snow melts faster than an ice cream on a hot plate, the end of the season is surely nigh, so now is perhaps the time to go through my Top Ten of the season - after all, I've been here long enough to have done the rounds by now.

Before I commence, I should point out a few things. The first is that the list is obviously purely subjective; the second of that it's very much focussed on Champagny, since that's where I've been based for the last three months (in fact it's impossible to sample the night-time delights of the other La Plagne villages unless you're prepared to make an hour-long drive via Moutiers - and I'm not); and finally the Top Ten actually only runs to nine...

Best bar: Le Pitchoun

So, in no particular order, here we go:

TOP BLUE RUN Le Levasset from Col de Forcle to the Borseliers chair - fast, wide and undulating and great for hooning home at the end of the day.

TOP RED RUN Les Inversens - a great warm-up at the start of the day, spoilt only by the slow chair back to the top. There's also some fun off-piste either side of it.

TOP BLACK RUN Mercedes - often stays in condition when many other slopes are shot to pieces and has a variety of pitches to tempt you.

BEST OFF-PISTE There's so much to go at from the top of the Bellecote bubble, my advice would be to head up there and find your favourite line - it could take you all season.

Best restaurant: Les Rochers

BEST MOUNTAIN RESTAURANT It's a toss-up between the restaurant at the top of the Bellecote bubble for its magnificent views, friendly staff and idiosyncratic décor (it's expensive though and I'm afraid to say the name of the establishment escapes me for the moment) or the Café Inversens, mainly because you can hop out the back of the deck and access the off-piste above the Les Inversens (see above) from here.

BEST SKI SHOP Ski Set in Champagny couldn't be more helpful or friendly - check them out for everything from ski hire to repairs - and of course new kit.

Best shop: Ski Set

BEST BAR Le Pitchoun in Champagny is small, friendly, has a good happy hour and does fine take away pizzas.

BEST RESTAURANT We've dined at Les Rochers at the bottom end of Champagny a number of times and have always enjoyed good food and good service.

BEST MOUNTAIN DOGS Finn the border collie and Spike the lap dog/terrier who have been ski-touring, snowshoeing and swimming in Bozel Lake (whilst semi-frozen) this winter...woof, woof!

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

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The dead church mouse - 4/4/2011 10:09

by Alf Alderson

Our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson and he reports from La Plagne - April 4, 2011.

Deep snow - so it won't be Las Plagne then...

So, here we are in early April, hoping against hope for a late-season dump, and what does the weather forecast tell us - ah, yes, 26C by Wednesday here in La Plagne. So I guess that's that, really, season 2010-11 that came in like a lion, goes out like a shrivelled-up church mouse that's been dead for years.

We arrived here in the first week of January, since when at a generous estimate there's been about a metre of snow in total - whilst resorts in North America have seen that much in less than one day.

There hasn't been a single dump in excess of 30cm and my fat skis have been used just three times, whilst snowy cold-weather accessories such as snow-chains, snow boots, and spare inner gloves remain forlornly packed away.

I've been keeping a record in my diary of how good the skiing has been on each of the 50 days I've been out. It's on an entirely subjective one- to five-star basis, which although it includes such factors as the quality of the weather and the craic I had with friends, is based mainly on snow quality.

Fresh tracks - as rare as hen's teeth

It makes depressing reading - the average score is a mere 2.5, with eight one-star days, only six four-star days and not a single five-star day (to be fair my mate Graham described me yesterday as a man for whom 'The glass isn't even half empty' but even so I think you can get the gist) it's been a seriously crap season).

It's been far worse for others than it has for me, who merely wants to slide around on the snow a bit. Add abysmal snow conditions to the prolonged economic recession and hotels, shops, restaurants, ski hire, ski schools and other associated businesses have had a torrid time of it - and one doesn't even consider knock-on effects such as the local garage owner who has lost a regular source of income because the lack of snow has meant far fewer prangs on the roads!

Things have now become quite surreal. I went into one of the ski shops in Bozel at the weekend to purchase flip-flops rather than ski equipment, then enjoyed a walk beside the lake where people were canoeing, swimming, playing football and tennis in shorts and T-shirts and sunbathing in bikinis.

Up on the slopes pistes were being closed as wet snow avalanches rolled across them in the extraordinary heat and, whilst this early taste of summer is in many ways very welcome, I really wish it would bugger off and we could have what we've been desperate for since January - snow. Not likely now though, it seems...

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

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The decline and fall of the snowboarder - 2/4/2011 18:32

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - April 2, 2011.

In the ascendancy - skiers

I had an interesting altercation on the slopes today. Hooning down from Roche de Mio to Champagny in the baking sunshine I was surprised to hear a loud shriek from behind, followed by a shrill of indecipherable gibberish in French as a dude on a snowboard shot past me clad in standard issue baggy kit, goggles and oversize beanie despite the 15C-plus temperatures.

I quickly surmised he was having a go at me for cutting him up. Now I may be wrong here, but I had always understood that the skier or boarder coming from above must take the direction which assures the safety of skiers/boarders below, which is common sense really, since none of us have eyes in the back of ours heads and the authorities don't yet require the fitting of rear-view mirrors to ski poles.

Anyway, I quickly caught up with said git and informed him of the rules of the road through a combination of internationally-recognised hand signals and loud Anglo-Saxon. There then ensued an amusing slanging match in French and English as we skied/boarded alongside each other in the Sahara-like heat, but as the skier I was always going to get the upper hand since we eventually and inevitably hit a flat spot whereupon he was left far behind to the sound of more loud and universally recognised two-word utterances in English (my apologies to children and the genteel who may have overheard any of this).

You're going down my son

Coincidentally enough, just minutes before this encounter I'd been enjoying a coffee in the alarmingly intense sunshine on the deck of the Inversens Café whilst conducting a brief and very unscientific survey of the ratio of skiers to snowboarders who were sliding past in the sub-tropical weather.

It came out at roughly 8:2 in favour of skiers, which can only be a good thing for the future of skiing since it indicates that snowboarding is in decline - at least in La Plagne. Why should this be a 'good thing?' Well, if this trend continues throughout the mountains of the world not only will it reduce the chances of encounters on the slopes with ignoramuses as described above, it will also lead to the following:

* More snow on the mountain thanks to fewer boarders to push it all to the bottom.
* Fewer 'speed bumps' enjoying hazardous breaks in the middle of the pistes - usually on the blind side of a crest.
* Unscratched topsheets on your skis thanks to decreasing numbers of prats sliding their boards across them in lift queues.
* Universal peace and understanding (ok, maybe that's pushing it a bit).

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

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Gone fishin' - 28/3/2011 10:37

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - March 29, 2011.

Just the briefest of blogs for today on the back of the Meteo Chamonix weather forecast which my laptop automatically 'translates' - and I use that term in its loosest possible sense - into English.

