HAPPY CHRISTMAS

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HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

We hope you all enjoyed yesterday as much as we did. For us it was an absolute Bluebird day on the hill, wonderful clear winter skies and crisp cold snow underfoot.

After enjoying a few runs on Chamosier (the black run was in amazing condition and is now all the more accessible thanks to the new 6 man chair that went in last year, replacing a cranky old four man that was well past its sell by date!) we headed over to our favourite restaurant, Chez Nannon for Christmas lunch. There were 21 of us this year feasting on Cote de Beauf, Lamb and Chicken in Cream Sauce.

Then it was the usual dash to make the last chair lift before heading down to the bush for a final beer and home.

Christmas may be over but this will all still be here for you to enjoy in January at excellent low season prices so why don’t you join us for a few days! Check out our Facebook page so you can see from the photos exactly what you are missing!

Snow!!

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Don’t believe anything you read in the UK press who seem to enjoy pouring cold water on everything these days!

There IS snow in the Alps, ours has just arrived on schedule for the ski fields to open and if there is one problem is getting to anywhere when the roads are such chaos!! Seriously, the Les Gets/Morzine/Avoriaz lift companies have all hands to the pumps getting the ski stations open and the lifts working and poor Joe has just spent his entire morning digging out our car park.

We did get some good runs yesterday although it was a limited opening the snow was still fabulous, so check out our Facebook page if you want to see for yourselves.

Avoriaz, snow, snow, snow

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So after 5 articulated lorries delayed our trip up to Avoriaz, blocking the road for 45 minutes we get up to some great snow. Babs’ first turns of the season and my second day on Alpine skis but 3 weeks under my belt on Telemarks, we also hook up with the other guys from ALC, Ed and Nate and get some lovely runs in. The visibility isn’t great but the snow is brill.

Some awesome off-piste where I manage to do a front flip out of both skis after hitting a compression, much to the delight of Ed, who says, “I’m not saying that made my day and made me laugh but it made my day and……”

Quite a bit of wind around but lots of cover in the tree-lined runs on the Linderet side that winds down through “the stash”, some really nice bumps starting to form there too by the end of our time there.

Lots more snow falling and more forecast for the next few days, so looks like the season could be on for one of the best starts for a while and we might forget the bad season we had last. As an aside this might stop the British press doing their usual doom and gloom and irresponsible reporting. Les Gets and Mt Chery open this weekend so watch this space

Home in Les Gets

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Well I’ve now been home in Les Gets for a week and after a manic time trying to get everything straight I’ve finally been able to surface for air and we are raring to go for the ski season.

If you need to contact us please take note, the UK mobile has been switched off now until May!

There seems to be some anxiety in the air about the lack of snow (although as I write it is sleeting here in Pont Des Gets and I can see the snow line on the heights gradually creeping down). Of course, our perfect season would begin and end with a couple of weeks free – skiing or snowboarding in Avoriaz before and after looking after our clients but in reality it seldom works that way.

Last season we had an early start but then an unseasonably warm spell brought rain and we were left valiantly limping along with marginal snow from February onward. No offence SAGETS, the work done by the piste bashers and the snow cannons was truly awesome but it will not go down as one of our best ever seasons!

On the other hand if we do not have a decent snow fall until the eleventh hour historically we have had good snow conditions when it really matters (peak season) and even a good snowfall at the end of March to see us through comfortably until Easter. I know which I prefer!

On a completely different subject, it has been business as usual for Joe who has already been working for BASI since October. Today he left to deliver a two day training course to the TUI hosts working in another part of the Alps for the season. Then he will be home here with me waiting for the slopes in Les Gets and Morzine to open – probably mid-December.

BASI courses, 2 weeks in Zermatt

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Just got back from Zermatt where I got to run a couple of courses, the first was the PDC, professional development course, for L3 qualified Telemark instructors either wanting to either just get better or start on the road to becoming a trainer. 3 days of on snow and off snow development in delivery, teaching, reviewing and of course, Telemarking.

