It almost feels like summer here in the French Alps today. I’m sure it’ll start snowing again soon, and hopefully the blisters on my heels an muscle-ache I have from ski touring recently will have healed by the time it does. In the meantime I’ll enjoy a bit of sunshine out in the office garden.
The season has started in earnest now. Blessed with one of the best early snowfalls anyone can remember, there’s powder to be had and the lifts are opening. I’ve been up the mountain both days this weekend. Yesterday inadvisedly skiing with a bunch of snowboarding numb-skulls . As usual skiing with snowboarders means blindly launching into some sick looking gully with scant regard for what the exit’s like. Bush-bashing for half an hour through thick brush and waist deep snow was quite fun I guess. Then today, Mark and I braved the white-out (cos - yep, it’s still dumping!) and skied fresh tracks in deep powder all over the Marmotton for a couple of hours. I can hardly believe how much great skiing I’ve already, and it’s not even mid-December!
Perhaps the thing that has punctuated the start of the season even more than the skiing was the opening of Le Delice on Friday night. The bar was packed all evening and starting to freak me out. It took me a while to work out why. I’m used to packed bars from being in London and then it struck me. It’s because I knew everyone in there! Fred and Katy have gone into the season with a non-smoking bar/restaurant. A wise choice I think. It looks like most of the bars in town are doing the same.
So the Chamonix 2007/08 season has kicked off and early indications are it’s going to be a blinder. Sh-veet :)