Here, via the marvel of computerised translation, is what we can expect of the weather this Friday:

'Summer arrived ahead of the northern Alps, and it's not a fish! A warm air mass will invade our valleys and our beds.'

I'm not sure which to be most worried about, the fish or the warm air mass invading my bed...

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

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Free the heel - 27/3/2011 08:58

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - March 27, 2011.

I'm just back from the Champagny en Vanoise Kramelet Festival, a day-long celebration of all things telemark. Quite why the organisers have chosen to use 'telemark' spelt backwards as the name for this shindig I don't know, but they're an idiosyncratic lot these freeheelers so I guess just using the name the right way round would never really do.

Old school style

As a non-telemarker you might thing I would have been shunned, but those present were a cheery bunch who welcomed anyone into their fold - I guess when you're dressed as a cow or a 19th century tweed-bedecked gentleman or gentlewoman you can't afford to be too choosy about whom you hang out with. I was even permitted to ski with the 40 or 50 costumed participants - as was anyone else who wanted to join in - and two things struck me about telemarkers and telemarking as we all slid down the slopes together.

Craftsman-made skis

First off, telemarking is cool in a way that freestyle skiing or snowboarding - which are screechingly desperate in their bid to appear cool - never will be. There's something exceedingly stylish about the languid and flowing turns that a good telemarker will perform, and the fact that this is essentially the oldest form of skiing just adds to that sang froid.

It put me in mind of longboard surfing in many ways - as with telemarking the secret to doing it well is to appear not to be trying, and certainly not to care about what anyone else thinks about your chosen vice.

What the well-dressed woman is wearing on the slopes of La Plagne this season

Secondly, I really liked the easy-going, friendly vibe of the event. Everyone chatted away to people they may have never met before, often in two languages that neither participant in the dialogue could actually understand - whatever, 'we're all here to have a good time on skis on a sunny spring day' was the general message, and who wouldn't give that the thumbs- and the heels-up to that?

As these telemark types say, free the heel and the soul will follow (or words to that effect). Maybe it's time I tried it myself?

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

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The Good Book - 23/3/2011 16:04

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - March 23, 2011.

Lovely pictures, great design, and top knowledge

At the start of the season I purchased a copy of 'Les Cles de Paradiski' by Didier Givois, a local mountain guide and photographer. This handsome tome ain't cheap at 40 euros, but if you plan to ski off-piste in the Paradiski area it's a must - and even if you don't it's worth considering just for the beautiful skiing and mountain images that adorn its pages.

Even better, the routes are described in English as well as French and there are also useful chapters on everything from mountain safety to the ski history of the area. And unlike the various ski touring guides that will also direct you to the region's best backcountry terrain, you don't need ski touring equipment for most of the routes in the book since they're accessible from the Paradiski area lifts (you may require ropes, crampons and ice axes for a few of the tougher routes, however).

This season its covers have rarely been opened since the snow conditions have been such that off-piste fun has been in very short supply. As yet I've done only a couple of the routes in the book, and some - such as those in the Bécoin/Jovet area which take you all the way down to Bozel - are virtually impossible to imagine as there hasn't been any snow on the middle and lower slopes of those runs all season.

Indeed, it struck me that for skiers like me this 'good book' has much in common with the original 'good book' as a result of the snow drought - it's rarely opened, it provides succour to the faithful in times of need, and if you follow its instructions carefully you too may find yourself in Paradiski...

Which is quite possibly the first time a ski guide has ever been compared to the Bible. And don't worry, it will be the last as far as I'm concerned.

The Good Book

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

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An oasis in a desert - 20/3/2011 18:47

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - March 20, 2011.

La Grande Casse and attendant clouds

Well I hope you appreciate this - after endless weeks without decent snow conditions we've now had three very good days of skiing here in la Plagne, and what do I do on this sunny powder day? I go and check out the Half Pipe Finals of the Freestyle World Cup which have been taking place in the resort over the weekend.

Blue skies and powder sorely tempted me to give it a miss in favour of laying down a few lines, but it was a worthwhile morning's detour from the slopes to see the best men and women in the world launching themselves into the stratosphere and performing manoeuvres that I am too old to even be able to name, let alone conceive of actually attempting.

Media rabble - of which was one

The attached pics may give you some idea of what the contestants were getting up to, although you can see far better imagery at www.la-plagne.com as well as getting the results there - I'm afraid I can't tell you who won (although local hot-shot Kevin Rollands was a favourite to take the title again) since the actual finals are taking place as I type back in our chalet in Champagny.

Benoit Valentin of France

The reason that I'm here rather than taking full advantage of the media facilities, as any journalist worthy of the name would be, is due a the slight logistical problem - the lifts that access Champagny from the centre of La Plagne closed before the event was over, so I had to ski back without actually seeing the finals - one of the few disadvantages of living in this far-flung corner of the resort.

Having enjoyed the action in the morning, however, I eventually found myself drawn inexorably to the slopes off the Roche de Mio and beneath 3417-metre Bellecôte, where even after lunch some nice powder stashes could be found.

Local hero and (at the time of writing) world champ Kevin Rolland

This was the equivalent of a thirsty man finding an oasis in a desert after the snow-starved weeks we've endured so far this season. The amounts that fell have been modest, truth be told, but when the sun is shining, the half-term crowds have gone and there's 15cm of fresh powder around, no one is gonna be complaining around these parts.

Indeed, so inspired was I by nature that I even shot a few pictures of the mountains themselves - well, they deserve a mention, don't you think? After all, without them there would be no snow, no skiing, no La Plagne and no half-pipe finals?

Road to Paradise(ski)

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

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The Bermuda Triangle - 16/3/2011 14:55

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - March 16, 2011.

More of this on the way?

Right now I should be sitting on the Rossa chair above Champagny in drizzle, approaching a new fall of snow on the higher slopes - in fact it's been 'precipitating', as our North American chums like to say, for almost 24 hours according to most weather forecasts.

As it is I've actually just taken the dogs for a walk in glorious spring sunshine, and whilst they recover from their exertions by soaking up the sun (as opposed to drizzle) on the deck, I'm beginning to wonder if Champagny en Vanoise is at the centre of some mysterious climatological Bermuda Triangle - a twilight zone into which low pressure systems disappear never to be seen again.

For yet again most weather forecasts - other than the one on this website - have got it totally wrong, and this has been a pretty consistent theme throughout the winter. The pattern goes like this: a week ahead and snowfall is forecast, possibly 10cm or more. Then, as the glorious day gets progressively closer, the snowfall predicted gets progressively smaller until, like today, what 'should' have been a snowy day is in fact a great day for a picnic in shorts and t-shirt.

Now I realise that forecasting mountain weather is a tricky business at best (which makes you wonder why anyone bothers with seven- or ten-day predictions), but when so many forecast are even wrong on the day it makes you wonder what's going wrong.

