Stuck in the airport

Wake up call at 5, bus left at 6, apparently they need extra time the days the shortcuts through the mountain passes are closed (with no or short warning) but still we are VERY early at this small and cramped airport :) must be another 50 buses that has arrived early!

Off piste boy :)

Found this marvelous run today, starting at 2600 m n ending up in the village at 1400. All that was needed was to make a slight shortcut through the off-pist. A big (safe) mountain side, a little tricky at times but rewarding :) This were we mostly spent our last day. Now it is dinner packing and sleep, the bus leaves for the airport @ 06.00 tomorrow morning :(

High altitude chemistry?

Since the weather report said sunshine :) we went to the slopes facing south to get us a soft day. This side is not that steep but still have some nice runs and possibilities to make your own tracks inbetween the pists. (but how the heck do you ski windpacked snow with an icy crust?) In the early afternoon we were warm n needed a break n went to this small reataurant at a bueatifful spot around 2500 m altitude. Gabbes chocolate behaved quite normal but the beer was funnier, when pored it looked normal but as soon as we took it out the head grew higher. A minute later the froth was frozen and stayed frozen until the glass was emtied. I know that the japanese often try to get this effect by keeping the glasses frozen but this was different! CO2 and altitude? It was not that cold in the sun.

Life is good!

Say no more!

On top of the world?

Ok, ok not the world but our world this week! Pic de l"Yret @ 2830 m high. We had high hopes to find a nice soft slope but all we found was a rock hard red slope back down where all the nice soft surface snow was brushed away. The best mountain so far is called Cibout, not as high but harbouring a shadowed side with both a black mogul slopes as well as some steep off piste :) naturally the little is far ahead of me here as well, as soon as he realised he could ski these very steep slopes. A good day all in all!

Woke up early today

Now after 30 minutes of streching I think I can go back to sleep. Skiing is really the ultimate holiday, lots of fresh air and physical exercise nice views to oogle and the food, Yes we are in france! This time I rented a pair of monster skis, after a few years of carving skis with very narrow waists that seem to do most of the work by rhemselves i got something different this year. Much longer, much wider, look more like the things ski-jumpers use. OK the main reason I have them is that the rental guy said -these are the best skis I have, but I am not sure you are good enough to ride them. He was right! As long as we stay in slopes within my limits they are wonderful, really lovely skis, but as soon as I step out of my boundries they become "the punisher", the slightest mistakes are severly punished :) but so far so good, only one serios wipe-out until know

A room with a view?

What we see outside the hotel

Dad! I don't want a summerhouse!

....unless it is the alp's. And we only have winter holidays all it took was 2 runs :) n his boots does not even fit yet.

Dad! I don't want a summerhouse!

....unless it is the alp's. And we only have winter holidays all it took was 2 runs :) n his boots does not even fit yet.

Our room - at last.

Finally! Our room, we woke him up this morning as we normally do on birthdays. Just that this was one week early! The present was a week of skiing, just him and me. Now we have arrived in Serre Chevallier. Gabbe checka out the map n prepares for tomorrow. Mountains! Love them!