Tignes Diary - Week 17 (The Last Week)

Friay 23rd April (last entry)

Up before 9.00am and off to Val D'Isere with Caroline for a shopping trip. She gets a jacket reduced by 200 euros to 70 euros, I get a hoody at half price. Time for a few runs on the Val D'Isere side before we ride back to the funicular in Tignes. Switch all the way for me. Just time for one last run on Palafour, it's raining and sticky snow but get in my best 180s of the week. A good way to end. It is now 4.30pm and time to go to The Loop. That's the end of seventeen weeks boarding. No injuries chaps - you were all wrong. See you in the UK.

Thursday 22nd April

Another vey hot day, more so than yesterday. I join Caroline, Dan, Tam and Stu for a few gentle runs culminating in a late lunch at Snow Food. I end the day with a quick filming session with Michelle and Dan on Palafour, jibbing around off the hits and doing 180s and nose presses down the piste. Apres ski in the Loop and then over to Val Claret for dinner with Dan and Tam.

Wednesday 21st April

Almost the whole crew head over to Palafour for a mass jibbing session. The snow is too soft for anything else, and it's great fun messing about. Iwish I'd done more of this earlier in the season. It's a beautiful sunny day, so when the lifts close me, Dan, Tam, Will, Caroline and Michelle get some supplies in, blag a barbecue and head over to Val Claret. Will, Dan and I build a rail and kicker and provide the entertainment whilst the others soak up the sun and tuck in to the food.

Tuesday 20th April

Caroline and I do the run down to La Daille and take a bus to Val D'Isere and have lunch at the Billabong Cafe. We time it entirely wrong to do some shopping, but meet Dan, Tam and Stu and ride back with them, joining Will in The Loop for apres ski and then popping down to the Red Lion to see Chelsea lose to Monaco.

Monday 19th April

Back to teaching as I take Caroline out on the slopes. She found learning a slow and painful experience in February, but takes to it well today and is linking turns and making the end of the flat sections on Palafour with ease. An achievement worthy of a few happy hour drinks in The Loop.

Sunday 18th April

Another lazy day for me. The Crystal chalet across the road has closed for business, the First Choice reps in the next door apartment are moving out and there is a real sense that the season is winding down. Fatigue has set in, as it seems to every few weeks during the season, and a big sleep was required. I meet Dan and Tam for a quick run around Palafour - which has seven natural hits for practicing big straight airs, grabs and 180s - before Caroline arrives from London for the week.