As of 9.30am today (Wednesday), we are warned by at least two reputable websites to expect anything from ten to 20cms of snow on upper slopes over the next 24 hours, and I'd like to think that over such a short time span the meteorologists will be pretty accurate.

But less than three hours before that snow is due to start falling from the heavens, blue skies and sunshine prevail, and I have a nasty feeling we're about to experience the Bermuda Triangle effect once more.

So what's the answer? Either:

A. Stick to the welove2ski.com forecast

B. Start checking out the tea leaves and the way the ducks are flying

C. Just go and ski anyway

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

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Travelling man - 12/3/2011 18:38

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - March 11, 2011.

Hugh on tour in Les Arcs

I recently skied across to Les Arcs to see my mate Hugh on a lovely sunny day, and not only got full value for money from my Paradiski pass (I'm based in Champagny-en-Vanoise, Hugh is in Le Pre - they're as far apart as you can get in the Paradiski area).

I also got to relish the sheer pleasure of simply travelling on skis. By this I mean using skis in the manner for which they were originally intended - to get from point A to point B. For sure if I were a purist I'd have done it under my own steam and forsaken the ski lifts, but this could have taken me several days and would have been a waste of my lift pass. And we did do a bit of 'real' i.e. off-piste skiing to ensure our credibility didn't sink too low.

The time spent sitting on lifts allowed me to reflect on what a superb invention are skis in general, and modern skis in particular - nothing beats them for both efficiency, economy and fun in getting around on snow.

Snowboarder on (slow) night tour

This became even more apparent when we hooked up for a few runs (including a night-time descent to Le Pre) with some snowboard chums of Hugh's - nice people one and all, but not on a form of transport I have much time for - literally. As is always the case, the skiers in the group spent forever whilst the snowboarders fastened and unfastened bindings and dithered around in a way only snowboarders can.

Because snowboards, of course, are as much use as a one-legged man at an arse-kicking contest when it comes to actually moving around in the mountains. Show 'em a flat spot and they're scuppered; throw in an uphill incline and they're like a Dalek faced by a flight of stairs.

Skiers will take all this in their wake because their mode of transport was invented for moving up, down and across the mountains, whilst snowboards are designed to do one thing only - go downhill (preferably in powder, which means snowboarders in the northern French Alps have had a pretty miserable time of it this winter). Aye, give me skis any day...

The snow equivalent of crop circles

P.S. The peculiar pattern in the snow you see here was pictured beneath the Salla chair in La Plagne. Hugh told me that some mysterious if not eccentric English guy based in Les Arcs spends hours and hours marking them out in the snow, using snowshoes - a peculiar labour of love akin to creating crop circles but something that fascinates all who see them. If I can find out more about him and his patterns I'll let you know.

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Be prepared - 7/3/2011 13:56

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - March 7, 2011.

All the gear...

Being a bit of a nerd, I found myself wondering the other day how much gear you need for a day on the hill - what's the happy compromise between too much and too little?

And so I decided to empty my pack and see exactly what's in it, then ask myself: 'do I really need all of that stuff?'

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Bearing in mind that I like to be prepared for the occasional venture off-piste (and occasional they have been this season...), here's what I found: hydration bladder, shovel, probe, emergency blanket, first aid kit, Swiss Army knife (of course), compass, length of cord, manky bar of chocolate, sandwiches, blister plasters, sunglasses, goggles and a spare carabiner. Plus various bits of fluff, wrapping paper and an old lift pass.

This probably seems a bit excessive to many, but the weight of it all isn't too onerous, and most of it is based on the kit list I was given during a ski leaders' course that I did four years ago.

Thinking about it, everything on that list has been used at some point other than the things you really don't ever want to use i.e. shovel, probe and emergency blanket (interesting point that, hey? You spend hundreds of squids on safety gear in the hope that you'll never need to use it. It's a bit like buying a painting and then never unwrapping it (come to think if it, I have a mate who did that once...)

Regardless of the fact that much of this kit will hopefully never be used, and that it may seem over-the-top to some (on reflection, it is over the top if you only ever stick to the pistes), I think it's a good habit to get into having these extra few kilograms on your back every time you go skiing. For a start it beats having the pockets of your jacket and pants bulging at the seams, and if worst comes to worst, you'll be ready for it.

'Don't be caught short', as the Boy Scouts say. Or is that 'be prepared...?'

Skins - an extra bit of kit that has seen very little use this season

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

All the young dudes - 3/3/2011 16:47

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - March 3, 2011.

It's only worth bringing out those fat skis when it looks like this...

Reading the editors comments on the current SIGB ski tests in Bormio got me thinking - how many pairs of skis does one (i.e. me) need?

Well, in an ideal world - one where you got to ski every day, money was no object and the beer was always free - I guess you'd go for a pair of skis to suit all occasions from deep powder to hard-packed groomers, along with perhaps a pair of cross country skis as an amusing diversion and a snowboard for when you felt the urge to excavate as much snow as possible from the top of the mountain to the bottom.

But the reality for most of us is that we have to get by with one or perhaps two pairs of skis, and if that's the case then the best bits of kit to have are surely a pair of carving skis and a pair of all-mountain skis? These two snow-riding machines will certainly see the average skier through most of the conditions they're likely to encounter on their annual ski holiday.

...or this...

Yet as editor Sean points out, ski manufacturers (and to a large extent their customers) '...keep getting side-tracked. It is...amazing how many super-fat skis are on display each year at the [SIGB] test, 110mm or more under the foot...They're a dream to ski in deep powder: but a complete nightmare on icy pistes and crusty crud: and how many days of deep powder do you get on an average ski holiday?'.

Quite.

I myself have been 'sidetracked' like this, buying a new pair of K2 Coombacks for this season which three months in have seen just two outings, which works out at around £175 per session! Compare that with the 100-euro, ten-year-old Atomic carving skis I bought last week to take advantage of the 'hardpacked' conditions that have prevailed this winter - had I bought them when I first arrived here they'd have worked out at about 5 euros a session.

But fat, big mountain skis are the thing to be seen with these days, so you'll find dudes standing in the lift queue days if not weeks after the last dump with their 110mm fatties, looking cool but in reality being stupid - 'cos there just ain't anywhere to take them along with their baggy ski pants and their attitude.

...or this.

A similar situation used to prevail in surfing - and still does to some extent - where all the young dudes (and some not so young) would be seen strutting down the beach with their short, super thin, high performance thruster under their arm whilst the old gits like me ambled along with a small supertanker which was perfectly suited for the kind of small, gutless waves we were invariably surfing.

Out in the waves we would cruise past the thruster crew who couldn't catch a thing on their toothpicks (but at least they looked cooler between car park and water's edge).

