Wednesday 20 December 2017

Wednesday

The last two days we have had sunshine, though with mist in the valley.  Yesterday we skied with Gordon in the morning and some of the staff in the afternoon.  We took the new Epaule chair which is six man  and FAST and a huge improvement.   We skied off the back and all the way down off-piste to St Nicholas which was fun.  A lot of the off-piste has been skied out but we found some which hadn't.  We had a quick lunch at the Alpage at Communailles which has been sold by Marie and Eric (such a shame as they were nice) but the new lady who has taken over has kept the same menu.

Today Gordon has gone home for Christmas.   We went up the Rochebrune ridge but not much is open. I think they are keeping it for Christmas week.  However, there is a new restaurant at Alpette which looks exactly like the old one.  It didn't appear to be open so it may not be finished.  We skied down and went back to Mont D'Arbois.   We skied the Mont Rosset field and then skied all the way down to the bottom of the Princess run twice, as the snow was so nice and not tracked.

The photo shows how beautiful it was.  The Etudiant lift was running so we decided to ski all the way back  home via Planellet.  The field was perfect, very few people had skied it though Gordon had been down it the day before.  We got home about 2pm and had a bowl of soup and some cheese.  By then, the mist had come down and the visibility wasn't so good.

Monday 18 December 2017

first day back

Well, here we are again in Megeve, and there's piles of snow.  It's snowing so we delay going out.   We get to the top of Mont D'Arbois, put on our skis and I realise I have  new boots and my skis don't fit.  That's problem number one.   John sorts that, we ski down to the Mont Rosset chair which isn't working.   We skied down the piste that they hadn't bothered to close.  So after standing around in the falling snow for about 15 minutes, we eventually got on the chair to problem number three which was the little green plastic chair which takes you up to the top of Bettex.  I dropped my ski pole!  The liftie stuck it in a hole in the chair behind so we didn't have to ski down to get it.   After all that, we felt  that we deserved lunch, so, first day back, we have to go to the Gouet.  Where we had the Croute De Gouet.  Apart from the pisteurs, we were the only customers.   But it was very good.  Then problem number four.   John left his rucksack behind at the Gouet.   So, guess where we're heading tomorrow!  The snow was wonderful, there was no-one around and the new Chamois lift is great.



Friday 1 December 2017

Christmas, New Year and even more snow in magical Megeve!

We've had still more snow even down to town level in magical Megeve!


It's freezing cold out there - described on the forecast as bitter cold - we've had several decent snowfalls over the last few weeks on the slopes, the snow cannon are going, there's more snow forecast this week and the base is really building up.  It's even snowing here in Norwich!  The ski area is partially opening next weekend on 9th December, although we don't open until 20th.  Still, that's only 3 weeks away.  It's starting to look really good for the beginning of the season!  We've got super deals for Christmas and New Year so read on.....

Completely flexible stays over Christmas and New Year!


Arrive any day of your choosing in picturesque Megeve , depart any day of your choosing and stay as long as you want (minimum 3 nights) in any of our catered chalets or self-catered apartments between 20th December and 7th January.  Great for school hols, choose flights that suit, at prices that suit and grab a last minute get away!

Is Christmas getting you down?  Too many preparations, too much to do?  Why not let us take the strain?  In our
catered Chalet/hotel Sylvana there'll be Christmas trees, carols & mince pies and best of all a qualified chef in the kitchen doing all the cooking.  You can just enjoy the day on the slopes instead!  Prices start at just £310/person for 3 nights in the Sylvana and a week is just £550/person over Christmas!

Got plans at Christmas but fancy New Year?  No problem. 
Megeve is wonderful at New Year with fireworks and live music in the central square and a real party atmosphere.  Again, our qualified chefs will take the strain and produce lovely food so you can relax and enjoy the beautiful town, the wonderful slopes with perfect views of Mont Blanc and of course the rustic mountain restaurants.  A 3 night stay in our catered Chalet/hotel Sylvana starts at just £390/person and a week has been discounted to just £700/person excluding flights!

Megeve is just 75 mins from Geneva airport so ideal for
short breaks as well as full weeks.  We offer a transport service to and from our properties in Megeve.

Let us take the strain this festive period - we've got it covered!
Book Now or Check Availability
We look forward to welcoming you to Megeve!

