We didn't have great snowfall this winter, but I bought my first pair of skis and ski boots and I was determined to hit the slopes in style. I managed to get in some skiing in the Portes du Soleil, first on the annual school ski camp at Champoussin and surrounds. The sun was out everyday, but it meant that the snow melted each day and froze at night which made for icy conditions on the pistes.
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| The Dents du Midi |
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| My favourite blue slope |
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The village of Champoussin
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| Looking over into France |
Later in the season I went back to the Portes du Soleil with some friends, this time to Champéry. For the first time ever, I skied across an international border, from Switzerland into France! The only difference was that the prices were in euros :) We also took a chairlift to the top of the "Swiss Wall", the hardest slope in Switzerland, but I chose to descend safely on the chairlift. Maybe next year...
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| The Swiss Wall |
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| Avoriaz, a major ski resort in France |
To finish the season, I went with my friend Scott to a resort closer to home: La Dôle in the Jura. Daniel and I have been
hiking here in summer and it's always interesting to see the landscape in its winter colours. I don't recognise it at all! The conditions were a little slushy, but I did some proper off-piste skiing for the first time and it was good to end the season feeling confident on my skis. Unfortunately, on this trip I fell of a chair lift for the first time, did an embarrassing face plant at the top of the slope, and they had to stop the lift to get me out the way. Fortunately the only thing hurt was my pride so we were able to keep skiing!
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| View into France from the top |
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| View into Switzerland (and then France) from the top |
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| We ended the day with a blue cheese fondue in front of the fire! |
