G & A Snowboarding Tour

We are back to earth with a bump after a fabulous time snowboarding.  We managed to get 6 days on the slopes and managed to get enough snow to get some great boarding in.  We all had a great time and it was a well deserved reward for Dan and Jordan for all the hard work they have put in on the renovation.
 

Overnight Ferry Crossing - Very bumpy


We rented a three bedroom chalet that was about 25 minutes away from the slopes.  It was very much a DIY holiday and required quite a bit of organisation.  We drove down to Portes de Soleil with an overnight ferry crossing with all our food and kit piled high in the car. When we arrived in the evening Clare and her family were all waiting for us. They had bought Fondue with them for dinner.  Graeme likes fondue but doesn't see it like the French do as making a proper meal.  He believes that its only a starter so we followed it with Lasagna - suffice to say we were all pretty full by the end.   

Fondue Night

Clare and Lilian stayed in the B&B next door with Christopher, and Juiliette stayed with us.  We got to board with Juilette and Christopher all day Sunday our first day then after apres ski they left to go home.  It was great to see them all and we had great fun with them.



 

Our Chalet





View from our Chalet

 








For the rest of the week we explored all the different areas and drove to the different resorts of Morzine, Chatel, Avoiriaz and Les Gets.  There is not a lot of snow around at the moment but the pistes were all pretty good.  We also found a great section that had a couple of red runs that was empty.  The snow conditions and lack of people made up for the fact there were only two runs in that section.  We were also blessed one afternoon with about 3 inches of snow when we were in that area and we had the place to ourselves - definitely the best boarding of the holiday.

  



Snowboarding holidays are always full of laughs - there is so much that can go wrong - and fortunately most our our falls came under the amusing category although a few were a bit painful at the time.  Jordan and Dan's boarding has come on brilliantly. 



Some of the memorable moments were 

• Dan trying to board across a button lift and making a total muck of it and crashing in the middle with people either side of him
• Jordan offering to buy us a round of drinks in what turned out to be the most expensive bar we had been in.  He offered before the bill came.
• Me snowboarding into a flat bit of mud that I thought I could just slide over - wrong!  The board stopped but I kept going.  Unfortunately everyone was watching me at the time.  
• At one point we came across the poles of a slalom course - G, Dan and Jordan all managed to get down it boarding between the poles.  Unfortunately when it was my turn I crashed hit one of the poles that skidded halfway down the mountain.  I had to unclip my board and walk down to get it try and put it back in again whilst a ski school was waiting above me to use the course.
• G and Dan doing cartwheels on the board.





J & D Tours (Just Disastor Tours) took over the map for a great day





Squinting into the sun





Great holiday and loads of happy memories.  I can't believe how much washing we are back to.  The ski stuff is so bulky, I am on about the fourth wash and the pile does not seem to be diminishing.





The trip has re motivated us about our idea to do a ski season.  We are hoping we might go out in December for five months to run a chalet.  Its an idea we have had for a few years but we are getting closer to it possibly becoming a reality.  G has asked at work and had a favourable response and his next step is to put in a formal written request. I haven't asked at work yet because our company is more corporate than G's environment and I didn't want to appear as if I was not very career focused.  My boss is out with me tomorrow and I am thinking of broaching the subject with him then.



Jordan & Dan







The thoughts about the career break have boosted our energy for completing the house.  One of our plans is to rent the house out on holiday lets whilst we are away.  So that means it needs to be the finished article!  It won't be a busy period for holiday rentals as it will be over the winter but it will all help and also give us an idea of whether we want to do it for a full summer period.

So our plans now are to go full steam on renovation mode starting at the weekend when we will both be off and also getting super fit over the summer so we are ready for a season of boarding. Willl post back tomorrw night to let you know how the discussion with my boss goes about having 5 months off!

  

Mount Cherry  - our favourite slopes - my favourite restuarante in background