Les Deux Alpes - Jan 2012

Check out those bad boy BBRs!!!

And probably the last instalement !!
I hear you chear

I had a lesson!
Was planning a lesson last year but for one reason or another it didn't work out.
Haven't had a lesson for a good number of years but have very fond memories of the last one and how it helped and sustained my skiing for many seasons.

So ....
2 hours private booked with ESF, got a bit excited and had a shave as I thought I had a monitrice called Lauren
But an ugly monkey called Laurent turned up.

Anyway off we went at breakneck speed and before I knew it I noticed that we were off-piste - yes Adders this was that slightly hidden gem of a place you found in L2A!
And then faced a cliff!!
Well it was a good drop of 6' ...
Didn't fancy that so went round the side.
Next thing I know at the top of a chair instead of the normal stop, sort out poles say which way etc .......

He skied straight under the black and yellow rope and grinned back at me - so I had to follow!
The photo below is the route we took. A good few turns on this wind blown crust, delightfully all the instructor was saying was ski slowly as there is a drop just over there! Thankfully I didn't know what the drop was until later. The red line on the photo below is the route we took (apologies for quality - mobile phone from a mile away in a restaurant recovering).
Then we popped back over a cornice onto some soft spring like stuff which was fun.
Linked a few turns and landed on my face - as you do



After the fun was some hard work on piste with him trying to get me carving a bit more (well actually a lot more!) efficiently.

Classically 80 euros for a couple of hours of abuse, ridicule and insult by a Frenchperson involves leather and a whip!

All I got was in-touch with muscles I didn't know existed but ......
I got there!
I had Laurent whooping with joy and punching the air with his fist after I carved the black "Super Diable" in big wide sweeping turns top to bottom. Completely empty and beautiful snow helped. That felt a real achievement and so effortless.

He was very complementary about my technique but somewhat insulting over my fitness ......
and age (yes even my relatively young age Dave)
Saying I needed 3 days of nothing else on quiet and gentle slopes to "get it" - which is a change in hip position in essence.
Saying "it will take you 3 days of effort, if you were a teenager 3 hours, but for you 3 days"

Anyway I feel it was well worth it, hopefully I will "get it" and can give this some time in Serre Che in March but the lesson/money was worth it just for that ridge and slope we did

Lovely guy, similar age to me and we had a good natter.

The only skis he has kept from the "old days" are Rossignal 4S, which were my complete lust after and dribble skis from the 80's, he takes them out once or twice a season for a burn! And his favourite place in the Alps is mine - The Prariond Valley above Val D'Isere.

Well worth the time and money!

Great review, thanks for sharing Andy. A good read.

+1...sounds as though you had a great time...

Money well spent Andy, sounds like you're well chuffed with yourself.

A most acceptable time was had thank you ....

Great report thanks loved the photos too !

Great report, Andy. Photos are fantastic. A far worse report referring to much tamer skiing will follow from yours truly in about 12 days time.