Nowadays bigger, wider boards more appropriate to the local surf are seen much more commonly, and I wonder if that situation will eventually prevail in skiing, with super-fat skis being a snow riding vehicle that only surfaces on 30cm-plus days and the all-mountain, do-anything ski being the plank of choice for most?

The author's quiver. If I had to choose just one pair of skis it would be the Lords - best all-round, do-it-all ski I've ever had.

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

The good, the bad, and the ugly - 1/3/2011 16:24

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - March 1, 2011.

Alf hits the fresh snow. Photo: Hugh Rhodes

THE GOOD...

Yes, as everyone who has ever clipped into skis and donned a pastel one piece will know by now, it's snowed in the Alps at long last - which is clearly a GOOD THING.

The 30cms or so that we've had here in La Plagne over the last few days is pretty much tracked-out already, but it was great to be able to float through powder rather than clatter across ice - after almost nine weeks of waiting I finally got to bring out the powder skis (K2 Coombacks, of which more in a shortly-to-be-posted review).

The powder is back, albeit briefly.

...THE BAD...

Along with lots of snowflakes have come lots of skiers for the half term break. This has kept the lifties busy of course - or maybe not. Is there a body of people in the entire skiing world who are less user-friendly than French lifties?

I'm not saying they are all curmudgeonly and unhelpful, but that seems to be the prevalent approach to the job amongst a good number here in La Plagne.

The girls on the Borseliers lift above Chamnpagny should be picked out as an honourable exception, but one particular gorgon on the Inversens chair epitomises all that has been BAD about the local lift operators over the busy half term break.

A hearty 'bonjour!' is met with a stare that would turn lesser men to stone (hence her nickname), and she stands idly by as the lift smacks you in the back of the calves with a resounding thud. What's more, as the crowds build up at the bottom of the lift no attempt whatsoever is made to organise the chaos - so that the four-man lift will frequently sail on up the slopes with only two occupants (I've seen this regularly happen with six-person chairs too).

I've done a season as a liftie, so here are two tips for the gorgon and her mates:

1. Get stuck into your work by assisting skiers on/off the chair, chatting with them and ensuring the lifts are full - time will fly by, you'll enjoy the banter and who knows you may even get to like the job.

2. Learn from North America where the lifties are invariably helpful, solicitous and hard-working (although I realise that the French Lift Workers Union may expel members found to be exhibiting these quirks).

Good thing there's a welcome at the end of the Inversens chair, because you don't get one at the beginning.

...AND THE UGLY

I was skiing off the top of the Col de Forcle yesterday and noticed that one area was closed for skiing - a fence clearly indicated that there was a high avalanche risk and you could in fact see where a couple of slides had come down.

But some people clearly know better than the experts, hence the three morons nipping round the side of the fence to get some freshies, presumably in the belief that since some of the slope had already avalanched the rest would be safe.

Two minutes after this ship of fools sailed off into the sea of white two ski patrollers appeared at the top of the slope and instigated a small (but still potentially lethal) slide in attempt to make the slope safe. Which was all the proof you could ever need that just because one section of a slope has already slipped, it doesn't mean another won't go.

Think about it guys - ski patrol don't lug those warning fences up and down the slopes for fun...

Staying in the trees is one way to seriously decrease avalanche risk.

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Mr. Magnanimous - 24/2/2011 10:13

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - February 24, 2011.

Photo: Hugh Rhodes

I've just had an assignation in Plagne Centre which was aimed at bringing snow to this corner of the Alps, and it seems I was one hundred per cent successful.

My 'assignation' was to meet a man about a pair of skis - a pair of second-hand Atomics to be precise - after having decided that I'd had enough of sliding around on the hard-packed snow and ice that have defined the season in La Plagne thus far.

I don't own carving skis as its never really been my thing, but after having a rip-roaring time tearing around the pistes in the Graubunden last week I decided it was time to invest (albeit modestly) on the premise that if you can't beat 'em, you might as well join 'em.

I logged onto French website 'Bon Coin' (a bit like Exchange & Mart in the UK), where I found just what I was after for only 120 euros being sold by a ski instructor in La Plagne - perfect!

Even better, I managed to knock him down to a straight 100 euros (parsimony being part of my Yorkshire birth right) so now here I am, all set to rip up those rock-solid pistes. Apart from one thing...

...it's started snowing.

More than one friend suggested that this would happen as soon as I bought some carving skis, and there does seem to be something behind this theory. After all, having bought a pair of powder skis before I came out here, the snow turned to ice, and last year when I bought a new surfboard it went flat for weeks.

The precipitation we've had has been something akin to 'real' snow too, as these photos show - they were taken yesterday in Les Arcs by my good friend Hugh Rhodes who will next season be offering some very nice chalet accommodation in the resort, which is sure to appeal to more discerning skiers.

So, looks like the carving skis could be in the cellar for a while, replacing the powder skis which may just - after eight weeks - get an airing. Can't say I mind really - I just hope you all appreciate the 100 euros I've so magnanimously spent on ending the snow drought.

Photo: Hugh Rhodes

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Wales vs France - 22/2/2011 13:30

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - February 22, 2011.

Either this...

...or this seem to be the only options this winter.

You're probably thinking I'm referring to the Six Nations contest with the title of this blog, but no, I'm still on skiing - and surfing.

Here's what I mean. I live in Pembrokeshire - one reason being that it allows me to surf quite a bit. Anyone who has surfed in Pembrokeshire will recognise the following three primary features of the wave riding experience in this part of the world:

- Inconsistent

- Unpredictable

- Generally poor quality

All of which I regularly complain about to my beleaguered girlfriend after yet another rubbish session at Whitesands or Newgale. Her answer to this is often: 'well go and live somewhere else then!' So this winter we have - La Plagne.

And anyone who has skied here this season will recognise the following three primary features of the snow riding experience in this part of the world:

- Inconsistent

- Unpredictable

- Generally poor quality

So it looks like the score is: Wales 1, France 1, Alf 0. And North America 10...

But we'd prefer this...

...or this.

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

The fastest man in the Alps - 8/2/2011 21:36

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - February 8, 2011.

La Plagne, all to myself

I made a classic schoolboy error on the slopes yesterday...

Having decided to take a break from piste skiing in order to try and get fit (and feel a little more righteous after too much partaking of wine of late), I decided to spend an hour or two skinning up the slopes from the top of the Champagny bubble towards Roche de Mio (not all the way, mind - there is a limit to my righteousness).

Despite some perspiring in the unseasonal heat it was a rather pleasant experience all told, particularly being able to sit and enjoy the views across to Courchevel and the north face of 3855-metre Grande Casse without all the hullaballoo of screaming kids, ski lifts and skidoos that I'd encountered on the slopes.

It seemed only right after such exertions to reward myself with a fun descent before heading back home, so I skied back down to the Rossa chair and took the various lifts required to get to the top of the Inversens run - a decently steep red (as I was about to find out) with some easily-accessed off-piste which is still fun to ski despite the current snow drought.

