Tignes Diary - Week 4

Saturday 24th January

Spend the day recovering from illness and editing video footage taken on Wednesday. Shame to miss the empty slopes of transfer day but there is always tomorrow. There is a small amount of snowfall and I get some good news, Steph of Planet subzero has confirmed I can come back to Tignes for April.

Friday 23rd January

It is another clear day but I am not going anywhere. I have caught the lurgy that has been going around, am bed ridden with stomach cramps and throwing up. On the upside, I move out of the top bunk into Matt's bed while everyone is out riding. Hopefully Will won't wake me up every morning anymore.

Thursday 22nd January

I'm feeling very sore after yesterdays antics, hiking up to do the jumps has done particular damage to my thighs. Go out in the afternoon so I can get a last ride in with Matt, who is heading home tomorrow morning.

Wednesday 21st January

We head off to Val D'Isere to get some footage for our video project. John and Matt have scouted a good location with a jump between two trees. After half an hour building up the jump (thanks for the shovel, guys) we are good to go. We have no less than three camcorders so can film the jumps from different angles. The landing is difficult, a lip causing people to bounce over and head right towards the trees. Not that it bothers John, who starts doing forward flips after one warm up 180. We keep at it for over two hours, hiking back up through knee deep powder after every jump. The afternoon is far less strenuous, as I ride with Liz and teach her to negotiate moguls.

Tuesday 20th January

Take the day off from boarding so I can go on a shopping expedition to Bourg with Tom, who is picking up his brother from the station. Get myself a French sim card, need to keep the phone bills down.

Monday 19th January

The day dawns and the sun peaks out over the mountains. It is a glorious day. Everyone is up early, even me! Paul and I go riding with my housemates Matt and John, and our friends Dan and Tamsin. The first run is a leg burning steep off piste bowl and it gets better from there. We cover a lot of ground in two and a half hours and I even persuade Paul to try some kickers in the board park. Shame it was closed! He left at lunchtime and I went out alone in the afternoon and found some great off piste runs for the boys to do when they come out in two weeks, strting off by following some French boarders down under the Palafour. You can't beat sitting on a chairlift, listening to your favourite tunes on a MD player, surveying the blue skies, white mountains, and squiggly lines you have just made all the way down under the lift.

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, find a kicker, 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, so we decide to get an early night. Paul, who's not well, heads off to bed by 10pm. However, it is free shots with every drink in his hotel bar and the place is packed with seasonnaires. Too good to pass up!