Best wishes, Debbie, Sarah, Rachel, Elizabeth & John

Friday 3 November 2017

First snow of the season and New sauna in our superior chalet Les Clochettes!

First snow of the season!










Always nice to see our first smattering.  It was snowing even down to town level in Megeve, turning everything white.  It won't last long at this time of the year but it certainly puts us in the mood to ski!  Only a couple of months to go!



New sauna in our superior chalet Les Clochettes!

That's right, the workmen have been hard at work over the past month redeveloping the garage area of our superior chalet Les Clochettes and installing a lovely shiny sauna. After a hard day on the slopes it'll be a welcome relief to slip inside the sauna and soothe those aches and pains away! We're already quite booked up in the Clochettes so do call or email us asap if you'd like to come and enjoy the new facilities.

Book Now or Check Availability

We look forward to welcoming you to Megeve next season!

Best wishes, Debbie, Sarah, Rachel, Elizabeth & John

Wednesday 30 August 2017

Take a look at our beautifully refurbished apartments in Megeve... Right next to the Rochebrune lift.... Self catered or semi catered options available!


New Le Sporting Self-Catered Apartments (with semi-catered option) in Megeve!


We're delighted to announce our new Le Sporting Apartments in the picturesque resort of Megeve.  They're in a great location, right next to the Rochebrune cable car and at the foot of the nursery slope.  You really couldn't get closer to the skiing.  Regular guests at our catered chalet/hotel Sylvana and superior catered chalet Les Clochettes will have walked past them on the way to the lift and you'll have noticed the renovation work going on last season.  They've been completed now and are fabulous.  Huge at 105m² habitable space, they sleep 4-6 in two en-suite bedrooms (sofa bed in the lounge) and have a very spacious open plan sitting room/dining room and kitchen.  There are balconies throughout and magnificent views of Mont Blanc and Rochebrune, as you can see above.  We have two of these fantastic apartments situated next door to each other so they're ideal for larger parties as well.  There's private parking in the garage and a heated ski locker for each apartment.

As usual we'll be offering
short breaks as well as the traditional week long holidays as Megeve is so conveniently placed at just 75 mins from Geneva airport for that sneaky ski weekend!
Have a look at next seasons prices!

Semi-Catered Option

Like the apartment but really don't want the bother of cooking and shopping?  Then why not take up our semi-catered option! 
  • Breakfast - we will deliver a breakfast hamper to last the duration of your stay containing cereal, jam, butter, eggs, fruit juice, yogurts, tea and coffee.  Then every morning we will deliver fresh baguette, croissants and pain au chocolat all for the price of £3/person/day.
  • Dinner - daily we will leave a delicious, simple 2 course meal for you in the fridge of your apartment.  All you have to do, at the time of your choosing, is pop it in the oven and serve it up!  Examples of the homely, nutritious food we will provide could be:
    •  Beef Bourguinon with glazed carrots and mashed potato followed by Lemon Tart
    • Confit of Canard with a red wine sauce, seasonal vegetables and Dauphinoise potatoes followed by Dark Chocolate Mousse
    • Savoyarde Tartiflette with charcuterie and a seasonal salad followed by Raspberry Pannacotta
    • Roast Chicken tray bake served with mediterranean roasted vegetables followed by Chocolate Brownie and custard.  
All for the price of £12/person/day!

The dinner option will also be available in our superior apartment Les Clochettes and breakfast delivery will available in all our self-catered apartments.
Book Now or Check Availability
Early Bird Booking Offer Still Applies!

£70 off week long stays and £35 off short breaks in our catered and self-catered chalets and apartments.  Offer excludes Half Term but does include Christmas and New Year!  Expires end of August.
Hope you like the look of our new apartments and we look forward to welcoming you to Megeve next season!

Best wishes, Debbie, Sarah, Rachel, Elizabeth & John
 

Friday 11 August 2017

Excitement builds as we head toward Winter 2018!



Next season's prices are out as are the flights so now is the time to think about next season's holiday. Naturally we hope you consider Megeve!  

As a little incentive, we would like to offer you an exclusive discount of £70 off a week long stay or £35 off a short break in any of our catered chalets or self-catered apartments excluding half term week but including Christmas, New Year and Easter.  Call us or email us and quote EQ17 to claim this special discount.  Offer valid until end of August 2017...
 
Have a look at next seasons prices!