As I traversed across to the best of the off-piste terrain I thought to myself how quiet the slopes were - likewise the Inversens chair, hardly a soul on it. I started my descent and looked again at the lift - only a handful of skiers riding it - great, I'd be straight on at the bottom.

Two-thirds of the way down I stopped for a breather and checked out the lift again (the off-piste section more or less follows the lift line). Just two dudes on the entire lift now, top stuff...

Hold on, they're ski patrollers...

At which point the penny dropped with a large clang: yes, they're ski patrollers and they?re the last ones on the Inversens chair today, you idiot. Consequently, you will be walking back to the top.

As I mulled over my predicament - I now had to ascend several hundred metres of the stuff you?re supposed to descend and I was already a little tired from my earlier exertions (for I am not one of these beardy, held-together-with-duct-tape-thin-as-a-streak-of-pump-water backcountry types) - I did at least congratulate myself on having my climbing skins with me.

And to be honest the following hour or so wasn't all grunting, sweating and swearing (Inversens is a damned sight steeper going up than down, let me tell you), and my regular stops to get my breath back allowed me to enjoy the silence and solitude of the mountains in a way that's just not possible when the lifts are operating and skiers and boarders are whizzing past nineteen to the dozen.

But this was nothing compared to what greeted my when I emerged from the shadow of Inversen's north facing slopes just below 2,700-metre Roche de Mio.

As I unclipped from my skis and removed the skins, I gazed around at a sublime panorama - the sun setting to the south behind row upon row of blue shadowed mountains, whilst behind me Mont Blanc glowed orange, and way down below a gauzy evening mist started to fill the valleys and gorges.

OK, it's not like I was Edmund Hillary standing atop Everest and '...gazing at the view below whilst nibbling on Kendal Mint Cake'. I didn't have any mint cake for a start. But it was all very, very nice.

And things only got better as I set off down to Champagny. Before me lay around 1300 metres of descent with not another skier on the mountain. Even better, a piste basher had made a single pass all the way down to just below the Col de Forcle, so I had my own little bit of groomed piste to ski down.

I couldn't help emitting an involuntary whoop of joy as I set off. I know, I know, irritatingly American of me - but how often do you ever get an entire ski resort to yourself?

The combination of empty slopes and magnificent mountain scenery bathed in deepening alpenglow more than made up for the slog up Inversens. I stopped at Col de Forcle to take it all in once more (and the deserted Killis restaurant and abandoned, almost forlorn-looking lifts just served to emphasise that), and for a few minutes at least I had one of the biggest ski resorts in the world all to mmyself.

People who fly around in helicopters pay good money for that kind of thing, and I'd got it for the price of a bit of exercise.

As I set off again for Champagny - now a thousand metres and a few minutes skiing below - it also occurred to me that other than in a helicopter or on a skidoo, this was the fastest possible way of getting down a mountain. And since I was quite probably the only person in the Alps still piste skiing at this time of day, here I was, the fastest man in the Alps.

P.S. Tip of the Century: I came across this on skiingthebackcountry.com in a feature on reglueing climbing skins, but as a tip for life in general I'd say it's the best advice since God spoke to Moses:

When feeling frustrated, have a sip of beer.

Mine, all mine - how it feels when the slopes are all yours...

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Romance is dead - but good value meals ain't - 5/2/2011 14:32

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - February 5, 2011.

Confusing: the resort names

Perusing La Plagne's piste map one can't help thinking that the good people responsible for the development of the place could have perhaps been a little more inspired when it came to dishing out the names - Belle Plagne, Plagne Centre, Plagne Bellecote - of ten villages within La Plagne's ski area seven bear the word 'Plagne' somewhere in their name.

Similarly, over in Les Arcs four out of seven villages use the word 'Arc' in their names - in this case followed by disinctly utilitarian digits, as in Arc 2000.

Not only is this far from romantic, but it's also bloody confusing at times - is it Plagne Centre or Plagne Villages where you arranged to meet your mates? Does that nice red take you down to Arc 1800 or Arc 1650?

The names are obviously all set in stone now, of course, but it would have been nice if a little more inspiration had come into play back in the seventies when the resorts of the Paradiski area came into being.

Ah, a helicopter...it must be Aime La Plagne then

Still, one thing that is showing inspiration is the snow maintenance here in La Plagne. Despite the resort having gone almost a month without snow, the discerning skier can still find quite acceptable skiing both on and off piste - it requires a bit of moving around the mountain with the sun and some deft crowd avoidance techniques, but fun skiing is still possible.

In fact I had a fine time yesterday when 'locals' Graham Woolley and Tim Wilson introduced me to some exciting off-piste terrain in the Roche de Mio and Bellecôte areas, although ironically it involved looking for relatively skied-out slopes where the chalky snow had been packed down and provided plenty of grip.

Graham is a fellow Ski Club GB leader and knows the area like the back of his hand, as does Tim who is area manager in La Plagne for Erna Low. Tim also introduced me to the Snowcard after we discussed my recent blog about the ridiculous prices at the Roche de Mio (where we didn't have lunch.

The Snowcard

This is a restaurant discount card which has been successfully operating in Paradiski for five winters. It gives the holder a choice of meals and a drink at a discounted rate (up to 40%) in nine mountain restaurants in La Plagne and four in Les Arcs.

Tour operators sell the cards to their guests for five euros, and since a typical Paradiski lunch with drink costs 15 to 20 euros, one use will make the purchase worthwhile. Cards are valid in every restaurant on the list - every day - so you can visit the same restaurant multiple times, or try a new one each day.

There's an information sheet and map of La Plagne's restaurants provided with the card - and all the details are explained. Simply show the card in advance when you place your order so the cashiers/servers know you're entitled to a special rate.

Plagne Centre or Plagne Villages, who knows...

Added bonuses with the Snowcard include 15% reduction on evening meals in the Casetta Pizzeria in Belle Plagne and cheaper drinks all day every day in the Arpette restaurant.

A number of established tour operators have been selling the cards for some time with excellent feedback from their guests, so ask your operator when you get to La Plagne.

I left Tim and Graham as they set off to ski a mightily steep couloir above the Killis restaurant, but not before they had met up with Tim's Dutch mate Koen, who seems to like sniffing out the steepest terrain in the area and then skiing or jumping down it. Check out his blog at www.wittelijnen.com to see what I mean.

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

To whom it may concern - 4/2/2011 17:14

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - February 4, 2011.

No!

Be it noted that the Champagny en Vanoise Cool Threads Society (i.e. me and my mate Nige) have decreed the following, to take effect immediately within the confines of the Paradiski area in the interest of good taste and common decency, viz:

No! No!

