DAILY SKI DIARY

We have finally arrived in Geneva after a mammoth but most enjoyable flights on Lufthansa’s new A880.  I must say, the crew was great, the German “coarseness” has softened & the staff were extremely pleasant and helpful.    Instead of taking the standard Club Med road transfer, we were being a little adventurous and have taken the train from Geneva to Aime via Chambery.  The only thing is NOBODY told us it was going to be this cold!!  We hung around coffee shops and huddled in waiting rooms at Geneva station while the snow fell in the streets, and of course coming from Sunny SA, we weren’t exactly kitted out for these extreme temperatures.

Train trips in Europe are seriously the best way of travelling … the trains are efficient, running on Swiss time, comfortable, scenic and really good value for money.  Our train from Geneva all the way to Aime cost us approximately R350 each.  In Chambery we had about 45 minutes to “kill” and somehow the weather just seem to get worse  … we were down to – 22 degrees, hunkering down in any little corner trying to find some warmth.  We did manage to find some good French baguettes with cheese and ham, but the coffee was lousy.

Finally, just after lunchtime we arrived at Aime with no real plan of how we were getting from Aime to Club Med LA PLAGNE which was about 25km up the mountain, but as luck would have it, a Club Med bus was waiting … if for any reason you choose to take the train, there is the Le Plagne bus that runs from Aime for Euro 10 p/p.

Yay, we have arrived at Club Med and boy the snow looks good.  The hotel is perched at 2100m, the sun is shining and the sky is an endless blue.  Perfect for skiing.  Our rooms are fantastic!  A good size and yes, the bathroom has a bathtub which to me is absolutely essential for after a day’s hard skiing.

This afternoon we went down to get our ski’s and boots and I was a little apprehensive as often I battle to get ski’s that fit with any vague sense of comfort … if this is something that is achievable in ski boots.   The staff were really pleasant and the equipment seems newer than that at Val d’Isere and in good condition.  Now we are ready and off for a good night’s rest & some hard skiing.

I have just managed to pull myself out of a really hot bath to write this update.

So, we were due at ski school (Group 2A, “you can a parallel ski on blue & red slopes” is the definition) at 09h30 to meet our ski instructor, but as we were up really early, we decided to have a quick warm-up run to see if we could still ski.  Bruce hadn’t skied for 10 years so a run was going to give him a good idea as to how he felt before we were split into two groups.  Fortunately, it is a little like riding a bike, it all comes back to you and after your 1^st fall, you feel really at home.

We worked our way up the chair lift (the air snapped through every layer of clothing we had) as the temperature plummeted.  Not even the sun was able to warm us up, but we knew if would not be long before we were working up a sweat chasing after Rudi our ski instructor.  It would also not be long before our thighs were burning, our shins aching and our boots pushing uncomfortably against every part of our feet & ankles … and we do this for fun?

Again, I was a little uncertain as to whether or not we belonged in Group 2A but it soon became apparent that we did and that we were actually not as “bad” as we had thought.  Today, we explored the areas of Le Grande Rochette & Les Verdons up at 2500m.  The LA PLAGNE ski area is over 450km of skiing between 1200m – 3250m offering treeline skiing as well as glacier skiing.  The piste is immaculate and the snow awesome.

One thing that we have to get use to is coming back at 12h00 each day for lunch and then pulling our weary bodies up after a sumptuous lunch to get moving again at 14h00.  The food at the resort is really good with a large selection of fresh salads, carbs and proteins and don’t forget the French Pastries!  I am sure if it was not for a day’s hard skiing I will be going home with an extra 5kg.

The GM, Medhi KAMALI and his GO’s are very pleasant and make every effort to ensure that we comfortable.

At 14h00 we went out again with Rudi who is showing us the wonders of LA PLAGNE … by 16h30 we were back and guess what, more French pastries, hot chocolate and ghluwein.

At 19h00 there is live entertainment,  with snacks …. yes more food, followed by dinner at 19h30.  The GO’s put on a show at 21h30 each evening but we have given it a miss tonight, so maybe we can give you some more news on this tomorrow.

I am now climbing in my comfy soft bed with crisp linen for a well-deserved sleep … tomorrow the temperatures are meant to improve, let’s hope so!

Oh boy, my legs are so stiff today.  Not even all the stretches that Bruce has made me do last night and this morning are helping.  On well nothing a good days skiing won’t sort out.

My day started off better, temperatures are up to – 12 degrees and of course the sun is still shining.    I must confess though, I did pop down to the Club Med Boutique and bought myself a neck warmer and 2 pairs of good thick ski socks.

We were up early again, did a quick run and then spent 20 minutes watching the mini club get the kiddies sorted out for their day’s lesson.  They are so organised.  The kiddies bum boarding & 1^st time skiers area is located directly outside the resort at the sun deck.  A perfect spot for mom & dad to take a break with a good book & watch their precious cargo slip and slide with such ease.  Somehow the kids really seem to grasp the concept of “pizza slice” (snow plough) so easily, it may also have something to do with their height from the snow and the fact that this is all just so much fun!

Today we did some fantastic runs down to Plagne Montalbert and had a few goes in the Cross Border ski park where I had a spectacular wipe out.   The runs down to Montalbert are beautiful with lovely treeline skiing.  The village is at 1200m and had some snow overnight, so the run is soft and the area extremely quiet.  This so beats a day in the office.