Not sure where to stay?  Have a look below for a short summary:

Don't forget you can book full weeks or for short breaks and ski weekends in any of our chalets and self-catered apartments.  Megeve is just 75 minutes from Geneva airport so ideal for a few days get away with lots of skiing!
  • Superior Chalet Les Clochettes - sleeps 10-14 in 7 comfortable en-suite rooms.  Excellent chef, large comfortable lounge, quiet location, 150m walk from lifts
  • Chalet-hotel Rond Point - Superb location in the centre of Megeve, relaxing en-suite rooms, log fire & recently renovated lounge, professional chef, 3 minutes walk from the lift in the central square
  • Chalet-hotel Sylvana - very popular with our regular guests, homely en-suite rooms, log fire & comfortable sitting area, professional chef, quiet location, 150m walk from lifts.


  • Apartment Chalet Centrale - new to us last season, right in the centre of the town, 2 mins walk from the ski lift, with a garden & private parking, sleeps 4-6 people in a double room & twin & sofa bed
  • Apartment Les Clochettes - spacious apartment above our superior chalet Les Clochettes and decorated to the same high standard, 2 twin/double en-suite rooms + sofa bed in lounge, 150m walk from lift
  • Apartment Chalet Roseau - beautifully furnished, in the centre of town, spacious apartment with mezzanine, log fire, sleeps 6-8 in 3 bedrooms, 3 mins walk from ski lift.
Book Now or Check Availability
What's New & What's Not!

  • Watch this space for news on the Clochettes.  We're planning on putting in a sauna!  No promises yet but hopefully in September 
  • We're just signing on the dotted line for two spacious and very lovely apartments right next to the Rochebrune cable car.  Pictures and prices coming soon
  • We're offering awesome prices on Christmas and New Year deals so you can get away in school hols without breaking the bank!
  • The Chamois gondola from the centre of town is being upgraded for 2017/18
  • Provisional new 3km sledging slope on Mont d'Arbois will be fun for the kids (and adults!)
  • Rory remains with us in charge of the smooth running of all our accommodation and Amy is returning as manager of the Rond Point so you can be assured of a warm welcome and great service as usual in all our chalets
  • We're interviewing the chefs for the season next week and tasting some of their food to ensure it's of a great standard for all our guests (gonna be tough!)
  • Megeve remains a beautiful, picturesque village with a huge ski area, fantastic views of Mont Blanc and most importantly wonderful, rustic mountain restaurants!
Hoping to welcome you to Megeve very soon from all the team at Stanford Skiing x



 

Tuesday 4 April 2017

Golden Wedding

It was our Golden Wedding on Saturday.  Luckily for us, four friends were staying in Chamonix with another couple so they came over and joined us and Carol and Gordon for a celebratory dinner.  The Clochettes was empty so we took it over, and Kieran cooked us the most amazing meal., with Ben and Ellie serving.     We started with scallops with a home made ham terrine, followed by a perfectly cooked rack of lamb and then, the piece de resistance, a dessert of lemon posset in a white chocolate half shell with meringue and fresh fruit. It was a great evening and our friends left for Geneva the next morning to catch their flight home.
Om the Sunday our two families arrived together with the Booth and Smith families so there are 8 children in all, ranging from 14 to 7.  It was Caroline and Steve's 18th wedding anniversary yesterday, and Lizzie will be 12 on Thursday.  It's a busy time of year!  We skied on Mont D'Arbois yesterday in glorious sunshine and had lunch at the Gouet.   Today we are probably going over to Cote 2000.   

Thursday 30 March 2017

Vallee Blanche

We went home for the weekend which explains why no blog.  John wanted to see the  Head of the River Race which involves 420 crews rowing from Chiswick to Putney.  Sadly, it was cancelled because of high winds.
Anyway, we are back in Megeve to lovely sunny weather and deserted pistes.  Today we took all the staff, except for Tom (whose girl friend arrived today) and Rory and Corrie (broken collarbones) to Chamonix to ski the Vallee Blanche.  It was one of those days.  Leaving our apartment, we got into the lift I asked John if he had got his boots.   We got to the RP when he said he'd forgotten both his phones.  Surprisingly, I had mine and it was switched on.
We were incredibly lucky as Alex Perinet (our favourite mountain guide) was free and he brought his friend, Thiery, who guided us last year.  So, we had two excellent guides.  Often the ridge is windy and cold, but there was no wind and we all ended up stripping off at the bottom of it.  Then we split into two groups.   We went with Alex and skied the Petit Envers, which was steep and exciting with lots of crevasses to avoid.  We joined up with the other group just before the path to the refuge, and skied together to our patch of stones for lunch.
The snow was mixed but lower down Alex found us some spring snow, which was great. I think the worst part is climbing up the stairs to the railway.  Gary, bless him, carried my skis.  Every year I do it I wonder if I can face that climb up the following year.  It was a great day and thank you to all our team this year.