1. There shall be no wearing of tasteless ski suits, whether vintage 90s pastel shaded one-pieces, lurid boarder two-pieces or the blingy Bogner variety, for the following reason:

It causes an excess of mirth on lifts and in lift queues and the consequent possibilty of too much noise (see item 4 below).

The devil rides out

2. Silly headwear is banned with no exceptions, for the following reason:

Such headwear is invariably worn by self-styled funny men (and women) who are invariably anything but.

Double crime: silly hat and sitting down

3. Snowboarders are to be banned temporarily, for the following reason:

The current lack of snow means we can no longer afford to have snowboarders scraping it all off the mountain to pile up and turn to slush at the bottom. When (if) it snows again a small area will be set aside upon which snowboarders can shovel snow down the mountain to their heart's content; as compensation for the reduced sliding area thus available a selection of sofas, easy chairs and scatter cushions will be provided at suitable blind spots on the mountain where knucklescrapers currently enjoy taking a break by sitting in the middle of the piste - this will allow them to relax in comfort whilst risking a collision with others.

4.There shall be no excess noise on lifts and in lift queues, for the following reason:

Its bloody annoying (Russians, please take note).

We are sure all will agree that by following the above rules life on the piste will be far more agreeable for all - especially me and Nige...

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Your daily bread - 2/2/2011 19:18

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - February 2, 2011.

Hmm, that baguette looks mighty tasty...

Anyone who has ever visited France can't fail to have noticed the apparent obsession with purchasing the daily baguette - and who can blame the locals, for a fresh baguette is indeed a joy to masticate upon.

This week alone I've seen elderly French matrons moving at a brisk pace along the pavement, baguette in basket; middle-aged gents astride their bike, baguette under arm and pedalling energetically towards home; and youngsters sprinting along the street with their baguette waving wildly up and down in their hand like an Olympic baton.

But why all the rush?

Well, unless you get the damned thing home in about 20 minutes it will become as dry and tasteless as a piece of cardboard - the one down side of the mighty baguette. Still better than a sliced white loaf though?

And whilst we're on the issue of food, can I nominate La Plagne's Roche de Mio restaurant for 'Rip Off of the Week' award: four euros for a coke, seven euros for a plate of chips - in effect that's over a tenner for coke and chips. That eats into your daily 'bread' pretty damned quick.

Keep off my coke!

And they don't even provide waiter service!

Once half-term hits the average mum, dad and two kids will be looking at well in excess of fifty quid for a very average lunch at this establishment.I know apologists will put forward all the usual reasons for ski resort dining being so expensive (transport costs, running costs etc.) but this kind of pricing is little short of profiteering when you're looking at seven to eight times the cost of an equivalent repast in the UK.

I assume the owners of such establishments are operating on the principle that there are fewer guests as a result of the recession, so they need to up the price to take account of this. The more likely outcome is that punters will vote with their feet and they'll see even less revenue.

We certainly won't be rushing back. But I'm sure there are skiers out there who can do better than that in the overpriced dining stakes?

Chomping into the staff of life

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Ice, ice baby - 30/1/2011 17:59

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - January 30, 2011.

Pretty in pink

Just been to see some of the world's top ice climbers in action on the very fine ice tower in Champagny le Haut (apparently the biggest such structure in the world), all part of La Gorzderette, a weekend-long festival of all things alpine set in this tiny settlement on the edge of the la Plagne ski area.

I used to dabble with ice climbing myself in a previous century, so it was fascinating to see the way in which skilled practioners of the art insinuate themselves up the ice in a series of smooth, flowing movements that are a million miles away from the crashing, grunting, groaning and expletive rich activity of my youth.

This is silly at -9C

It would have been hard to imagine when we thrashed our way up the remote frozen waterfalls of Britain's mountains many years ago that the arcane sport of ice climbing would become a bright lycra, floodlit, hip-hop soundtracked spectator sport practiced by professionals with all the skills of any other pro sportsperson, but perhaps that just shows what a naïve old git I am becoming.

Either way, it's a sport that's well worth seeing for the incredible athleticism and gymnastics on show; and it's even encouraged me to have a go on the ice tower myself later in the season.

Expect lots of grunting and cursing, my French friends?

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Flag it up! The solution to misleading snow reports - 27/1/2011 21:26

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - January 27, 2011.

Level 4-5 conditions in La Plagne two weeks ago

On the back of my last blog about the accuracy (or lack thereof) of internet snow reports, I have come up with the ideal solution to the problem of misleading information on snow conditions. And you, gentle reader, shall be the first to know of it.

Y'see it occurred to me that since resorts already offer avalanche information based on a flagged warning system to keep us safe(ish) whilst in the mountains, why not have the same system for snow/piste conditions?

The flags could even be of a similar design, but in blue and white instead of black and yellow (blue for ice and white for snow, you see).

Flying through level 5 conditions in Crested Butte

So, here it is, the Finn Snow Report System (FSRS) - I'm not so immodest to name a system after myself that will obviously take off internationally like wildfire, so have given it the appellation of my dog instead.

LEVEL 1 (blue flag) - all resort runs icy and may also have bare/worn patches

LEVEL 2 (blue and white chequered flag) - most pistes icy and/or bare/worn except on upper slopes

LEVEL 3 (blue and white quartered flag) - most upper slopes in good condition; some lower slopes icy/bare/worn

LEVEL 4 (half blue/half white flag) - most pistes in good condition; a few lower or south facing slopes may have icy/bare/worn patches

LEVEL 5 (blue flag) - excellent skiing throughout the resort.

Now tell me that ain't a good idea?!

Of course, were the Finn Snow Report System to actually be adopted by ski resorts it would be a miracle. Sure, when conditions are level 4 or 5 any resort would be happy to fly the appropriate flags high and wide throughout the mountain, but when it's a level 1 or 2 (as it currently is for every resort in this region) - well, they're not gonna go out of their way to publicise that, are they?

Still, nice idea... and come to think of it, one that I shall now use for the rest of the season in my blogs from la Plagne.

No doubt about it, this is Level 5 stuff...

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Lies, damn lies, and snowtistics - 25/1/2011 18:08

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - January 25, 2011.

The author enjoying some real snow in Fernie

These days there are numerous websites which offer up-to-the-minute ski reports from the resorts, and I've just been checking a few of them out.

They should know better.

I won't name individual sites, but when information such as 'pistes are mostly hard packed', 'colder weather continues to keep the snow in good condition throughout Europe' (in this case I will name and shame - it's the BBC), or 'last dump 20/1' (a few totally insignificant snow showers) is used to describe the kind of icy, unfriendly and generally less than pleasant conditions that this corner of the Alps has been enduring for some time now, it's misleading; plain and simple.

These are 'independent' websites, so it's not the fault of the resorts - which are doing their damndest to make the most of the conditions with a skilled combination of grooming, snow cannon and generally treating snow starved pistes with kid gloves.

