Dual Slalom

  This morning was mostly spent on dual slalom, one course of stubbies and a parallel course of full-sized poles.  I think the aim was to get us fired up and attacking the course but the element of competition also tended to be a distraction from technique and line with the result that quite a few of us crashed out.

  Hard work but fun.

  Once the course became rutted (and in places unpleasantly icy) we switched to a line of poles that ran straight down the fall with the occaisional pole out to the side.  Fortunately this was on a fairly flat section as the aim was to get the body travelling straight down the fall line with only our legs going right and left to avoid the poles.

  Quite challenging as you clattered into the poles at increasing speed and frequency. I’d guess that around half the attempts failed to complete the course and that included quite a few fallers.

  After probably the most physically demanding session so far we were given the afternoon off, with instructions not to ski but relax (and prepare our skis).

  So now my skis are freshly edged and waxed (and half my clothes are now dripping onto the bathroom floor).

Giant Slalom

  Our ESF coaches decided that we weren’t skiing the slalom course quickly enough so today they laid out a GS course to encourage us to get on our edges and keep the speed up.

  In the afternoon it was back to slalom, on a short and fairly flat course but with large poles which, given that we have to make sure we hit them with our poles (and then ideally with our shin pads), tend to distract one’s attention from ski technique, not to mention the racing line.

  Then it was all about attacking the course. I thought I was but they weren’t satisfied… «Andee, you be more aggresseeve».  So I was, and walloped into the fourth gate (or was it the fifth ?); doesn’t really matter - I came off worse.

  Turned out that being more aggressive was as much about quick changes from one edge (or «hedge» as one of our coaches puts it) to the other.

  So I skied the last couple of runs through the gates with more movement and quicker edge changes (but less aggression) and seemed to get a bit better.

Stade de Slalom

  I missed 6 out of the 9 skiing sessions last week.  The 3 sessions I did ski were general piste and off-piste stuff but it turns out that every single one of the sessions I missed were spent in the Stade practising slalom using stubbies (30cm poles, rather than the full sized ones).  So today was my first go at a slalom course and I had some catching up to do.  Decided to take it easy for the first couple of runs but as I grew more confident I tried to attack the course a bit more – naturally the inevitable occurred and I crashed out.

  At least it proved that my binding would release when necessary.

  After lunch some of the stubbies were replaced with full-sized poles which we have to batter over with our ski poles.  Fortunately the ski poles have hand guards on them and we wear shin guards and helmets (and I fitted a chin guard to my helmet tonight too) so we’re fairly well protected.

  Nevertheless it was a pretty steep learning curve for me today and I crashed out again this afternoon after I hit one of the big poles at the wrong angle.

  Good fun and I feel pretty much over my illness; although I’m not back to full strength yet that will come and I’m looking forward to skiing tomorrow.

Brief but beneficial

  The journey from Meribel is pretty tedious; bus to Moutiers, wait for a train, train to Chambery, wait for another train, train to Grenoble. With each stage (including the waits) taking about an hour each it isn’t quick either.  Felix was waiting on the platform when I arrived, which was nice.  In fact the whole weekend was very nice.  Dinner was particularly nice; the food was excellent, the conversation interesting, the manners pleasant; a wonderful change to the chimpanzees tea party I have to endure most nights.

  And being away from the zoo seems to have helped my recovery; (touch wood) I’m almost better, although not back to full strength yet.

  Felix had to leave at noon on the Sunday (when the last bus departed for Grenoble airport), so it was more of a day than a weekend (the remainder being devoted to travelling for us both).

  Short but satisfying.

Nothing happening here

  Another day off (from skiing !).

  Going to Grenoble for the weekend.

Not funny any more

  Felt distinctly under the weather this morning and was forced to conclude that after 3 days of half skiing/half resting days I wasn’t getting better quick enough, in fact I’m not really getting better at all.  So decided not to ski at all today or tomorrow, which, with the weekend, will give me 4 days complete rest.

  This afternoon we went on what was billed as a visit to the Rossignol factory, to pick up the various bits of kit we’d need for our slalom training.

  I thought it would be interesting to see a ski factory so I was pretty pissed off when it turned out to be just a factory outlet.  It then took absolutely ages to get all the kit assembled and stock levels were pretty poor so not everyone got what they wanted.

