La Legette du Mirantin, France

First team expedition of the year and we had a huge turn out ...  M-J, Chris, Dom, KT, Steph and myself. Bryon went off with Toby to do some father/ son bonding, but I guess really to show him he was still in front. Basically all Toby needed now was time on the mountain to then be ready for the next steps.

The plan was to head off from Le Plannay up towards the shoulder of the Legette .. a very popular randonee route in this valley, and by now well tracked and hopefully avalanche risk low.

We parked the cars in the top car park - we were early enough to get a slot - and walked around on the road up tot he hamlet of les Drays.

Here we put the skins on and the initiation for those new this year started ...  we followed a well beaten path that zigzagged up the open pasture between two wooded areas.

This being the first experience for all this year, new gear and new techniques for some, we actually made some good progress and a fairly steady rhythm. There were a couple of natural breaks as we crossed the road in places.

The new starters were quick into the uphill kick turns as these were needed on the steep final sections to the col at the top.

Reaching the col, we joined up with the track up from Areches, and this then disappeared up a nasty looking section through the woods to the ridge ... happy with where we had got and also conscious of the time - it being past noon, we stopped for a bite to eat.

Stripping the skins off ready for the descent ... now for the next challenge for the newcomers ... skiing back down.

The snow was powdery with lots of debris from previous descents piled up all around. For the experienced this was not too much of  a problem, but both KT and Dom (each with exchanged skis for the trip) were struggling to get to grips with the descent in different ways .. KT's skies were much longer and straighter than her normal ones and frustrated her turns. Dom's were less surface area and so rode lower sunk into the snow, but rather more important had not been waxed for years and so did not slip on the snow well ... the descent turned into survival skiing for them.

Everyone came though it though and we were back at the cars in the early afternoon, ready for  a cup of tea.

I definitely need to go back and make it up the ridge  ...  so another year.

Trip Track

Areches, France

Day three of Toby's introduction to skiing ...  time for some fresh faces .. so I handed his care over to M-J for the morning .. there was some "still fresh" powder that needed to be looked at before it vanished, or softened .

We headed up the second set of chair lifts and they warmed up on piste whilst we did the same on the patch under the chair .. we could not do the full run as the top was still too much of a struggle to get to.

Leaving M-J , we then started the long run to the very top. the second chair, then two pomas, the first standard and the second a bungee one.

At the top we Steph, - Chis, KT and I -turned left onto the unpisted, and closed run down. this was part powder, part spring, and generally good fun.

Bouncing down the initial gully soon go everything working and smiles to all faces.

Looking back up the descent ...  to the left in the shadow and round below the peak.

From here we continued down to the end of the lowest poma, before looking at the time and seeing we were late to meet the others.

A fast run down the "cold" road, and up to the mid station to meet them.

Toby had been practicing sideslip and controlled turns - so time to put it into practice . the red run down to Le Plannay for lunch ...

this is really a simple route apart from a very steep and often icy section in the middle down an open chute. Hence the need for side slip practice ... M_J and I took Toby down here and we were soon off to lunch .  the usual slowness due to the crowds meant that the sun was going behind the mountain as we came out ...  time to retreat for me, so we split with M-J, Chris and Steph off for a final run, and the rest of us heading down the return route to the car.

Another sunny day with some fun to be had.

Trip Track

Areches, France

Day 2 of Toby's initiation into the art of controlled sliding on planks ... this time we would go up to the mid station of Areche and start the chair lift and Poma riding.

First getting a day ticket ... as yesterday was messed up, there were a much larger than normal crowd getting week passes, it took over an hour to get the passes.. then it was off up the first chair ...  very cold. A very gentle introduction as it is a detachable Quad ...

The sun was out, and we split as yesterday, and I took Toby off to the baby button lift. We went up this a few times, but the slope was not really steep enough, and we soon progressed onto the button lift, and more speed.

Soon this was not enough and we were off up the chair, to the top station. Down the blue, gave some more opportunity to practice side slipping and control.

Then back up for lunch, at the alpage.

Even though it was 2pm, the place was still crowded, and it took an age to get served ..  no places inside, so it was shivering outside and cold chips.

That was enough for the day ...  we had all chilled down too much, so back down the "cold" road, to the mid station.

From here KT took Toby down onht elift and the remainder of us headed down the "black" .. a mixture of powder, moguls, and bare patches....  the fresh snow did not have a base so in places had worn through.

By the time we were at the bottom I felt like I had been through a thorough work out.

Trip track

Le Plannay, France

First day of the week, and the snow was still deep and only the main roads ploughed. We kept the chains on and made our way to Areches, and into the carpark. There was not many people around, we suspected they were still finding their way after last nights snow, and jams.
We needed to get skis and boots for Dom and Toby, then Steph and KT headed off with M-J, Chris and Dom up the mountain and Toby started his first lessons with me in the Car park - sounds strange, but there was a flat area covered in snow, and this was an ideal quiet place for the first steps (literally). Bryon played the observer to make sure we were OK.