What's particularly galling personally about this snow drought is that had I not opted to spend this season in La Plagne, I was considering Fernie or Red Mountain in BC as alternatives - they are currently enjoying the kind of conditions pictured in this post.

'Jim Greene, vice-president of resort operations at Red Mountain avoids the ice - easy since there is none, unlike the French Alps

So, here's my advice: if you're planning on skiing the Vanoise or Tarentaise region in the next week or so, don't. What I would do - if you can - is rearrange your ski trip for when there's been some fresh snow. Although the resorts in this area offer excellent skiing for all abilities, right now it's hard work on skis whether you're a beginner or an expert (I speak from personal experience - I'm out of action for an indefinite period after buggering up my knee on the effing ice).

In fact, the experts have given up all together - I was talking to a local last night who only skis the hardest lines outside Courchevel's boundaries, and he's gone back to mountain biking. In bloody January.

Next thing you know they'll be wakeboarding on Bozel Lake...

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

The music of the mountains - 24/1/2011 07:56

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - January 24, 2011.

The ultimate ski lift: Kamchatka, Russia

Pretty much everywhere you look around these parts a ski lift of some sort will catch your attention. I guess it would be nice if it were possible to pursue our skiing obsession without this rather intrusive form of uphill transport, but for downhill skiers ski lifts are, like Simon Cowell, Katie Price and America, regrettably unavoidable constituents of modern life, so my view is let's learn to appreciate them.

Yes, purists will argue that we could all skin up the mountains and earn our turns, but the reality is that this is just never going to happen, so I'll move swiftly on from that pointless argument.

The Motherlode Chair, Red Mountain, Canada

Personally I find the simple, utilitarian design and construction of ski lifts to be aesthetically quite pleasing (perhaps I should form a Ski Lift Appreciation Society - I understand a similar geekish enterprise operates in the UK in praise of electricity pylons - seriously).

The clean lines of a row of pylons, or the winding mechanism, even a chair, gondola, cable-car or T-bar are classic examples of something that is made to do a simple job effectively and without fuss.

Shadowy characters on La Plagne's Rossa lift

Fair enough, the long straight line of pylons that is, for example, the Verdons Sud chair above us here in Champagny en Vanoise is hardly at one with its mountain environment, but since it's there to stay why not revel in what it achieves...and that is the swift, smooth transport of thousands of skiers a day to an altitude of 2500 metres in what is, when you think about it, a minor engineering feat. We take ski lifts for granted, but imagine the work that went in to putting over a kilometre of pylons in place and then maintaining them safely and efficiently in the harsh environments of the high Alps in winter.

The Vanoise Express, Paradiski

And the Verdons Sud chair is neither here nor there on a global scale. Look at the mighty Vanoise Express on the other side of La Plagne, or the spectacular Aiguille de Midi cable-car on the other side of Mont Blanc, for instance. Amazing engineering feats that despite their relatively inconsequential task of taking people up hills so they can slide down them again are nevertheless impressive. Even the noise of a ski-lift at work sits well with me. I used to work as a lift operator and ever since the sound of a winding mechanism, or a chair clanking and rattling past a pylon has reminded me of skiing (along with a number of other more appropriate noises too, I should add, including silence).

It's a wind-up

Indeed, for skiers you could almost say that the sound of a ski-lift is the music of the mountains - not the loveliest symphony, I grant, but one that has its merits all the same. And with that comment I'll head off to a transport of delight on the Champagny gondola whilst all you eco-warrior skiers hurl abuse in my general direction.

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

How to keep dogs happy? Simple - take them to the Alps with you - 19/1/2011 22:35

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from La Plagne - January 19, 2011.

Champagny le Haut

If this doesn't show happy dogs I don't know what does! Finn (my border collie) and Spike (Claire's Jack Russell/bichon-frise cross...don't ask) are shown here enjoying a romp in Champagny le Haut. It's sometimes a squeeze fitting in their two daily walks when the snow is good and we want to go skiing, but hey, we're happy to make sacrifices for our four-legged friends.

Finn chased by Spike

That said, if we ever get another powder day here in La Plagne - and it's looking as likely as snow in the Sahara at the moment - well, that day they may just miss out on their morning walk...

Finn enjoying the snow

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Send and receive - 18/1/2011 20:04

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and today he reports from Les Arcs - January 18, 2011.

Les Arcs Avalanche Park

The T-shirt-and-shorts weather continues unabated here in La Plagne and many of the pistes are resembling slabs of granite (ie hard and shiny with lots of stones poking up) although good snow is still to be found at altitude and on north facing slopes, but with this comes the risk of avalanches.

So, with that in mind I took myself to the Avalanche Park in Les Arcs yesterday to practice being avalanched - ok, you know what I mean, I went to have a play with my transceiver and probe. /p>

The park, which is located at the top of the Transarc gondola, is an excellent idea (shame there isn't one in La Plagne) and half an hour spent within its confines is actually quite good fun - not to mention the fact that it may save your life.

For those of you who have never used one, here's how they work:

There are several transceivers hidden beneath the snow within the park, all set on 'Send' - one or more of these is what you, my friend, will be tasked with locating.

To do so, you go up to a small box of electronic jiggery pokery at the entrance to the park where you can press a button to indicate how many 'bodies' you wish to search for (one to five) and another button for how long you wish to be allowed to conduct the search (up to a maximum of 20 minutes).

You then press a starter button and the countdown begins as you switch your transceiver to receive and try to home in its buried brethren. I use a Mammut Barryvox Pulse transceiver (www.mammut.ch), an excellent device which is light years away from the old analogue transceivers that I always thought so difficult to use without endless practice.

British skiers Duncan Green and Darren Wallis playing in Les Arcs' Avy Park

This little beauty simply points an arrow in the direction of the buried transceiver and you home in on it until you're literally right above it - it really is that simple, so much so that it took me only two minutes to find my 'body' on both searches I performed.

I know this because you have to use your probe to locate and then bang on a container in which sits the buried transceiver - this sets off an alarm on the electronic box mentioned above and stops the countdown (in case you're interested I use a Black Diamond Quickdraw Guide probe (from Black Diamond Equipment) which does what it says on the tin and is a cinch to set up and use).

And that's about it. Probably the most positive aspect of playing in the park is that for me at least it confirmed that should the worst come to the worst I can at least use my avy gear effectively - sure, I would no doubt be in a muck sweat about it all were I searching for a buddy underneath several feet of snow, but I do know that all things being equal I should be able to locate them well within the fifteen minutes that we all know to be so vital for survival.

Of course, all things are rarely equal in an avalanche, and I should know as I've been in one, but that's another story...

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Skiing in Manchester - 16/1/2011 22:23

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in Paradiski is ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and he reports from La Plagne - January 16, 2011.