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Monday

Yesterday we skied with Neville and his partner, Caroline, on Mont D'Arbois.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  We stopped at the Gouet for lunch and bumped into Sarah Lambert, who lives in the chalet just below the Sylvana.  She told us that Tom, the chef/manager of the Sylvana for many years, was ill in New Zealand.  He had moved there after he left us.  He had been falling over and had been to see several doctors who dismissed his concerns, until one took him seriously and sent him for a scan.  It turned out that he had a tumour on his spine which was pressing on the nerve and affecting his balance.  It has been removed and he is now having chemotherapy.  So we all hope that he is on the road to recovery.

Friday 17 March 2017

Sorry, I have been rather lax in blogging.  I went to see the osteopath who gave my ankle a twist and a yank and something went click.  He said I could go skiing.  The problem was that it still hurt but on the other side.  So I took a couple of days off which was most frustrating as the weather was beautiful, warm and sunny.  However, yesterday I decided to go out anyway and found a technique which minimised the pain.   I went to see the osteopath again today and I am now hopeful that it is on course for recovery.  He is a lovely man:  he asked me my age and expressed surprise as he thought I was younger!
In the meantime, Jonny and Tracey have been out this week.  Tracey isn't skiing so she and Carol have been doing things together.   Sadly, I have not been able to ski with Jonny as much as I would have liked.  But we have had lots of nice lunches out, sitting in the sun at the  Dahu, Alpage and 540. They go home tomorrow.  Jonathan and Fiona Muirhead are leaving on Monday as they are having to give up their apartment in Megeve early.  I think they have enjoyed their season and are talking about coming back next year, but for longer.  However, we have all our family coming out the first week in April and more snow is forecast for next week, so the end of the season is looking good.  We are full next week but not the last week in March, so if you want a quick ski holiday on a short break that is the time to come.  The slopes are empty, the sun is shining and the pistes are in good condition first thing, though at this time of the year they tend to get a bit soft in the afternoon. 

Saturday 11 March 2017

Sunny Saturday

The sun is shining in Megeve, the snow is perfect and I've hurt my ankle.   I don't know what I've done but I tried skiing this morning and it was not a good idea.  I had rested it yesterday so I was hoping that I would be OK, but I ended up skiing down on one ski, which might be good for practice but not for all day.
Anyway, to recap.  Wednesday morning was almost perfect.   I say almost because I fell into the same ditch beside the bottom of the second chair at Cote twice running.  Everyone else thought it hilarious.  We met Gordon and Neville at the top of the Princess lift, and skied off piste down to Planallet, where we caught the bus to Cote.  As the top chair had not been open the day before we were almost first down everything.  The off piste snow was light and fluffy and huge fun.  Then it started to get busy and the snow got heavier and John and I went home for lunch.
On Thursday the temperature had risen.  We went to Le Giettaz where Gordon and Neville skied off the back and skinned back up again.  We did one run off piste which was OK, but hard work, so we skied the pistes.
On Friday we had a trip to Carrefour in Sallanches as our toaster had died and we needed to replace it.   We picked up some guests from the Alpy bus.  They have chosen a good weekend for a short break.

Tuesday 7 March 2017

Powder Day

We woke up this morning to more snow than we've had all season, and still snowing.  The snow was over my knees walking to the Chamois lift.  Most of the lifts opened late because of the snow.  We waited at the Chamois and then gave up and got the bus up to Mont D'Arbois.  We were the first down Bridans which was brilliant, fluffy powder.  We were second down Voltigeurs which had been pisted but had about 50 cms of snow on top.  We skied them both twice and then headed off to ski down to Planallet.   No-one had done it so Neville had to break the trail.  We then got the bus to Jaillet which was a mistake.  We skied down the face but the snow was heavy.  Gordon and Neville went back to Mont D'Arbois but John and I decided we'd had a fantastic morning and headed home for lunch.  It's stopped snowing for now, though more is forecast.