After an hour we progressed onto walking up the piste beside the carpark and sliding back again .... he was managing to form a snowplough and to make his way back up the slope. so now time for an exposure into fighting the crowds on the nursery slopes at Le Plannay ...  the prize was to return to the car on the piste.

Unfortunately we had to wait for the next bus - it being lunch time there was a gap, and when it came it was really packed .. welcome to the ski crush Toby!

At Le Plannay, we walked up the side of the nursery slopes to the end of the baby lift, and then made our way back ... concentrating on the snow plough to control speed and turn.

After the first run we met the others returning for lunch, having made several runs and down this side. we completed the second and then went into meet them.

KT, and Dom joined us for the return, whilst the others went up, to descend from the top.

The promised return down the blue run started with a new lesson on how to side slip, but soon eased to be just like the nursery slopes. We got back to the car park with no problems, and followed by the other party.

A successful day one, and we retired for a team meal.

2014 Ski trip, France

Family ski trip time again... the cards fall such that the Christmas time fits with the academic break. We booked a ferry for midday on friday, which gave us a large slice of time in France to take a big bite out of the journey - we did not realize at the time of booking how beneficial this would be.
This year with us would be M-j, Chris, and Dom and making a guest appearance with Bryon would be Toby.

The journey once over the channel was relatively easy, and motored down the Autoroutes toward Bourg en Bresse, stopping for a quick meal at a Courtepaille on the way. Going to sleep we were aware of warnings of bad weather for the morning, but nothing prepared us for the reality. The girls were in an F1 and I was in the van.

I was woken by the rain on the roof - a bit of snow, but nothing much. By 8am we were on the road, and as we ascended up to the first (biggest) tunnel we saw the start of the snow fall ...  and the road was currently ploughed.

The other side of the tunnel and down to 30 mph, we were in one lane following a gritter ...  a good place to be on the viaducts. at the end of the viaducts things slowed even more, the plough pulled off and the next rise everything came to a halt. the halted traffic caused issues with the snow fall and lack of ploughing ....  stacking up trouble. All caused by a jacknife in front.

Several hours later we slowly pulled off ...  winter tyres showed their worth and we passed many people putting on chains, pushing and abandoning vehicles, even trucks going sideways up gentle hills ...  portent for difficulties for the other cars following.

Getting through the blockages we traveled slowly but constantly round to the Annecy A41 .. and queued after the peage, until we jumped off at the next junction. the N roads were clearer and we motored around the lake and on towards Alberville.  The queues started at Ugine and went at a crawl all the way to Albertville, where we stopped and waited for the others. Everything was jammed up at Chambery, and this gridlocked all the feeder roads, autoroutes and N roads.

Several coffees later and much sitting around Bryon and Chris arrived within 15 mins of each other ... one having sat in the A40 queues, and the other having driven around the side roads. Chains on, or slippers for Chris, and we drove up to Beaufort.

Our chalet of choice this year was up a narrow track behind the Town Hall ...  under 2 feet of snow. Luckily the landlord had an ex-army truck to transfer all the gear. Bryon meanwhile set off to find his garret, on the other side of town.

So thinking of the large amount of fresh snow, and less about 7hours to do a 2 hour journey ...  we settled in for the night.

The chalet had ample opportunity for "side" interests .. some transceiver practice, and sledging

Trip Time Line

	|
	|	Arrive Beaufort
Le Plannay	|
	|	Areches
Areches	|
	|	La Legette
Col du Pre	|
	|	Grand Mont
Go Home	|

Pontcysyllte aqueduct, Llangollen

Pontcysyllte aqueduct was one of those you had always seen on pictures and TV shows, so as we had time and were in the area it warranted a closer look. So parking in the free car park, we wandered along to the visitors centre and the start of the aqueduct.

Across the Aqueduct walkway

On the other side we followed the canal around to the next village, just managing to keep out of the teashop.

There was a memorial to the workers who had provided lime, coal and iron ore to the furnaces nearby, using the canal as transportation

Down to the river underneath on a track.... The height of the aqueduct cannot truly be shown in these pictures.
Then back the way we had come.

Horseshoe Pass, Llangollen

On the drive through Llangollen, we had always seen signs to the Horseshoe pass ... so it had to be worth a visit.

Just before the top this was looking back towards Llangollen.

The top of the pass was more rounded than I expected, and complete with the usual tourist trappings, we did see a great bird - could be a Buzzard - hovering above though.

Slate mines

PortMeirion Gardens

The village was now getting packed ... so we went for a walk through the gardens and around the coast line ... peaceful and empty, until we found the "road train" tractor rides which signalled the end of the quiet.

Over to the end of the promontory

Back through the woods 

So back in the village, and then on to dinner in the main hotel ... lived up to all expectations and more