Les Arcs Diary - March Week 2

Saturday 15th March

When I booked the accommodation for the holiday I tried to get the same apartment we had last season in Soldanelles, in the centre of Vallandry by the 74 lift. But it wasn't available for the first week, so we have been staying in an an apartment in Praz De L'Ours. Today we have to move, so we spend a couple of hours packing up and cleaning the apartment. We can't get the keys for Soldanelles until the afternoon, so we put everything into Dave's jeep. Whilst we are doing this Caroline arrives. She's staying with us for the week

Dave and I finally get out riding for a couple of hours in the sun before meeting her for lunch at the Blanc. Then we pick up the keys and move into Soldanelles. Dave springs a surpise by letting me have the double room for the remainder of the holiday, which makes a nice change fom the sofa. By the time we're done and head back out we only have time for a few runs down Renard. I leave him on the hill as I need to be at the Blanc for 6pm, when the Wales v France Six Nations finale kicks off. I was in the Blanc when we (Wales) won the Grand Slam in 2005, a memorable afternoon. Then there were a big group of taffs, now there's just Baz, Tony and myself and we are heavilly outnumbered by the French (and English sympathisers like Tracker and Kim). The drinks flow, Wales win and we celebrate with champagne. Dave and Caroline turn up after the game for dinner, and it turns into a long night. By the time we leave it is raining heavily, but I don't care.

Sunday 16th March

We wake to find a dusting of snow has settled in the village, and when I pop into Ski Republic to get my Kink waxed (for free, cheers Tom) I'm told the snow was a foot deep on the chairs of the 74 lift that came down from the top. Dave, Caroline and I head out together and sure enough there has ben a big dump. We spend almost three hours doing runs off the Derby lift, during which time the weatther closes in and it starts snowing again. Whilst Caroline gets her snow legs back Dave and I try every route we can think of off piste. The snow is great, and fresh tracks are surprisingly easy to find. We stop at 1800 for lunch in the Red Hot Saloon and I pick up a new cap and shades from Backcountry. Conditions aren't so good after lunch, and we decide to save our legs for tomorrow. By the time we get back it has started snowing heavilly again, about five inches has come down by 10pm.

Monday 17th March

We are in the 74 Lift queue shortly before it opens at 9.20am. It's soon apparant as we head up that there has been a big dump of snow, and there's a lengthy discussion about what to do first. In fact, the first few runs are ticky as the snow is so deep and fluffy that we keep getting stuck. The find of the day occurs when i Follow a group around the face at the back of 69, who turn out to include Fiona, Ronky, Tinks and Tim.They head around further than I usually go to a fantastic double drop, the first of 12 feet followed a few yards later by a slightly smaller one. It's so good that when i meet up with Dave at the bottom we do it again a couple of times. The snow is really deep and we have a great morning before stopping at the Jungle bar in Arcs 1800 for lunch. More of the same in teh afternoon - an epic day. Followed by St Patricks day celebrations in the Squirrel Bar in the evening.

Tuesday 18th March

The clouds have gone, it's a warm sunny day and I decide to take the day off to gatch up on sleep and rest my knee, which is sore after two days of powder riding. The injury was picked up playing football in October and is still causing me problems on and off. The three of us have a quite evening in the Blanc.

Wednesday 19th March

Dave and I take the morning off to rest up our injuries. We meet Caroline for lunch at the Blanc before heading out in the afternoon.Although it is a sunny day it is surprisingly cold keeping the pistes and off piste in good condition. Though the off piste is now tracked, more snow is due on Friday for several days and if the forecasts are right conditions should be great through to the end of next week, as it is due to stay cold too. The pistes are great for speeding around and I take a lot of footage of the other two.

After a nice meal in courtesy of Dave I go up to the Blanc, and watch the Man Utd v Bolton game with Tracker and Kirk. The bar is dead apart from a group of seasonnaires from Plan Peisey who seem to be on a mission. Daz puts on the cheesy tunes and soon they are all dancing, and there's a lot of pole action.Ollie joins us for a quiet drink, the shots start coming and it turns into a random party night!

Thursday 20th March

I pay the price for last night's antics, and mooch around hungover in the morning. Ride with Alison and April in the afternoon, and go to the Squirrel with Caroline for the quiz in the evening..

Friday 21st March

I am woken just after 7am by a text from mark saying he is looking for chains. A look out of the window reveals why. The forecast has proved right, it is snowing heavily and must have been for some time as it is lying thick on the ground. Mark cancels his visit so Caroline and I head up the hill half an hour after the lifts open. It is really quiet up there, but the snow is amazing. Just riding the piste is great in deep fluffy snow. Most of the mountain is closed but I get a few runs in off the Derby, and there are hardly any tracks to be seen. The Derby closes just before noon due to avalanche risk, so we ride down to the Blanc for an early lunch, joining Dan and Tim from the Squirrel Bar and Jess who is skiing with them.The snow is 40cms deep on the tables of the terrace by now. We all go back out after lunch, by which time the snowfall is even heavier. We lose Tim and Caroline on the first run, so Jess, Dan and I do a few runs down through the trees to Plan Peisey. They are great runs in knee deep snow. We finish off with a hot chocolate at the Poudrouse mountain resteraunt, before headin home early and shattered. It finally stops snowing in the evening. Tomorrow promises to be great, and it's forecast to snow through the next week.