Sunday 5 March 2017

Fresh snow



We had about 10 cms of fresh snow overnight, enough for us to play around in the off piste.  We got the first lift out of Megeve  and then up to Mont D'Arbois where we met Gordon.  As we got to the top we came out of the cloud and into sunshine.  We did a couple of runs down to Communailles, where I failed to climb over a fallen tree and then gave a fir tree a hug.  Gordon took the photo [after making sure the tree was alright] but all you can really see is my blue back pack and a ski.



Then we went up the Epaule lift where people were skiing off to the right down to the Mont Joli chair.  The snow looked good so we decided to follow them, and it was.  This is the first time we have been up there this season, as it gets skied out so quickly. The drawback was the wind.   The chair was going slower than usual because the wind was sweeping across,  blowing clouds of snow in your face.  After the second run Gordon announced he needed a hot chocolate so we headed for the Chalet du Mont-Joli.  We ended up having lunch there.  It was good, but every time someone came in the door the temperature dropped, as the wind was blowing from that direction.  After lunch Gordon headed home but we decided to ski off the triangle at the top of the Epaule ridge, down to Croix du Christ.  The snow wasn't as good as on Mont Joli but we had an interesting adventure through the trees and down the stream.  I was  glad to get to the piste.  By that time the weather had closed in so we skied home.  It's still snowing now, in Megeve.

Saturday 4 March 2017

Stormy weather

We were woken up this morning with shutters rattling from sudden gusts of wind.  Yesterday was sunny and, because it was the last day of the French holidays, busy.  But today there was a foehn wind blowing (100kph we were told) and the main lifts on Rochebrune and Mont D'Arbois were closed for the morning.  We had already agreed to meet Gordon at Jaillet, which proved to be the best bet. We had planned to ski over to La Giettaz, but, because of the high winds, we were not sure whether the top chair there would be open.  We have been caught once before when we skied over and found it closed so we couldn't get back, and we didn't feel like repeating the experience.  It is about an hour's drive round by road. We skied until lunch time when the snow started to get sticky and then came home.  The temperature has now dropped about 10C as a cold front is moving in and it is starting to snow.  So tomorrow may be a fun day.  Good for the guests arriving, but not so good for those going home.

Wednesday 1 March 2017

An amazing day


Fresh snow, first lift.   It was still snowing this morning when Neville picked us up to meet Gordon at the Princess lift.  We skied Bridans twice as it had not been pisted, then skied down beside the drag lift.  After that we did the the Monrosset field which was lovely, then off piste down to Bettex.  I suggested that we skied down to the facily bus which takes us back to Chatterix.  Sadly I fell in a hole and had to clamber out, so John and I were racing down the off piste like mad men to catch the bus.  We had to do a short cut through trees which involved skiing leaf mould so I'm now muddy.  Gordon and Neville were already at the bus stop when we got down and we got there literally as the bus drove up.  So lunch at the Gouet where we squeezed onto a table occupied by three of our guests, Yann, Chris and Russell.  They are all medics and out on a short break.  Gordon and Neville decided to do another run but John and I went home via the off piste to Planallet.   The field was a bit heavy but we were first tracks down!
What a change after yesterday.  I went out but the Rochebrune lifts were closed because of high winds.  At the top of the Croix de Christ I could see nothing because of the horizontal snow, so decided to ski down the green run so I could follow ski school.  The Mont D'Arbois lift was then closed.   The best skiing yesterday was at Jaillet.
It is now snowing now 5pm so tomorrow should be good.

Monday 27 February 2017

Weekend

Lunch at the Gouet

Gordon and Carol's son, Kit, was out this weekend with his girl friend, Sarah.  We skied with them Saturday and Sunday on Mont D'Arbois and on Monday morning at Cote.  Saturday was busy but a lot of the holiday makers must have left as Sunday was much quieter.  We skied the Ladies' Downhill course today twice, which Sarah had never done, so she felt quite a sense of achievement.  The weather was beautiful and we sat outside for lunch every day.  So Sunday was Croute de Gouet at the Gouet and lasagne at the Radaz on Monday.  Snow is expected tonight so we are hoping for fresh powder.
Emily is progressing well and has been out today for a little walk.  She is still feeling dizzy so has to take things easy but she is on the mend.

