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Quick link to Winter 2005/6 report: [1]
[2] [3]
[4]
Mid Jan
SNOW AND CHALET REPORTS
Tignes (report by Zoe)
Mid Jan: Snow and Chalet Reports: A Girlie's View
Well the turn of the New Year has bought
a flurry of activity over in Tignes, riding on a roller
coaster of new arrivals, sad departures, injuries and
novel experiences. It is only now, on reflection that
I fully appreciate my own good health and fortune during
the opening chapter of 2006. So, what happened?
New Year was seen in, slightly confusingly, by hundreds
of merry folk in the centre of Le Lac, who were presented
with a spectacular fireworks display just before midnight.
After checking our own watches, we, the crowd celebrated
with a rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" and chants
of "Bonne Annee!" And "Sante!" When,
7 minutes later the countdown then came blasting over
the tannoy. Finally, at 12.07am and after an encore
of "Auld Lang Syne", the New Year had officially
started in Tignes.
No sooner had the hangovers worn off, we were at it
once again to celebrate my birthday, which came complete
with real English jelly and ice cream.(Mal even baked
me a cake on his night shift at work!). My birthday
'treat' followed suit, and I found myself being squeezed
into a dry suit and then sent plunging feet first through
a hole in the ice on the frozen lake in Tignes .'Twas
very strange and pretty scary but an amazing way to
spend 15mins of your life all the same! Check out http://www.abisnailo.com/ViewGallery.aspx?GalleryID=12
for the evidence.
Dave bid us all farewell and headed off to spend the
remainder of his season in Les Arc. He was immediately
replaced by Aide, aka 'Rat Boy', who settled in fine
despite having the slightly daunting task of fitting
in to a highly organised (well, sort of…) living
arrangement with 9 strangers. We spent the following
days riding in the "Lost Valley" near Le Daille
which was an adventure in itself! (see photos), and
hung out at the Val D'Isere snow park. It was here where
Abi and I slid on our first 'box' and experienced our
first jumps of the season. It was also where, unfortunately
for Abi, she broke her first bone! Let's hope the rest
of Jan isn't as eventful….
Chamonix (report by Julene)
Mid Jan
You would not expect anyone with a nickname
like 'One piece' to get any romance, but that's exactly
what happened to Jon this week. He braved speed traps
and hostile border guards to meet his girlfriend in
Geneva for a dirty "weekend". His housemates
claim that he didn't leave his hotel for 4 days, a fact
he didn't exactly deny. I can't imagine why he didn't
want to bring his Mrs back to Chamonix to meet his lovely
new PS0 family!
Elsewhere, Andrew and Euan were expelled from Chamonix's
premier nightspot, The Garage. It wasn't so much that
they were violating the dress code by wearing kilts,
something they should definitely be rewarded for in
the Baltic conditions we have been experiencing, but
instead it was what Euan had in his sporran - two bottles
of beer. The Garage must have seen some pikey seasonaire
stunts over the years, but this must surely win some
prizes for flair if not stealth.
It's been a while since we had new snow, and while enthusiasm
for icy pistes is flagging a bit, riding and skiing
is, valiantly, nevertheless going on. Three weeks ago,
Bryan was a total newbie (he hadn't even seen snow falling
according to his mate Rob), but after lessons with Andrew
we have reports that he is jibbing and gully skiing
like a pro. Meanwhile, Dan exhibited his sense of adventure
by leading an impromptu expedition into one of Grand
Montets' many less-than-friendly couloirs - we can only
assume that after his stay at the UCPA before moving
into PS0, some of their notorious backcountry daring
has rubbed off on him.
For the Argentiere housemates it's business as usual
as the village's (and maybe the valley's?) most awesome
drinking team. The tequila's run out, but in honour
of James's new, fabulous, very green down jacket, Posh
John at the Rusty has invented a totally new and rather
green shot now known as the Cowabunga!, which can be
combined to explosive effect with beer and Red Bull
to produce a Turtle Power - a drink so tasty, addictive
and cheap that even PS0 hosts, otherwise known as Mum
and Dad, liked it.
Meanwhile, hello to Ryan and Jennifer, who have finally
made it here after being unreasonably detained by work.
All-round mountain types, they practice all available
forms of getting around the hill including telemarking
and cross-country skiing. They like a drink too, which
is probably just as well…
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