Tignes Diary - Week 3

Sunday 18th January

Still snowing, there was 15cm overnight at Le Lac, 25cm on the glacier. Paul and I head over to La Daille for the tree runs, and then the wide open off piste powder further into Val D'Isere. Another great day's boarding. We are due blue skies for tomorrow, Paul's last morning.

Saturday 17th January

Snowing again, virtually all the lifts are shut and everyone is staying in. Not me and Paul though, who spend the day doing runs off the palafour lift. Visibility is OK and the pistes are empty and deep with choppy powder. Plenty of untracked powder off the side all the way. Stop at lunchtime to watch Wolves beat Man Utd 1-0. Fantastic day.

Friday 16th January

It snowed 45cm yesterday and overnight and it is still snowing today but the lifts are opening up and the weather is good enough to go out. Jim, Michelle and I head over to La Daile in Tignes for the first time, and spend the afternoon in the tree run. Fantastic. Spend the evening watching a dodgy covers band in Val Claret and race back as Paul arrives at 1.20am for the weekend.

Thursday 15th January

And it is snowing again, virtually all the lifts are shut and it is horrible out there.Time to catch up on email. Cabin fever setting in, everyone is getting very bored.

Wednesday 14th January

D'Oh! The weather clears but I wasn't up to joining the others who built a kicker and spent a few hours practicing jumps. Shots are bad! Finished editing the footage filmed in Les Arcs and burned by first DVD. Popped out in the evening to watch the football and bumped into Del, the chalet host when I stayed in Tignes last year. Snowed heavilly all night.

Tuesday 13th January

Almost a metre of snow has fallen at Le Lac since Thursday. Once again Palafour is the only lift nearby running and now it is raining. Despite the rain we all head out hoping for better conditions up the mountain. Instead it is hailing and you cannot see the piste. Everyone comes back after one run, very wet. Spend the evening at Crowded House in Val Claret with Ali and Tom, safe in the knwoledge tomorrow will be a white out.

Monday 12th January

Once again it is snowing heavilly and only a couple of lifts are open. Head down to Bourg for a little shopping with Will, Jima nd Michelle, come back with a firewire cable and lots of cheap food. By the time we set off back up the mountain it is snowing down in Bourg at 880m. The trip back is not much fun, and when we park the car it takes half an hour to dig a parking space out. Will and I get the bus home and leave Jim and Michelle behind digging their car out. It takes them three hours to get home due to avalanches blocking the road.

Sunday 11th January

The weather closes in again and the snow falls heavilly. Don't get out on the slopes so go to the pub to watch Man Utd v Newcastle.