So the main news from Chamonix is: SNOW. Snow, snow and more snow. Crazy amounts of the white stuff. We almost didn't make it out to drive to the UK for Christmas on the 22nd because we were snowed in (resulting in some unexpected shenanigans of having to park at our neighbours and transporting our many many heavy bags by sledge over our back yard that was waist-deep in snow) and then when we returned on December 29th we had some massive dumps of snow on the 30th and 31st. At one point on the 31st, in our 4x4 with FOUR snow chains on, we tried to get to the supermarket in town to buy some provisions, and the chaos was so bad on the roads we just turned right around and came home again.
Although it has been frustratingly hovering around the freezing mark, so now we're getting a lot of precipitation but some of it's rain and some of it's snow.
Today is gorgeous and clear, but more rain/snow in the forecast Thurs & Friday. And so it continues! Our snow-clearing guy told us they haven't had this much snow since 1989... but just back from a fabulous 2-hour skate-ski class on beautifully pisted trails and with the sunlit snow-covered mountains as a backdrop. Heaven. (Curious to know how I survived up a level with Skate Ski 2? Fine! Back of the pack, but improving...)
Here are some pictures from before we left for our xmas hols:
So the girls' first day of holiday was December 17th, and on that day Toby, poor fella, managed to injure his hip clearing (you guessed it) snow (although the 2 hours of squash earlier that day, followed by skating with the girls probably helped) and was then in bed, unable to walk, for 3 days, and was barely mobile by the time we left for the UK. It's just now starting to feel better and he's almost out of pain, but it's been quite the rehab. He's been very stoic, since he's been completely off-games now for almost three weeks...
So it was my job to ferry the girls back and forth for their 5 days of ski camp before we left. And it was CHAOS. Only one hill was open in the entire valley (the avalanche risk is 5/5 right now, not surprisingly...) and so everyone had to ski at Les Houches. Madness. And the first day, in the chaos of the snow and parking and general melee, I dropped the girls off with a nice ski instructor who said all the clubs were skiing together that day. Great. Only it wasn't until 3 days later that it was revealed that the girls had been skiing with the WRONG SKI CLUB. The ski club they were supposed to be with didn't notice (Chamonix) and the ski club they were skiing with didn't notice (Les Houches). Inspired with much confidence yet? Anyway, it seemed a number of kids had been with the wrong groups, so we finally got it sorted on the day just before we left. Oh well, hopefully we'll have a better start to the new year.
I have to say, the rather casual nature of the French approach has its disadvantages, but it also has its advantages - when on Day 4 I presented myself firmly in front of their new instructors (patience wearing thin) and said, 'These girls are in your groups. They're not on your lists, but they're skiing with you', the instructors just shrugged and said, 'fine'. Or rather they said, 'pas'de soucis' - the local equivalent of the Aussie 'no worries', I think, and one you hear a lot. Quite nice.
Even Zoe had her ski classes at the small local hill, and that's her going up on the tow bar for the first time on her own (the little figure in blue in the middle).
Thursday is the start of the ski week at school for Anna and Indie, so this week, combined with all their ski clubs etc. they will be skiing on Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs & Sat. I'm thinking we might give them Sunday off. Or not. I don't think they're quite aware of the schedule yet, and while Toby keeps praising the French system for 'toughening them up', I suspect we're going to have some very tired and mildly rebellious girls on our hands.
Tune in tomorrow for more on our trip to the UK, with a very glamorous (not) night in Calais...
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