Thursday 23 February 2017

Emily

Emily, one of the chalet hosts at the Rond Point, had a nasty accident on Tuesday.  She was skating on the outdoor ice rink and fell heavily, knocking herself out and cutting her forehead.  She was taken to Sallanches hospital by ambulance.  The doctors decided not to do a scan but to transfer her to Annecy by helicopter, where, presumably, they had a specialist team.  Anyway, the scan was clear and she was discharged the next day, thankfully.  Her mother flew out and she is now recuperating.  She can't remember between talking about going skating on Tuesday and waking up in Annecy on Wednesday morning.
Rory and Amy were marvellous, Amy, in particular as it was her day off and she went down in  the ambulance with Emily, and then had to hitch a lift back to Megeve. She and Rory then drove to Annecy and didn't get back to Megeve until the small hours of the morning. We are all so thankful that it was nothing worse.
It was a lovely morning and John and I skied the Rochebrune ridge this morning to Cote.  There was a race taking place on the Ladies Downhill Course.  The girls all looked about 14 but were they travelling!  The Radaz was open but only for bar and sandwiches. It wasn't clear as to when, if at all, the restaurant would be open.

Monday 20 February 2017

Radaz

The son of Brigitte. the owner of the Radaz Restaurant at Cote, was killed in an avalanche 8 days ago.  He went out at about 8 am.  Roger Siviter, who is a pisteur and paramedic on Rochebrune, told us that they saw an avalanche had come down when they came on duty, but as it was before the lifts opened and there were no tracks they assumed that no-one had been caught in it.  It was not until the victim's wife rang them to say she was worried as he had not returned home did they investigate.
He was the young man serving behind the bar at the Radaz, and was due to take over the business from his mother.  It is tragic.  So what is going to happen to the Radaz after the winter nobody knows.
On a brighter note, the weather has been glorious and the pistes are in fantastic condition.  We had lunch at the Alpage yesterday.  There is a new waitress who looks very like Marie, the owner.  It turns out that she is the daughter in law and her husband is the chef with his father.  It is nice that the business remains a family business. 

Friday 17 February 2017

Friday

  We have just spent the last few days near  Grasse in the south of France, so apologies for not blogging.  Our  friend Ruth Hatton was driving back to her house at Cabris on Monday and asked us if we would like to visit for a few days, as she had other friends who we knew coming out to stay.  So we drove back with her through the Mont Blanc tunnel and down through Italy to Ventimiglia, and then along the coast to Nice and up to the hills behind, where their house is.  It is in a beautiful situation, overlooking Grasse and with a view out to the sea.  We flew back on Thursday morning.  So today we skied in Megeve on Mont D'Arbois.  Seeing that it is the last day of the Paris holidays the queues were not too bad, and we found some almost deserted pistes.  This is the view from Epaule, looking at Mont Blanc.  Next week should be quieter as the English half term will also have finished.

Saturday 11 February 2017

Cote 2000

Yesterday we skied on Mont D'Arbois with Ruth Hatton and Gordon, having lunch at the Gouet. Today John and I skied to Cote to see if there was any off piste left.  We found some where it was not too cut up, but it was breakable crust at the bottom.  We skied off the Pre Rosset track past the barn that is being refurbished and down to the stream.   This comes out at the bottom of the Lanchettes lift.  The snow was lovely and it wasn't tracked out.  Usually I hate the stream, there is one track which is too fast and nowhere to stop, and I spend the whole time thinking I'm going to end up in the stream.  But today not too many people had been down it and the snow was soft.  We had to climb over one fallen tree, and skirt round a couple of others, jump the stream a couple of times but otherwise it was quite fun.  At the bottom we met three guys skinning up.  I was very relieved not to have met them on one of the narrow unpassable places.  Then it was home for lunch, as it is the start of the French holidays and the pistes were getting busy.

Thursday 9 February 2017

John's birthday


We had an amazing day today. We met up with Gordon at Cote and skied off piste all morning, or at least, I practised falling over in the snow.  I was leaning back.  Considering it's the first week of the Paris holidays, Cote was deserted.  We had lunch in the Radaz, a birthday tartiflette, and then took the bus to Mont D'Arbois.  Mont Joli and Epaule had been skied out totally.  But we  found some untracked snow down to Etudiant and then skied back down to Planellet.  I thought the snow might be heavy but it was perfect.  And to cap it all, we had some sunshine so we could actually see what we were skiing.  This is a video of the birthday boy!
This evening we are off to the St Georges for dinner with Jonathan and Fiona Muirhead, Carol and Gordon and our friend from England, Ruth Hatton.

