Grenoble airport

Having heard tales of it being a bit of a cattle Market on a Saturday I am happy to say it's nowhere near as bad as that. Yes it's small and very busy but we never had trouble finding a seat and there are snack bars outside the departures entrance, in the deptartures area and after security. The staff were all friendly and displayed a sense of humour. The only trouble came from a fellow passenger at check-in! A lady with an injured leg was wheeled up by a porter to the front of our queue immediately before me. Her husband had all their bags. It didn't seem to have occured to them that they'd need to show tickets, passports and medical docs - and as the check-in guy asked for them these came to light slowly one by one. Meanwhile the husband, in handing over bags for the wife to fish out all the documents had manouevred her wheelchair so it prevented our queue from accessing the next check-in desk over so we were stuck waiting for them to sort themselves out while the other queue had both the other open desks to use.

During all this the couple must have been clearly able to see the many notices about no ski boots (or helmets) in handluggage - they were on the screens and on large signs on every check-in desk. Yep, you guessed it - next thing the check-in guy asks them is what's in their rather large handluggage ......!! The bloke then starts repacking their luggage, by now having positioned himself and his possessions across the entrance to TWO check-in conveyer belts with stuff everywhere, totally oblivious to the bottleneck he was creating. The staff just looked on with bemused expressions. Thinking all was done, he then replaces his handluggage on his trolley at which point the wife asks if he doesn't need to check his boots in too as well as hers .....!

We meanwhile were trying, with the group of blokes behind us to whom we'd been chatting, to stifle the giggles - we were early enough that there was no concern about time! Eventually they got sorted and I got my bag on the belt and horrors, it said 15.4Kg though Margaret's travel scales had said it was 14.8 when packed. As we watched though, doing only a partial job of resisting the giggling, the scale repeatedly went up to 15.6 and down to 15.0 randomly while the blokes were helpfully recommending the opening of the bag and removal of the largest knickers I could find to reduce the weight! The check-in guy, although not entirely sure of the content of the humour in the conversation (probably just as well) was smiling along quite happy with my bag's weight and we all then completed check in uneventfully.

On getting to security though, I was asked if my bag could be searched and the chap stuck in a gloved hand, and withdrew it, looked at what he had hold of and said, in a surprised tone "oh, it's an orange"! I still am not sure what he thought it might have been!

Au Revoir Les Deux Alpes

We're in Ben's Bus on our way to Grenoble where we'll have time to kill as our flight isn't until 17.20 and we left at 12.00. Don't know what the snow was like today - the sky was clear with a little mist and at 10am it was zero degrees C. The info board by the red eggs was showing several blacks closed which perhaps was due to icy conditions but about 11.15 we noticed quite a lot of people on Diable. I wish we'd had time to ski this morning instead of packing , cleaning the apartment and lugging stuff up to the bus! No doubt there'll be reports from those staying on till tomorrow. It is so sad to be leaving!

Last day for most of us ....

.....although 4 aren't going home till Sunday and one lucky person's transfer is 5pm tomorrow so she's having another day's skiing too. Val got the shortest straw though - her pickup is 5.30am tomorrow.

Despite the weather not being so good we all had a good day today. It was -10C last night so it was an icy start with strong winds that caused both White & red eggs to be closed. The more advanced lesson group had gone up to Cretes but retreated back downhill for more pleasant conditions.

After the very heavy slushy snow yesterday afternoon I was quite unnerved by the icier start today. However the Easiski magic soon began to work as our lesson got going and the confidence came back as we worked on lots of flexing including doing little bounces round turns and on traverses.

We ended with a trip across the lower pistes and a video session on Limacon. Then rather than go for lunch I took up the invitation to go along on the group 1 expedition around the Village area and up the chair to the Desmoiselles. During this Charlotte asked me to lead them down a section while she filmed meaning I had to try to set an appropriate pace and course. Afterwards she pointed out my skis were nicely parallel when they should be for many of the turns.

----------------------------

I think I can honestly say that everyone has learned a lot and we've had a most enjoyable time. Charlotte has worked tirelessly with limitless patience, sympathy where needed and most importantly supportive constructive criticism and genuine praise where merited. We learned to accept this praise and focus on positive achievement instead of being too self critical. At times I started a lesson feeling very apprehensive but before long would be achieving something and the grin would be back. I cannot remember feeling anything but elated at the end of each lesson.

Many thanks also must go to Cathy at the Lutins for letting the non residents use her bootroom and giving us a central post ski base with the use of a tv on which to play back and review videos.

So when's the next trip???

Now that's what I call a blue sky!

This was taken about 8am from our balcony, which was rather cold for bare feet!

Cretes was very cold and windy so I hastily retreated back down for warmer gloves before the lesson. Our last 2 folks arrived safely despite the French ATC strike - shame they could only make it for a few days but better that than not at all.

After our lesson which was very enjoyable despite the cold we decided to go to the lower slopes to practise where group 1 were being taught. While we were finishing a very late lunch consisting of the last waffles in the cafe I got a phonecall - it was Charlotte. Group 1 had spotted us and were repeatedly skiing the tennis court terraces where I'd previously so spectacularly face-planted, waiting for us to go and watch. I hastily made my way over to watch and as I arrived Charlotte immediately led the group down the terraces - I had no choice but to nonchalantly follow & ski the terraces myself! I must admit they seemed only half the size they were before. It was great to see how confidently group 1 were skiing them and in slushy heavy snow too. It was definitely much more difficult to ski in slush than the better snow higher up, but down low it was warm and not windy.

We ended the day with our first meal out. We would all recommend the place for good food and very pleasant, helpful staff. It was La Bougie, which is opposite the Marche U. It cost us €20 each for wine, main course and sweet, including a tip.

I really can't believe tomorrow is our last day.

In the ice grotto

Strong winds are forecast for tomorrow so we took the chance to visit the grotto this afternoon.

In group 1, Margaret and Val had an expedition too today, taking in a button lift they'd not seen before, the scenic green down through the Village area and the Petite Aiguille chairlift, finishing down part of the Demoiselles. They arrived back at the Lutins glowing from the experience (or was it from the Vin Chaud?)

The more advanced group did lots of work on the glacier slopes including climbing over the snow "walls" that stop snow being blown around too much. While doing that Judith gave them a big fright, by falling heavily and taking rather a while to reassure them she was ok. Charlotte later said she doesn't need to do things for adrenaline hits as moments like that provide her all that she needs!

Off piste!

This silhouette is Easiski photographing the area just below the glacier where she had taken us off piste. She had mentioned it was "breakable crust" and and that we needed to ski lightly and not do anything sudden. However, following in her tracks, where she had felt the crust giving a touch, of course I managed to break through it and fall over. It was very soft - like falling into a feather duvet! Getting up again was interesting with little to push against but with a little help I made it!

We in all skied the whole way from 3200 at the Glacier down to 2100 where we retired to the Patache restaurant for a long late lunch. WOW did it feel good to have done that trip! It was an amazing experience. I did a steeper section of the blue Jandri that tried my skills and then faced my first long sideslip to get down from Jandri to the tunnel near the restaurant that's been rebuilt after being destroyed by fire. On surveying the slope down to the restaurant and being told I was going to go down it, I'd said "NO WAY" and I was firmly told "YES!", and that the alternative was more difficult... So there was no choice. I reminded myself that Charlotte would not ask me to do anything unless she honestly believed I had the skills to do it and we went for it.

I had barely tried any sideslipping before this and was grateful for Charlotte skiing along side me for the descent, though she said all she did was make sure I kept going and didn't suddenly panic and freeze - wonder why she thought I might - think she knows me!