Quick link to Winter 2004/5 report: [1]
[2] [3]
[4] [5]
[6] [7]
End March 2005
SNOW AND CHALET REPORTS
Chamonix (report by Julene)
It is difficult to believe, but halfway
through a season, gloom descends. Even when your day
consists simply of waking up only when you are good
and ready, working out where to go sliding, spinning
off a few cat tracks, ollying pistes signs or dodging
crevasses, going home, getting as pissed as you like
and then starting all over again, things can be still
be tough. I am pleased to report however that mid-season
misery is a thing of the past here in Chamonix - we
have discovered the fact that there is life after February!
The theme of the last few weeks has very definitely
been backcountry adventure. Both houses have paid visits
to the famous Vallee Blanche. An unpatrolled, high-altitude
itinerary route on a glacier, the VB is the Chamonix
equivalent of going to London and visiting Buckingham
Palace (that is, if the Queen had snipers in the turrets,
who, from time to time, were allowed to randomly take
out a tourist). Elsewhere, we've been hiking for powder,
the truly intrepid Barny has been ice climbing (thrillingly
close to the site of a recent, massive serac fall),
and Rob and Jonny have had a helidrop. The less said
about that the better!
Since our last report we have lost Colin and Stuart.
Both went home early, wait for it, to start new jobs.
To seasonnaires this is like losing a man overboard
and both will be sorely missed (Colin, not least for
his cakes and biscuits). Anyway, out with the old (sorry
Colin) and in with the new: this week sees the arrival
of Planetsubzero veteran, James Winspear. Last year,
James's sometimes hair-raising backcountry epics kept
us entertained if not amused. We can't wait to see what
he has planned for this year…
Meribel (report by Rachel)
Snow conditions in Meribel have continued to be good
with some decent dumps to play in. The best news is
that Phil has made a super-fast recovery and is now
making the most of it all again - and the new improved
Phil is a hardcore skiing machine who won't let anything
keep him off the mountain.
The rest of the guys aren't fairing quite as well.
James had a really nasty 360 related accident and was
the first (and hopefully last) of the Meribel lot to
test out a blood wagon ride off the mountain. And on
Russell's first trip back out on the slopes after an
ankle injury he pulled off some impressive cartwheels
causing an even more impressive thigh to ankle bruise!
However, I'm going to award myself the stack of the
week for pure comedy value. I thought it might be fun
to have a go at skiing - with two skis, poles and those
plastic shoe things and everything!! I'm not sure what
came over me as it's been at least 12 years since I
last tried skiing and I was
rubbish at it then. But I gave it a go ... for about
200m until an unexpected but impressive face plant which
basically involved trying to bounce on my goggles -
bits of which are still buried in the piste!
Luckily James recovered from his injuries in time for
Meribel's bar flare competition where the Planet Subzero
entrants blew the rest of the competition out of the
water - James and Kirsty took first and second place!
James won with a pretty awesome display of how absinthe
should be served -
with spinning bottles, juggling, fire breathing and
glass towers of burning alcohol ... and a somewhat nervous
looking bar owner eyeing up the fire extinguisher!
Summer is definitely here already!! It just jumped
out at us from nowhere - one day it was still down there
at minus 20 and the next it was about plus 20! Sleeveless
skiers are everywhere - and the shorts and teensy weeny
vest tops are out in force around town - and that's
just the guys. Everyone's been cultivating some beautiful
goggle marks to take back to England at the end of the
season as evidence of time very well spent - and Rob's
are definitely a winner! And I've learnt a very valuable
lesson about remembering to put suncream on that little
gap between my goggles and
helmet!
Last week it was Kirsty's birthday - happy birthday
Kirsty! So obviously we marked the occasion with an
oh so traditionally French cheese-fest at the fromagerie.
And after an obscene amount of melted cheese was munched
everyone took the cheesey-foot smell with them around
the bars and then retired to bed for some cheese induced
night sweats and freaky dreams!
It's also been three valley rally time - which this
season included the first Planet Subzero team. The idea
is to get together a mixed guy-girl-skier-boarder team
to race around the entire three valley area, getting
your ass out for a tattoo at a bunch of check points
on the way. The guys came in a little bit behind the
winning team (hmmmm) although i think their route planning
was arranged slightly more in favour of hot chocolate
and fag breaks rather than skimming off the seconds!
And then the madness really took hold and a bunch of
us all donned plastic shoes and took to the slopes on
skis (and yes I am still alive - and so are my second
pair of goggles!). Being boarders we weren't quite sure
about the poles so we made the most of them for pointing
and waving - as demonstrated by many of the one-piece
wearing tourist types! And I think it's safe to admit
(in writing - I know!) that yes it was fun, and yes
I will do it again.
Other info I've been specifically asked to include
by a very wobbly and drunken Mat and Phil after Dick's
is that Mat's now totally nailed 360s and Phil pulled
a minger, or underage child, or boy or ... who knows
- but in his own defence Phil did say that she didn't
have any facial hair which I
guess is a bonus! Oh - and check out the photo of Mat
and the girl from Liberty X!!!
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