Les Arcs Diary - March Trip Week 4

Saturday 19th March

The hot weather continues and the pistes are holding up surprisingly well, though there are increasing bare patches showing through. Barmont, my favourite piste back to Vallandry, is developing large patches of soil, rock and foliage and will surely be closed soon.

It’s a beautiful day for riding but that’s of no concern to the local Welsh contingent. They are waiting in the bar for the Wales v Ireland Grand Slam decider when Tim and I arrive an hour before kick off. A big crowd gathers, most wishing us well but with a couple of bitter Englishmen supporting the Irish. Tracker turns up in an Ireland shirt and takes a lot of abuse! The drinks and the points flow as Wales cruise to victory. There is champagne at the final whistle, and the red shirts dance glass in hand to the theme from Hawaii Five-O. It’s too much for Baz, who hours later is still wandering the bar asking people if they are Welsh!

Sunday 20th February

I pop in to Twinner to try out their demo model Burton Baron. Tim spotted it yesterday, it's the best wide board Burton make, and they have a 167 in the shop. The test model is a 162, similar to my Canyon, which makes for a good comparison. My Canyon, bought in January last year, has been ridden for 22 weeks and is worse for wear. It has lost it's stiffness, the base is full of gouges near the edges and the edges only seem to stay sharp for a day. In fact, it hasn't felt good all season. When I try the Baron I can't believe the difference. It feels comfortable from the start and, despite the fact the pistes are icy for the first few runs, I ride with more speed and control than I have all season. Edges are great! I can't wait to get the 167 on the slopes. But even with the 10% seasonnaires discount it's an expensive board. I might have to shop around.

Monday 21st March

Today is decision day for me, do I buy this new board now or try and find it cheaper in Val D'Isere or Tignes on Tuesday? Given that they are so hard to find, I decide not to spend tomorrow in the shops. When I go to Twinner my discount is increased first to 15%, and then 20%. I'm getting at sale price a few days early. Happy with that I hand over my card, only to find the machine won't accept it. I'll have to pay cash tomorrow.

In the evening Tim and I drive down to the Underground Bar in Peisey for Welsh Andy’s leaving drink. There is no snow down here and it is like a mild summer’s evening. A lot of the Peisey/Nancroix crowd are there, plus Krista, and it’s a mellow evening. It’s hard to believe Andy is finally going, he came out in January for a few weeks and never went back! Baz shows off all the bruises he picked up on Saturday.

Tuesday 22nd March

Road Trip!!! Tim, Chris, Mike and I pile into the Land Rover and head along the valley to Val D'Isere for the day. It's an early start, though we have to wait for Twinner to open at 9.00am so I can pick up my new board. It is a horrible day, and we can only hope that the conditions are better up the valley. They aren't. We get to La Daille in mid morning and meet up with a couple Tim knows through the Bristol Climbing Club. We ride around the entire Espace Killy looking for decent snow, but the pistes are chopped up and most off piste is too heavy to ride. It is shocking to see how little snow there is compared to this time last year. By the time we emerge from Le Petit Danoise, the venue for slopeside apre-ski, the rain is coming down hard. It's been a good day, nice to be back in Val and Tignes again, but very tiring. All the passengers fall asleep on the way back. We manage to rouse ourselves, though, for the usual Tuesday night antics at Jimmy's/The Marlu and afterwards in the Sky Lounge. With the rain coming down the prospects for boarding tomorrow aren't good

Wednesday 23rd March

The plan for today was a road trip to the Three Valleys to meet up with Lucy, a Vallandry seasonnaire in 2004. But it doesn't seem worth it as we are all shattered, and Lucy confirms it has been raining there too. Instead, Tim and I spend the day in Arcs 2000 and 1600.

Thursday 24th March

Tim and I meet up at the 69 lift to go riding with Nicky and her brother. Pops and Simon join us for a few runs too, and we make our way around to Arcs 2000, and 1600 via the park. The pistes are very chopped up, but the Baron ploughs through it. It's £320 well spent. Lunch is at the best mountain restaurant in the resort, Chalets De Les Arcs in 2000, beore riding back to the Blanc. After a rare trip to the Squirrel Bar in Plan Peisey for some early evening beers, we find ourselves walking back through torrential rain which lasts well into the night. My season really feels like it's over.

Friday 25th March

My last day on the slopes is spent, fittingly, with Tim, Liam and Michelle. Six inches of snow has fallen overnight freshening up the pistes. We don't make it to the park, but it's a jib frenzy on the way back with Tim, Liam and I competing to pull the biggest buttons. Liam is defintely winning, aided by riding Michelle's small and bendy board, until I pull off my best trick of the season. Whilst riding on the nose of the board I swing it around backside 360 degrees and ride on. I pull it off half a dozen times before smacking my back and head trying it on the last run. Good job I'm wearing my back protector and helmet.

The evening is spent sipping chmpagne in the Petit Mont Blanc dining room with Tim, Liam, Michelle, Alex and Faye before heading to the bar. Pete is DJing, and as a lot of people leave tomorrow it is rammed with people in a party mood. Even the bar staff are drunk and Phil the Chef keeps spraying the crowd with a gas cannister. Tracker takes exception when some Subzero guys arrive in Jimmy's Bar t-shirts. Before long, he's grabbed one, doused it in Rum Agricole and set fire to it behind the bar. Phil is throwing buckets of water and it all sems poised to go off. Tim and I leave, just before a fight breaks out between Subzero and the bar/kitchen staff. It's the talk of the party back at Sky Lounge when we get there. Except for Chris, who makes the mistake of crashing out on the sofa. He gets an new look as a leaving present, as Simon shaves off one eyebrow with a pair of clippers.

Saturday 26th March

It's all over. We pack up the land Rover, say our goodbyes and set off mid afternoon in glorious sunshine. It's been a good trip and a good season.