Swimming in powder on Yret face

Moment of the week was piling down a fresh line to the left of the chairlift in about half a metre of fresh powder !

Brass monkeys

Minus 18 here this morning... Phook me, that's cold sat on t' lift!
Crunchy on the piste, and very choppy off piste. Good news is theres no buggars here! Only saw 3 skiers all the way up to the top of the hill.... The mountains all mine, ha ha ha!

Smoking damages your health

First day out, first ride out. Not much point sticking to the piste - seems to me that 10mins on the lift is more than enough to find a line in a snow bowl as simple as Monetier... Stumble off the chair lift, blast off the red as soon as poss, head for the tree line, do the steep, even if its not deep.
And whatever you do don't drop into that really funky looking gully cos it'll dump you out below the lift.
Doh!
Le Tabac. Thought that was just about French fags, turns out its about nasty mogully blacks too. Don't follow me & don't do this on a board. Its just not worth it.
By time I get back down, Helens starting to look good on the nursery slope which is sweet relief from screaming feet & calf muscles.

Serre Chevalier Day 1. Meet at the bandstand.

Weathers absolutely stonking, not a cloud in the sky. Helen spends the morning on the nursery slope with glamorous Gavin - not me, a real instructor.

Monetier, Serre Chevalier

A long journey via Jet2, the Frejus tunnel & the Pass de Mongenevre - lager-drinking brits at the airport (wa-hey! only 7am!), chain smoking french pissing on the side of the road, and achingly stereotyped crap italian drivers.

Relieved to finally make it to the end of Serre Chevalier valley & the picture book hamlet of Monetier... Room with a view at the top worth all the effort.