Rudi took us down a challenging mogul run … my worst!  I seem to have a metal block to moguls and spend more time falling than actually staying on my two skies.  This is much to the delight of our children who think falling is so funny.  The infrastructure of the ski area is vast with cable ways / gondolas, chairlifts after chairlifts and buttons.  My only complaint is that it would be really nice to have some sort of chairlift covers so that we can escape this really chilly wind.  I guess you just need to make sure you have enough warm kit on.

We decided to go to dinner later this evening 20h30 to avoid a full dining room.  It was less crowded which was great and this also forced us to stay awake long enough to get the show.  The GO’s of the resort put together a different show each evening & had the French guests up & dancing in no time.  Us South African’s, are a little more inhibited and lurked at the back whilst everyone got into the swing of things.

Another spectacular day and evening thanks to Club Med.  What will tomorrow hold…..

I opened my window this morning as it looked like a gorgeous warm day, but surprise surprise we are back to – 15 degrees.  I guess we can’t really complain as the sun is shining and the sky as blue as ever.

Before I give you an account of the day, I have to quickly give you some information on our room.  We are in a standard Club Room, &  have the most amazing view that overlooks the slopes.  When we have time to kill between our morning and afternoon session, we are able to lie on our bed and have the sun stream through the windows.  It is hard to believe that when you are so warm & cosy in your room with the sun shining so brightly, that it can be so cold out.

The rooms are spacious, a good 22sqm (or there about, I have never been good with this kind of thing) with an en-suite bathroom – yes a bathtub, not just a shower.  Everything about the room is stylish & modern. The bar area has high gloss white counters with lights that reflect down in colours of purple, pink, blue and yellow …. Seriously funky.  The weird combination of furniture, style & design just seems to work and although it looks a little bizarre on arrival it really does grow on you.  Of course this is only my personal view. The design in the dining room is really well thought out as it breaks one large dining area into smaller areas reducing it from a “canteen” to a really nice dining venue.  Within this area is a small private speciality restaurant where guests can enjoy the traditional fondue  & “hot rock” concept.  This restaurant is only open 3 nights a week and can be booked 24 hours before.  The food at the buffet was really good with a huge variety for each themed evening … it is not possible to go hungry during your stay.

Okay, so now for the skiing.  We went up to 2500m today and was hit with strong winds and flying icicles as we turned the corner before taking a fantastic long red run (from La Grande Rochette) down to a gorgeous little village called Champagny en Vanoise at 1250m.  The run was immaculate (groomed the evening before) with spectacular views overlooking the 3 valleys ski area and the village of Courchevel.   (See image above).

At present we are doing approximately 60km of skiing a day.  Rudi (our instructor) from ESF is really proud of what La Plagne has to offer and selects our runs based on where the sun is shining, what areas are less utilised & what runs are best to do in certain weather conditions.  He has been spot on every time.  Tomorrow we are doing a long morning’s skiing & will be back at 14h30 for late lunch.  Bruce & I have decided that we will head off & see what the rest of the resort has to offer.

Until tomorrow

Wow, wow, wow what a day.  We went off to the Glacier today and what a magnificent place and what amazing skiing.  The glacier was closed yesterday due to the wind, but today we are fortunate enough to play in this little space of paradise.

It takes some time to work your way up to the top of the Glacier of Bellecote which sits at 3420m.  There is a network of cable ways, chairlifts and more chairlifts.  The trip on the last little two man chairlift was quite an experience as you are perched on this lift (feels a little inadequate as it is a basic chairlift with only a small bar the fits between you & your chairlift partner – best you have a good relationship with the person you are sharing the lift with) which moves across a rather exposed face that drops away dangerously off to the left.  I don’t think I could ever cope with the Hilary Step….

There has been fresh snow on the glacier overnight and it is amazing how quiet the snow is when fresh.  The swishing sound that you usually hear from your ski group is completely silent on soft powdery snow and somehow it feels a little “sticky” but it is gorgeous.  Up on the glacier they have an ice grotto, but we did not stop to visit.  What we did stop for is a hot chocolate or ghluwein right on the top of the world.

It was a long day out and we got back to the resort for a late lunch … 14h30.  After lunch we have a long hot bath and you will never guess what happened.  When we let the bathwater out (of a really full bath), the pipe must have detached itself and our room flooded!  Ooops!  We were not upset, we know these things happen, and it is all about the way the situation is dealt with.  We called down, logged the problem and headed out to La Plagne village as soon as possible.

The telemetro (passenger cableway), connects the high resorts such as Club Med with the village below.  You can walk if you are brave enough to trust the French drivers on a windy road … I don’t.  The village is basic with a few shops, restaurants, spar and pharmacy.  I would not rush down to spend an evening in the village but why would anyone when staying at a Club Med.

We have just come back from dinner, our bath is fixed (so they say, we will see tomorrow) & the carpets have been vacuumed.  They are still pretty wet but I guess they will give it another go tomorrow.  At least we don’t have to move rooms (it would be difficult as the resort is full), and we won’t need to slosh through a wet soggy carpet.

Tomorrow we are out for the day, having lunch in one of the nearby villages.  I am really looking forward to it!