First day, of this years trip, the clouds were down, and after a lazy start we decided that we should seize the day, and head down to Areches for the some warm up runs.Parking in the small car park, by the lift we got ready for a day in the clouds. I was wearing some new boots for the the first time. Last year when I had bought them in the sales they seemed OK, but this trip They immediately felt uncomfortable ... KTs were tight so I took her extra socks, and it was a little better, but still tight across the instep.
This was the start of a long voyage of discovery for me with these boots.
Riding up on the lift we could see the piste below ... but the light was quite flat and the visibility poor.
We rode up to the top of the second chair, and followed the piste down to the middle station .. taking in some of the off-piste to check out the powder and also give the boots a work out ... I was now having difficulty with the lean on the boots .. this was a little excessive and was giving me troubles, it would bother me the whole trip .. for now it was making my thighs ache and I had to release them into walk mode at every stop.
We headed back up to to the very top ... then across to the Poma lifts and up to the very top. from here we followed the blue down taking some of the off-piste on the way .. including dropping over a small bump in the flat light ... landing in a big drift of powder ... now I knew the dynafit bindings will come off.
Back to the refuge, to warm up and some chips.
This also gave me a chance to rest my feet and get some blood back into them.
After the rest we went back out .. it was no better so a quick trip to the top and then back down the direct route to the middle station.
I had tightened up the boots and left them in walk mode - this made them a little more comfortable, but the skis did wobble a lot at times, but on the piste were more controllable. At this point I was now very sore .. my calves ached from the over tight boots, and my thighs were shot.
Sue and I took the chair down, whilst the rest ran down the black to the bottom.
Back to the apartment, and dinner. followed by a session on the boots ... there was an allen key hole below the cuffs that had an adjustment .. it was loose but without an allen key I could not tighten it up. .. tomorrow I would try and find one in town.