Tuesday 7 February 2017

Staff day off

Tuesday is Amy's,Gary's and  Emma's day off so we met up with them at 9am and skied over to Cote.
This is me skiing off the back down to the track.  The snow was lovely and very few people had skied it.  We met up with Gordon who gave Gary and Emma some tips, the same that   he has drilled into us over the years.  I still can't ski like Gordon, but at least I haven't given up trying.  Gary and Emma were planning a quiet lunch at the Radaz but we gate crashed it.  John and I had ordered a lasagne to share and the old man brought out something which he said was the lasagne.  By the time we had divided it we were told it was Gary's Croute.  So Gary had the mashed up Croute and we devoured our lasagne, when the old man brought Gary a second Croute.  So that got shared out!  We then skied back home but took a diversion through the trees which was testing as there were a lot of shrubs.  Still, the snow was lovely.

Sunday 5 February 2017

Snowy Sunday

When we got up this morning it was snowing and hasn't stopped all day.This is the view just down from our apartment.  John went out this morning with Gordon for a couple of hours.   There was not quite enough snow for off piste but there probably is now. Our concierge has been attempting to keep our car park clear, but has obviously given up.  I haven't heard any snow ploughs but they must be working to keep the roads clear. I'm hoping that I shall feel well enough to go out tomorrow to play around in the powder. I'll just have to keep swallowing the pills. We have been looking at reviews of new skis for me, so I'm feeling very excited.

Stormy weather

Today, Saturday, it was snowing steadily.  John went out Skiing but I had had a bad night with my cold so I had a trip to the Medical Centre.  On the website it said it opened at 8, but it didn't open until 9.  Why can't they get something simple like opening hours right.  Anyway I was told I had a temperature.  Being France I came away with a prescription for vitamin C, a nasal spray, paracetamol, cough mixture and antibiotics.
John had a lovely morning Skiing fresh snow with Gordon.  They stayed on the pistes but where they had not been groomed there was about 15cm of snow.  The sun came out briefly and then there was more snow.  It's looking good  for next week's guests.

Thursday 2 February 2017

Home

We went home last week to look after the grandchildren so the girls and their husbands could come Skiing.  It was nice to be home for a few days, but it was cold and grey most of the time.  We came back here on Tuesday, but we haven't been Skiing as I have a bad cold and cough and am trying to get over it.  New snow is forecast for this weekend so I must be better for that.

Sunday 22 January 2017

Off Piste

Yesterday John, John Cox and Gordon and I skied from the top of Le Giettaz down to Praz Sur Arly.  There were surprisingly few tracks and no-one had gone the way we went so we had fresh snow.  Even through the trees the snow was light and fluffy.   At the top the snow had crystallised into large frozen flakes which glittered in the sun.  Skiing through them made a swishy sound, completely different from skiing through fresh powder.  It was huge fun.   Lower down as we came to the road the snow had got heavier and was more like breakable crust, which is not enjoyable.  We were aiming to catch the bus.   As we got nearer the bottom there was the continuous sound of a horn.   It was very loud like a foghorn.   The horn on the bus had got stuck and the driver didn't know how to fix it.  John Cox said he should have pulled the fuse out but didn't feel that he could offer to do it for him.  Eventually another bus turned up driven by a very jolly guy who had no facility to take money so we had a free ride.  He was in a tearing hurry to get passengers down to Sallanches station to catch a train so drove into the bus garage past the no entry sign and then illegally turned left onto the road.  I bet they caught the train!
In the afternoon John went off to ski with the staff but I stayed with John C and Gordon and we skied off the back of Jaillet down to Cordon.  Very few people had done that as you need a lift at the bottom.  Carol turned up to collect us, otherwise we would have had a very long wait for the bus.
Today was more overcast and we all felt tired so we had a rather lazy day.  I went round a few more restaurants on Rochebrune to update the mountain restaurant guide.  The prices stay fairly constant, but what I am interested is if the restaurant had changed hands or has got more expensive.  I still have to finish Jaillet and Mont D'Arbois.  
This is a photo of me at the top of Rochebrune, showing the brilliant blue sky and lovely piste.