The snow and weather couldn’t have been better, the 5 guys on the course were great to be with too and I believe they went away having enjoyed themselves and improved in a number of ways. A real bonus was that the Italian side of Cervinia opened on the 2nd day so we got to ski on the sunny side and eat nice food and pay in euros.

The second week a L1 course was a real blast and after a shaky start for few of them everyone was at a very decent level. The guys improved a lot over the 5 days and the highlight for me was watching them rip up the bumps on the last day after looking down them for the first time and thinking, *?&!%*, then really giving it some and getting a rousing applause from the alpine guys watching.

Well that’s the way to start the season, all we need is some snow to turn up soon and thing can start back home in the Portes du Soleil!! Hope to see you there.

The Trainers’ Conference Hintertux 2011

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Well the usual eight hour bus trip form the Swiss Border through to Liechtenstein and then Austria, with the usual banter, laughs and silly questions and coffee and wee stops along the way. We arrive in Tux around 6pm at the Bad Hotel!

This year the main thrust is the T.I.E.D. model and using it to help deliver and understand the teaching and technical and how the levels and resources are to also aid this. First day on snow is not inspiring, woke to rain in the village and after getting to the top of  the mountain (3600m) you can’t see a hand in front of your face. The wind is howling! The snow ain’t bad though and we even manage to do some Tele turns on the way down too. Next two days though are well good and we (Andy Salter, John Eames, Elaine Adam and I) manage to get a fair bit done, joining in with the alpinists at points but separating to get some Telemark stuff completed on snow and off.

Off snow there are quit a few lectures to go to  and some are better than others and the two that stand out are Dave Morris’ one on the ‘speed test’ and Andy Salter’s on ‘delivering the bad news and pesenting’. Andy has a rare sense of humour and has us all in stitches for about an hour, he even calls John Thomas and me up to show different approaches in delivery.

The last night is the usual wind down with a few drinks and a few of us put together an old favourite sketch ‘If I were not upon my skis’ . This goes down well with the whole training body, with Andy Jerram stealing the snow, this might end up on You Tube. I manage to fall over  and break my wrist during drinking games and am regretting being a doughnut as now I can’t do anything, like play the guitar or general chores very easily but I hope it gets better soon.

Great to be back on snow albeit for a couple of days and can’t wait for the season to start!!!

PS From Babs – if I didn’t know better I’d say it’s all a ruse to get out of strimming the garden before winter sets in, hmmmmn! Just like to make a point though to any nervous clients out there, this is in fact how so many injuries on ski holidays occur – not on the slopes at all but larging it up in the bar!!

Toys

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Head have delivered all our toys for the season and I am sitting here gloating over them until the boys come and pick them up. Skis for Nathan, a snowboard for Ed, boots & skis for Joe & me.

These are the first new alpine boots I have bought since leaving Andorra in 2001 so it was with some trepidation I tried them on. The trouble with ski boots is that you can’t really tell if they are a good fit until you get on the slopes but first impressions were good at least. What’s a good fit? Depends really…..

Now I’m not teaching or doing performance exams any more, for me a good fit would be the same interpretation as a lot of our clients. I want something that is comfortable enough to wear all day, snug enough to enhance precision but not so tight circulation is compromised. The plastic outer shell should flex evenly and not collapse suddenly if pressure is applied to the cuff. Too stiff, however, and you will not be able to flex and extend the ankle joint effectively.

Why is it so hard to assess these things when you first try on a new pair of boots? Ski boots will bed down with wear, so that something that seems a nice and comfortable in the shop can quickly become a sloppy fit. This can seriously compromise your technique. I daresay this is a compromise a lot of recreational skiers would consider worthwhile if it means they are going to be able to ski all day in comfort but if boots are too sloppy it could result in rubbing which creates painful sores or more permanent bone spurs. So generally you should expect the boots to be uncomfortably tight to begin with and then start to relax after a few days’ wear.

