WINTER 2019-2020: Where it all began!

Having retired in 2019, our dream of winters spent skiing in the Alps was about to become a reality! We have a small apartment in the Tarentaise valley: close to magnificent ski resorts, including Val d’Isère, Tignes, Les Arcs, La Rosière and Ste Foy. Now we had the opportunity to explore this winter playground… until March 2020 when it all went wrong!

Some pictures from our first winter season

View from our apartment
View from our apartment
Fireworks in Villaroger on New Year's Eve
Fireworks in Villaroger on New Year's Eve
Approach to Col des Fours
Approach to Col des Fours
Cate on the Col des Fours
Cate on the Col des Fours
Cate on final climb to the Col des Fours
Cate on final climb to the Col des Fours
Refuge des Fours
Refuge des Fours
Fresh tracks on the descent
Fresh tracks on the descent
Dave and Dave
Dave and Dave
The isolation of skinning
The isolation of skinning
Grand Casse
Grand Casse
More fresh tracks
More fresh tracks
Kris and Gary
Kris and Gary
Cate alone on the lake
Cate alone on the lake
On the ridge
On the ridge
Skirting past a crevasse
Skirting past a crevasse
Our tracks in the powder
Our tracks in the powder
View across to the Grande Casse
View across to the Grande Casse
About to descend towards Col de la Tourne
About to descend towards Col de la Tourne
Cate crosses the frozen lake
Cate crosses the frozen lake
Alone on the Grande Motte cable car
Alone on the Grande Motte cable car
Fred the Guide on the left, Cate in front, and Gary and Ryan behind
Fred the Guide on the left, Cate in front, and Gary and Ryan behind
Refuge du Col du Palet
Refuge du Col du Palet
Jono on his first day after surgery
Jono on his first day after surgery
Lovely powder
Lovely powder
Jono in the powder
Jono in the powder

The Blog posts (click on the pictures to read and see more)

Fresh tracks in Ste Foy

16th March 2020

The ski season ends abruptly for everyone with the closure of all French resorts due to Coronavirus. 

 

Jono on his first day after surgery

11th March 2020

An update on Jono’s untimely end to the season!

 

Chris looking from the top of the Col

8th March 2020

The traditional “off-piste week” that Jonathan spends with the boys, with a terrific descent mid-week from the Foglietta and Col d’Argentière in Ste Foy. The week ended with an unusual “twist”…

 

Jono and Cate at the top of the Dome de Vaugelaz

24th February 2020

A trip to the UK, then back on the slopes to enjoy the warmth and sunshine

 

Refuge du Col du Palet

9th February 2020

Return to Col de la Grassaz with lunch at Refuge du Col du Palet

 

More fresh tracks

7th February 2020

Another day tour on the Dome de Vaugelaz. This time the perfect powder descent!

 

Kris and Gary

5th February 2020

Powder in La Rosière! What an amazing day skiing with Gary and Kris.

 

Gary

1st February 2020

Joined up with friends for a morning off-piste before the weather closed in.

Powder

30th January 2020

We found fresh tracks! After two days of bad weather, the sun came out and we had a bluebird powder day.

Le Manchet 2

29th January 2020

An amazingly sunny month with low avalanche risk giving us the chance to explore.
Here’s what we got up to…

Refuge des Fours

11th January 2020

A day tour over the Col des Fours with a little lunch stop at a refuge we had visited in the Summer 

 

Jono2

8th January 2020

Getting away from the ski slopes with a trip to the Dôme de Vaugelaz

 

About to descend towards Col de la Tourne

2nd January 2020

Our first serious off piste trip without a guide

 

December 2019

The start of our season in the Alps