All quiet in Val Thorens, no queues up the Grand Fond

I would like to report that it is much for the benefit of everyone here who is able to ski but I am actually typing this sat in my snowboard pants having an abandoned ski day!

I started the day with good intentions having rented some skis yesterday ready to get back onto two planks for the first time this season however the sunny day forecast has quickly turned around and there is now white on white limited visibility. I can hear high winds whistling outside on the balcony and my weather reporter in Les Menuires has informed me that it is also raining! It looks like skiing will have to wait for another day as I am far too much a fair weather skier to be doing a bambi on ice impression today.

This is in huge contrast to yesterday which was a scorcher! At around 10 degrees it was a beauty of a ski day. I decided to get back on the skinny skis down at the cross-country track in Les Menuires. Having got off to a great start with my first lesson a few weeks ago I unfortunately seemed to have ‘the fear’ this time, I have no idea why. I arrived at the track around 4pm and temperatures had started to drop so the tracks themselves were a little icy and I had some pretty impressive falls as the bruises now show! I think another lesson might be in order or at least some more practice when there are less people to witness my efforts.

I also managed to fit in a great afternoons skiing towards the end of the last week before the weather turned on Friday. On Thursday when heading to the zip wire the runs down to Orelle were in fantastic condition. It was a great surprise as well to find how quiet the lifts were for half term week, when heading up Grand Fond there was just myself and three other people in the lift. It was lunch time which could explain the quietness but normally this weeks sees snakes of skiers queuing at every lift. Similarly when snowboarding down the pistes were empty so I could really enjoy the wide and superbly well groomed “Mauriennaise” which can often be chopped up but was an absolute delight on this occasion.

It is always pretty chilly at the top of Orelle, the highest point in the Three Valleys at 3230m, and after waiting for the zip wire I was ready to get snowboarding again to warm up. We headed down the “Asters” run at the end of the zipwire which is not a route I regularly opt for and I was surprised at the steepness of this run for a red grade. One of the young skiers in the group took quite a tumble on the steepest section but luckily came out of the slide unharmed. After that we joined “genepi” a steady blue to head back to Val Thorens followed by a quick hot chocolate stop to end a fab ski day.

The weather this week is generally looking like a mix of cloudy and snowy days. During weeks when the weather is like this it is a good time to stop for lazy lunches in the fantastic restaurants in Val Thorens or treat yourself to an afternoon at one of the many spas, a ski holiday does not have to be all about skiing. Then on Friday temperatures are dropping down to -11 but the sun should be out to hopefully provide some warmth. It looks like that’s going to be my ski day!