Sharing all the photo’s from our week Serre Chevalier are now in this Flickr Set — the last ski post! Also as an interactive Google Map.
Took along a new PhotoTrackr GPS, and the GPS tracks off it are great:
Google Earth screen captures and links to view on Google Maps / Google Earth: 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th Part 1, 28th Part 2, 29th
Zoom in on 28th
Dreaded Roche Gauthier traverse along the ridge
View of 5 of our six days skiing
Up at 5:45, and was relieved to see that no more snow had fallen overnight. Our transfer back to Turin goes over ‘the col’ which is high and windy. When Jackson arrived, we had to change minibus for one with better snow tyres in case the col was ‘tricky’. I never found out because I slept the whole way back, the neck of my ski jacket acting like a neck brace for a comfortable sleep!
Turin airport is dull.
Ryanair flight was dull.
We tried La Belotte for dinner this evening. The service was slow when we ate there earlier this week. However, after showing ourselves to our table tonight and waiting 5 mins without seeing the waiter after he’d dropped off our menus, we left in a huff, leaving three other customers looking like they wished they’d done the same. The waiter/chef wasn’t that happy we left. Went down the road to La Fruitière, which was lovely. All tje more lovelier because we had a warm welcome from a waiter with a winning smile, and a little onion pie as an amuse bouch. The menu was good: Jon had an excellent lamb shank, Adam beef bourgignon, I had something local which comprised bread soaked in white wine, baked with cheese and ham and tasted like a personal fondu. Michael had a modern tartiflette, with sausage instead of lardons. Jay had a escalope milanese, which was good. For the first time eating out we had room for puddings, my pear tart was okay, the boys’ baked chocolate cake looked and smelt lovely! Grabbing a last chance, Michael and I had a génépi, which was much sweeter than I expected and came in a tiny tankard. Great meal in a comfortable lively restaurant.
Over the road to L’Alpen bar. Blanche de Bruges was on again so had a couple of those before heading back to the apartment.
About 10cm of snow has fallen this evening! Would have liked that yesterday! Oh well.
The high wind of yesterday had died down by this morning, and we were on the slopes for 9:30 and our last day’s skiing. Skied Rouchamont to warm up and to avoid the (unusual) queue for Eychauda lift, the run was a bit icy. The Monêtier mountains were the busiest today that they have been all week, possibly with people coming over for a look on their last day skiing. We headed over to the Villeneuve mountains, via Cucumelle. Then a few runs, ending up for coffee at L’Echallion hut. We did Échallion run and ended up on Casse de Beouf before lunch, which was an enjoyable challenge. The snow on Serre Chevalier mountain was very good. John skied a few runs while Adam, Jay, Michael and I did this. We took Foret down. Met up for lunch at Serre Ratier, at Le Café Soleil, which did good croque madams (with an egg) and Michael had a croque fermier. Started making our way back to Monêtier after lunch—Combes/Eftanis/Fangeas ending up on Balme lift to take us up to the dreaded worst run of the mountains—Roche Gautier, with the drop off each side and skiing along the ridge. I tried walking this time, which was worse than skiing, and I eventually snow ploughed my way across, shaking by the end and in a bit of a state. The light grew rather flat by now and the ski across to Cucumelle lift and off of there was quite tricky. Jon collided with the snow wall on the inside of the path. Back on the Monêtier mountains, we skied out on Rochamout, where I came to a stop within a meter of a tree at the edge if the piste when I fumbled a turn—legs getting pretty tired! Packed in a lot if good skiing today.
Great weeks skiing, with good snow and weather. My technique needs a good overhaul. It’s been about 6 years since I last had lessons and I’m starting to get pretty rusty. So, lessons for me next time.
Dropped off our skis back at Ski Republic. Then had a beer at Bar du Dôme to celebrate the end of the six great days skiing. The bar has a surprising outside loo, clinging to the wall on the first floor if the building. Nice place.
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