Well, the evidence is in the picture! Sadly, an ultrasound told me what I’d feared: the fall last Friday has completely ruptured my left Achilles’ tendon, and I went for a surgical repair yesterday. As a retired anaesthetist, it has been an interesting (to say the least!) experience to be on the other side of …
The 6th of March marked the end of our long-standing “off-piste week”: a tradition spanning nearly 20 years, where I ski with a group of friends and a guide, seeking powder and untracked routes. This year was a little different, with plans changed, and an unfortunate ending (more on that later…). This year we intended …
We’ve had a varied few days since the last post. Memories of crowded slopes persuaded us to go back to the UK for the half-term school holidays, and gave us the chance to return to Cornwall, catch up with old friends, and check on our sailing boat, Merryn. Fortunately, she was in good shape, having …
Fresh tracks in La Rosière What a day! With our friends Kris and Gary, we set off for La Rosière expecting a gentle day cruising on the pistes and lunch in Italy. We hadn’t anticipated the huge amount of snow that the stormy weekend weather had brought to the Alps. From the first tracks, to …
We made the most of a short weather window! Our friend Gary has been in Val d’Isere for the week with his mate Ryan, and they invited us to join them for the morning. They had hired a guide and we set off to Le Fornet for some routes there. The picture shows sunshine, but …
View from Villaroger of La Rosière, Le Miroir, La Masure, Ste Foy and Ste Foy Station After two days cooped up in our apartment, looking out at the snow and fog, we got our reward! The top lift connecting Villaroger to Les Arcs remained shut, helping keep the powder to a select few. We found …
Col de la Tourne ski tour This was our first tour without a guide. We took advantage of unusually sunny and settled weather in January (and low avalanche risk!) to hop over the Col du Palet – just above the Palet drag lift in Tignes. A beautiful ski down, with unexpected powder, before we realised …
Col des Fours ski tour The sunny weather held long into January, so off we went on another tour. Our starting point was Le Fornet – the top of the bubble lift and beside the Col d’Iseran. We set off down the valley towards Les Arcs de Bonneville, before putting on skins at the bridge. …
Dôme de Vaugelaz We thought we’d try something a bit different: picking a tour away from the resorts. We decided on a skin up the Dome de Vaugelaz. It’s a climb of a little over 900 metres from the car park at La Thuile, just above Bourg Saint Maurice, to the rounded summit. The ski …
https://youtu.be/ujFbr6G4jk8 A cycle ride across France OK, this is cheating a bit as we did this in 2018, so technically it predates our retirement. But… we thought we’d put it in anyway. Starting in Roscoff (having taken the ferry from Plymouth) we took three weeks to cycle to Italy. First down to the Loire at …