  If it weren’t for the fact that I could try on my new helmet before paying for it the trip would have been utterly pointless and even so I can’t fit the chin protector to the helmet until I can get some appropriately-sized holes drilled (they couldn’t even do that for us).

Quack or Pow ?

  The room seemed colder than usual when I woke this morning and oddly my roommate was absent, as was his duvet.  It turned out not to be the cold that had driven him away but my snoring.

  The snoring was possibly related to what felt like a tennis ball sized lump under my left jaw (although on closer inspection it was actually more like a third of a golf ball).

  Anyway I resolved to see the local quack without delay.  That plan was promptly abandoned when I looked out the window and saw around 20 cm of fresh powder covering everything in sight.

  I’ve come here to ski and this was an opportunity not to be missed.

  In view of my new and exciting disease I dressed extra warmly (just as well considering the temperature had dropped to around minus 15) and headed out for an excellent morning’s skiing.

  This is the first time I’ve skied the Apache Recon’s in decent powder and had the confidence to make bigger, faster turns; the skis didn’t disappoint (definitely more of a freeride ski than the Rossi B2’s that I used to ski).

  The fresh snow had given the mountains a much more rounded, gentle look and everything was softer in the muted light.  Even the chair lift was quieter as we rose into the merest hint of a cloud composed of millions of frozen fragments, sparkling all around us.

  Magically beautiful.

  Seems to have been good for my lump too as that had shrunk considerably by lunchtime but I still stopped in to see the quack and got dosed up with anti-biotics and other powders and potions.  Roll on recovery.

Things are on the up

  Felt considerably better this morning but still didn’t ski the afternoon (I serviced my skis and had a good long bath instead).  Actually my room is one of only two that have a bath, nearly all the others have a shower.  Although describing the facilities as ‘ensuite’ would be laughable even on a cross-channel ferry; mostly there’s a basin in the room, a shower cubicle (also literally in the room), and a cabin-style toilet.

  Whereas I’ve got a proper ensuite, the bath is almost full size, and I only have to share it with my roommate; we even have a decent amount of cupboard space and (wonder of wonders) 15 hooks dotted around the bedroom and the ensuite.

  Course it would be nicer if we had the same room on the floor above then we’d be on the same floor as the dining room (instead of being nearly adjacent to the lounge, which can get rather noisy on occasion) and we’d get a balcony to boot.

  Not that I’m complaining, particularly as I came here to ski and it’s been snowing continuously for the past 5 hours; if it continues at this rate we’ll have at least 15cm by morning.

First day’s training with the ESF

  Still weak this morning but at least the temperature (outside) remained low although the snow didn’t materialise.

  Decided to ski just the morning (thought I’d better show willing since this is the first day with the ESF).  Frankly my performance was pretty awful and I was relieved when lunchtime came and I explained (in pretty awful French) to Carole (our ESF instructor) that I wouldn’t be skiing that afternoon as I am a bad head, a bad throat and a bad body.

  So that was that, back to the chalet for another afternoon dozing on the sofa, although I did eventually get up and stagger down to the supermarket to buy some grub for tomorrow’s lunch, some comfort food (for keeping the energy levels up and promoting recovery) and some lemons and honey (which have already worked their magic).

  Another early night for me I think.

End of the end of season conditions ?

  Spent most of yesterday dozing on a sofa in the lounge just trying to stay up till dinner time.  As soon as the main course was over I went to bed (couldn’t face dessert).  Despite aching joints and being bathed in sweat I actually slept better than the previous couple of nights. Woke up this morning feeling weak but the aches had gone.

  Still not well enough to ski so took a trip down to Brides-les-Bains around noon.  Sunday probably isn’t the best day to visit a French town, especially not at lunchtime in an almost-ski resort.  It was deserted and looked like it had seen better days despite the fact it was an Olympic Village for the 1992 Winter Olympics and is still a spa town (although I guess there are far fewer people taking the waters now than 100 years ago).

  I suppose that if I was going to get ill at least I was lucky in that the worst of it was over the weekend and not when I had to be on the slopes.

  And it gets better; the temperature has dropped a few degrees and it’s actually snowing (just).   With a bit of luck there’ll be some proper snow overnight (and I’ll be back to something approaching full strength tomorrow).