Air temperature can radically effect the stiffness and therefore the flex of a boot. Most plastics are softer in warmer temperatures (ie in a nice cosy, heated shop) and get harder as the temperature drops, so your feet suddenly feel like they’ve been set in concrete when you hit the slopes! Happily manufacturers are onto this and have made lots of progress over the past few years in producing and delivering consistent and user friendly plastics but meanwhile it is still a consideration.

And then there is the whole issue of alignment. I am really really lucky and on the two occasions I have been to alignment specialists they have deemed any adjustments to be so slight as to be insignificant. A good alignment specialist is worth their weight in gold so if you are investing in a new pair of boots take the time to visit one. Solutions4Feet are mentioned on our Useful Links page, Keith in Morzine is our favourite local guy and now Alain Baxter is opening his shop in Scotland. These guys have a wealth of knowledge and experience to put at your disposal and could potentially save an awful lot of frustration and wasted effort not just in your skiing but in other sports too, not to mention injury prevention.

Not long ago I went to a friend’s place for dinner where a couple of the guys would have happily spent all night discussing the merits of power straps and whether to fasten bootclips from the top down or vice-versa. I also know a female colleague who would not contemplate starting a new season without a brand spanking new pair of boots every year. Kit has never held the same fascination for me (which is possibly one of the reasons I never made my full-cert) but even I know the powerful contribution a well selected, good fitting pair of boots can make to anyone’s ski experience.

Ready, Steady……

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So it’s almost a week since Joe departed for Les Gets and on Sunday he is off to the BASI Trainer’s Conference. New Uniforms from Salomon have arrived and we’re having our logo emblazoned on them as I write. The new skis/boards/boots from Head are almost all here and the bookings enquiries are coming in.

All good indications that the ski season is on its way but from where I’m sitting it’s definitely hurry up and wait! Here in Cumbria I feel a million miles from everything to come and now the summer is over the Distant Horizons bookings are taking a predictable breath (last big event before I leave is on Saturday, good luck Decision Insight with your Ultra Challenge).

I’ve decided to launch (well, heave) myself into a fitness programme to prep for my winter. Since Joe left no booze, no chocolate and I’m back into the running, which sort of backslid around the time of our last two houseparties. Nothing too manic, a few miles on the fells about four times a week (at a very stately pace) and supplemented by the normal daily walks with Delilah and some yoga stretches.

Luckily I enjoy exercise and being active (although even I baulk at going out when the rain is going sideways like yesterday) but I also enjoy my food and the evenings are always pleasanter when rose tinted so I’ll let you know how my resolve holds…….

Short Breaks & Weekends

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Alpine Learning Curves have always taken pride in the fact we treat our clients as individuals and in offering flexible programmes whenever and wherever we can.

In recognition of the fact that the standard ski week is now beyond many people’s budget with the economy as it is, we are offering clients the following options in an attempt to make weekend breaks and/or low season holidays a viable option:

For low season (4th- 23rd Dec then 7th Jan – 4th Feb) we are offering 5x2hr group lessons for 210 Euros per person (15 Euros less than normal price).

To set up a 5x2hr course we need a minimum of 3 compatible clients.

Weekend & Wednesday Workshops!

Every Wednesday & Saturday afternoon Alpine Learning Curves are setting up Workshops for Skiers, Boarders & Telemarkers who can’t slot into group lessons based on ski-weeks but don’t really want to go to the expense of private lessons either.

Workshops run with a maximum of 8 people but WE ONLY NEED TWO COMPATIBLE CLIENTS to set one up!

Ski with a top qualified British Instructor for as little as 40 Euros!

3 hour Workshops will have on snow video feedback included free! 

Want more than one lesson?

We only need two compatible clients to set up a group for up to 3x2hrs

Even if you are arriving mid-week!

Checkout our web-site for more details!