After 5 months in Tignes, France, I leave tomorrow. Soon I’ll be seeing friends and family again, and preparing for the next adventure. But, overall, I have had a good ski season, and I will no doubt recommend it to others in future. When I do, I’ll be sure to also include the following five ways you can make the most of this great opportunity and have even more fun!
Continue reading “5 ways to make the most of your ski season!”
Spring is here. The signs are all around, but it’s not daffodils, new-born lambs and blossom like I’m accustomed to in England.
Marmots have come out of hibernation from their wintry burrows below the snow, playfully scurrying around together, as rejuvenated and energetic as we’d be after a really long sleep! Different ski runs close each day, rocks beginning to push through and grass patches slowly winning their ‘turf’ war (get it?) over the snow, the sun proving too powerful an ally. Continue reading “Spring is here – 2 weeks remaining!”
“Wait what?! A ski season pays well? I heard the complete opposite!”
Okay, let me explain!
On a season, it’s very common to hear people begrudging their wage, and even, as I encountered, questioning whether it was possible to live on their pay; in a job where all your accommodation and food costs are catered for, the simple answer is… yes. Your money is basically disposable income (read: beer money). I’ve even managed to save virtually all my money in preparation for the cycle, much to the astonishment of everyone else!
Contrary to what this title suggests, a ski season does not pay well Continue reading “Ski seasons pay well!”
The past week in Tignes started strangely, like no other of this season; on my face, on the nursery slope. From the vantage point of my skis, the nursery slope is a ‘flat’, gentle stress-free slope, but clip into a snowboard and it suddenly shifts into an intimidating and challenging, steep-pitched testing ground, striking fear into the hearts of men long before I first pitted myself against it. It was bizarre shying away from the mountains’ more dominating runs, and retreating back to the domain of out of control beginners and sledgers. Continue reading “My first week snowboarding.”
Since my first run of the season, excitedly letting off a whole year’s pent up ‘ski-frustration’ down a gentle, undulating piste on an unseasonably warm December day, I’ve donned my ski boots and headed up the mountain every day. Well, every day except Christmas Day, where working a 9 course meal for guests brought my skiing plans to an abrupt halt. My 96 days of skiing this season equates to 16 years for the average British family who only manages to get out for one week a year. It’s been awesome, and everyday I’ve got out of bed/finished work just as excited to get out there and ski as the very first time. The closest thing I can describe it to is an addiction; within an hour of taking my skis off for the day, there’s a strong urge to get out there again. But, and it’s with a heavy hand that I write this, taking my ski boots off today marked the final time of the season. Continue reading “Hanging up my ski boots (for the season)”
I mentioned a week ago that I’d be counting every chairlift I went on over the following 7 days, because, what goes up must come down. I wanted to see my total ski descent to satisfy a little of my curiosity, and also to see if I could descend the same height as Mount Everest, which stands proudly 8,850m above sea level. It took me a year to virtually ‘climb’ Mount Everest – would I be able to descend it in a week on skis, whilst working full time? I had no idea! I’ll just let the statistics do the talking: Continue reading “Everest in a week: the results”
Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while (probably only Mum and Dad), and have a good memory (just my Mum then), will remember that during my second year of Uni, I tallied up how many times I walked up the hill to campus, whether for lectures or various other reasons. … Continue reading Everest in a Week: The Challenge!
It’s been quite a while since I wrote about what I’d actually been up to out here in Tignes. I’ll fill you in on a few things! Continue reading “Eek! 3 months in – An update from Tignes”
The other day I wrote about a day in the life of a Kitchen Porter on a ski season which was quite popular. Since then, I’ve switched to Kitchen Porter/Nightwatch which means you do one for a week, taking each in turn. I think this is a great job! If you’re thinking of doing it yourself, have a look to see if you think it’s for you! Continue reading “A day in the life of a ski seasonairre: Nightwatch”
When I went to work my nightshift yesterday, it was snowing… heavily. As sleepy Tignes slowly awoke this morning, snow was still falling and the morning view was a layer of soft, fluffy, pure snow carpeting the village. Where there had been a car, a mound of snow now lay. Where there had been a boulder, a mound of snow now lay. My first curious step, slowly stepping out the door, immediately sunk deep, my shoe, and in fact half my leg completely disappearing. After another step the snow sat reassuringly around my knees, as if amputated just below both knees. I’d never seen snow like this before!
Josiah Skeats 