Today I joined up with a bunch of fellow hacks from the UK who are enjoying a three-day press trip to the Paradiski area.

There were several reasons for this, the main ones being the chance to ski with a group of like-minded and similar ability skiers, which is always good fun; the chance to ski with an ESF instructor, Jean, who having worked in La Plagne for 30 years knows all the best runs; and finally the chance to briefly drive a piste basher, more of which shortly.

Oh, and I guess I should also mention the superb lunch at Chalet Verdon Sud (+33 6 21 54 39 24). Check it out if you're in the Champagny area.

Lunch in the baking midday heat at Chalet Verdon Sud

Despite the phenomenally warm temperatures (the restaurant was supplying diners with cowboy hats to give respite from the intense January sun - seriously), Jean was able to take us to some decent north-facing slopes. These include the Mércédes above Plagne Central, where the snow has remained in good condition and isn't totally tracked out.

He also pointed out all the peaks to be seen from various viewpoints, which is important to me - now I know, for example, that I'm gazing up at the Glacier de Vanoise as I shove my breakfast down every morning.

Mid-afternoon saw us at La Plagne's piste basher driving centre (Team Vaudey +33 6 11 95 40 72; 60 euros per person) where we took it in turn to clamber into 250,000 euros worth of tracked Tonka Toy and take it for a spin.

I'm sure you've read articles about driving groomers before and what an art it is, so I won't bore you with all that here other than to say they really are quite remarkable machines. And for the hundreds of thousands of intermediate skiers who visit La Plagne to cruise its vast array of groomed reds and blues, it's worth having a go to see just what's involved in providing you with your corduroy every day.

Would you let this man groom your slope?

Which brings me onto a little aside. I was skiing in Slovakia's High Tatra mountains last year when a local informed me that piste bashers in that part of the world are known as 'Manchester-making machines'.

I looked at her with some alacrity, for not only is this quite a mouthful, it is also somewhat surreal - at least it is until you get the explanation, which goes like this:

Slovakia imported corduroy cloth from the cottom mills of Manchester/Lancashire for many years (may still do so I guess although I suspect it will all come from China these days) and ended up using the generic word 'Manchester' to describe the cloth. Well-groomed pistes look like corduroy - in fact we use that very word to describe them - so Slovakian skiers called the machines responsible for sculpting the snow 'Manchester-making machines'.

Et voila! Today's completely useless fact.

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

Out of the clouds and into the powder - 12/1/2011 21:37

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in La Plagne will be ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and we're delighted to have him on board. After a long journey, he's finally got his skis on...

Worth the long haul - especially when there are only two other people on the chair.

How bizarre - there we were, driving past Lyon at around 1.30am last Saturday morning en route to La Plagne and the car thermometer was reading 16˚C. Heading past Chambery it had dipped to 12˚C, through Albertville into single digits - just - and as we pulled up outside our accommodation in Champagny en Vanoise the thermometer read 6˚C - at 3am!

This was the warmest nighttime temperature I'd experienced in over a month, and I live in Pembrokeshire, which is not renowned for its icy climate. What the hell was going on?

Hopefully it's just a blip in the winter weather and things should soon return to normal - indeed snow is forecast for today although it's due to become almost subtropical again by the weekend.

But this unseasonal weather has taught me one thing that as an experienced skier I ought to already know, and that is not to take the weather in resort as any indication of what's happening up on the hill. Yesterday morning I awoke to a dreek, grey day - the kind of miserable climatological experience that is common to Wales in January and the reason I and most of my friends desert the place at this time of year.

I rolled over in bed and had another fifteen minutes, slowly dressed, ate breakfast in no particular hurry, did a few lethargic stretches, clambered into my ski gear in a laggardly manner and eventually rolled up to the ski lift at around 10.30am.

What was the rush? Mist, low cloud and a generally damp atmosphere all round served as no encouragement to get on the slopes.

At last, an escape from the misty valleys...

But as the gondola rose, the atmosphere became indefinably brighter, the mist slowly dispersed, and the thin white clouds began to evaporate. By the time we were at the top station there was even a hint of the sun breaking through.

My journey into the stratosphere continued on a series of chairs until I eventually stood atop the Roche de Mio at 2700 metres in clear blue skies and with several centimetres of fresh powder beneath my skis.

I was kicking myself - the slopes were pretty quiet but the best lines had started to get tracked out, yet had I been here a couple of hours earlier it would have been all mine!

I guess we've all made this kind of schoolboy error at some time (usually with the accompaniment of too much alcohol the night before). Of course, there are times when regardless of how high you climb, you cannot rise above the clouds (sounds like a metaphor for life), but my experience also goes to show that it?s worth taking the chance. Yesterday was my first day of the season in La Plagne, and if the rest go as well as the sunny off-piste fun beneath Roche de Mio than I'll be a very happy man.

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.

On the road (almost) - 5/1/2011 22:03

by Alf Alderson

This winter, our man in La Plagne will be ski and surf writer Alf Alderson - and we're delighted to have him on board. Only, he's not quite in La Plagne just yet...

All right, so this is Idaho, not an autoroute in Pas de Calais. Shame the drive to the Alps isn't along a road as empty and romantic as this...

Two days from now I should be on the Seafrance Dover - Calais service en route to La Plagne for the season. Now you might reasonably presume that to be cause for some excitement, same as when you go on a ski holiday, but it's actually "hassle" rather than "thrill' which has become the word of the moment for myself and girlfriend Claire.

The reason is that there's so much more to do and prepare for when you're heading off on a four month trip, and a quick skim through the following list will soon show that none of it is likely to quicken the pulse overmuch, viz: exchanging currency, making sure the passports are safe, checking on ferry times, ensuring the dogs' vaccinations are up to date (they're coming too), making sure the passports are safe, sorting out travel insurance, sorting out mobile charges (extortionate) whilst abroad, making sure the passports are safe, packing four months worth of gear, getting the vehicle covered for overseas travel, packing snowchains, etc., etc., and, of course, making sure the passports are safe (I'm paraonoid about the latter having twice - yes, twice - turned up at airports without mine).

But by this time tomorrow it should all be sorted and we'll be setting off on our biggest adventure in years. Imagine - one of the biggest ski areas in Europe at our disposal for the next four months!

This should mean I can choose where and when I ski at my leisure, unlike the usual frenzied urgency to get in as many hours as possible on skis when I'm on a regular ski trip.

Whether that will actually be the case remains to be seen as unlike a holiday there's all the mundanity of normal life to deal with too - working, housekeeping, dog walking, bill paying and (hopefully) digging the truck out of massive dumps of snow.

And as I write the conditions in La Plagne are not all that great so the first couple of days may be all about getting settled in our chalet for the season.

There again, with a ski lift just two minutes away, I guess it would be rude not to take advantage of if straight away?

Click on the link to read our La Plagne resort report.