Les Arcs Diary - Week 13

Saturday 27th March

I am up early again to make the most of the fresh powder. The clouds have cleared and it is a beautiful clear day. I am supposed to be meeting Gary and the Subzero crew to do The Grieve at 9.00am but turn up 15 minutes late at the lift, and bump into Fi, Charlie and Kieron. It is Kieron's last day and birthday and the girls are taking him up The Grieve, despite the fact he has only been boarding since February. I join them and we catch the other guys at the top of the hike. The route down we choose isn't the best, shallow snow and lots of rocks at the top, but nice lower down. Kieron slides 40 yards on his arse over the rocks but manages to dig his board in. Fi, Charlie and Phil and I do it again, finding deeper snow before joining Pete to do the Alaskan Face in Arcs 1600. Back to the Blanc for luch to meet Tim Barnes before he goes back to the UK in the evening. We do a quick run with Divvy, Ewan, Charlie, Kieron and Chloe before he heads off, and the rest of us do another off piste run down a narrow couloir that is trickier than the Dog's Leg. A great day of boarding. The Mont Blanc is packed out for the France v England Six Nations decider, but Will and I get there just in time to get a seat. A third of the crowd are supporting the French, including me, and we have a great time!

Friday 26th March

I am up early again to make the most of the fresh powder and at the Blanc before 9.00am to meet Toby to do the Grieve. Fi joins us, but it doesn't look promising as we head out as the mountain is enveloped by clouds. Fortunately it clears at the top in time for us to do the Dog's Leg, a very steep and narrow coulouir with rocks hidden under the fresh snow. It is the scariest thing i have ever done on a board, and a fantastic run. Unfortunately we cannot make anything out when we hit the lower slopes of The Grieve and Toby takes a nasty tumble and sprains his ankle. It is a big night in the Blanc, as it is the last night for Chris and Alison. Most of the guys get into the fancy dress, Alison dressing up as a roller derby chick.

Thursday 25th March

The weather closes in during the day and by the eveing it is snowing heavilly. Fresh powder tomorrow! I am sufficiently motivated to leave drum and bass night at Oxygene early, having arranged to go up The Grieve with Toby from the Blanc the next day.

Wednesday 24th March

I spend the day riding with Chris, Lucy and Lucy's family in Arcs 2000 after lunch in Arcs 1800. I race back to Vallandry as I am supposed to be spending the evening in La Plagne with Tim, but I end up not going as he is too hungover from last night.

Tuesday 23rd March

A big audience at the Blanc for karaoke, the Subzero crew are out in force as Chris, Alison, Louis, Max, and Greg are all leaving on the weekend. Tim Barnes comes over from La Plagne for the evening to experience Tuesday Night Carnage, as it has become known. We spend most of the evening chatting with Tracker's siststers - Helen and Sally - who it turns out are also karaoke regulars and very good singers. I put in my best, and not coincidentally most sober, performance of "Born To Be Wild", and then it's off to the Marlu to see the top live attraction in the area - Bouga Wonderland.

Sunday 21st March

It cleared up again and was another warm day, 16c at 1000m. I went over to La Plagne to meet Tim Barnes, who is here with a big group staying in Belle Plagne. We only get a couple of runs in before I get lost, and can't raise him on the radio. The clouds have rolled in and it is hard to see, and the pistes are very chopped up. Not much fun so I decide to go home. There are rumours of a big snow dump coming but by the evening it is raining in Vallandry, not good news for the already fast disappearing snow.