Avoriaz - Morzine
Too excited to sleep the night before, we were kindly dropped off at the airport for Morzine/Avoriaz round four. Four of us were expected this year; myself, Joe, Peter M and Peter D. Peter D had booked on the same flight as Joe and myself so we were expecting to see him at the airport. Neither of us had seen him for many years, but we had seen photos of him on Facebook.
We had seats with extra leg room at the front and stood by the entrance waiting for him to come off the plane. The stewardess had said he was on the plane, in row eleven.
But as we counted the rows off, it became clear he wasn’t on the plane. Both a little bemused we went and got our stuff, still looking out for him, and went to pick up the hire car. A call to Peter M who was driving across France didn’t clear up the situation. We called Peter D’s mobile, but he didn’t pick up.
The last couple of times we had had flights arriving in the evening and had driven quickly down to the resort for last orders in the Ridge Hotel bar. This time we arrived early afternoon in Geneva, and with the aid of a beautiful new map we decided to take the scenic route round Lake Leman. We drove along the lake shore to Yvoire where we stopped and looked around the medieval town. It was all very rustic but also clearly designed as a tourist attraction. For us it was very quiet, so it was quite nice. We had lunch at a little cafe with friendly owners, starting to brush up our French. Mistaking waffles for crepes was my mistake - but the waffles were ok.
We drove on past Thonon then up through some tunnels to Morzine. It was a more interesting route than via Cluses, but our nervousness in taking snow chains was unnecessary – there was no snow on the road to Morzine.
We arrived with plenty of time to sort out our ski gear for the next day. Peter M turned up also after his drive and he too had time to get ski gear. We hadn’t seen him for 3 years, but he seemed the same, his years in France changing him little.
After a couple of beers in the bar by 10.30 I was ready for bed after no sleep the night before. But this wasn’t allowed and off we went into town. A heavy night ensued and next morning Joe’s ‘bootcamp’ meant we were starting off quite early too. We decided to get the bus around to Ardent rather than ski the gentle blues along the valley to get up to Avoriaz.
At Ardent there was a bubble up to Les Lindarets where we were ready for the off ... Except one of us wasn’t. Me. Badly dehydrated from the night before, the lack of sleep the previous night I found myself totally unprepared to ski. The other two decided to do their first run while I went to a cafe to get some liquids down. They were soon back, and I’d decided the best course of action was for me to get some practice on the baby slopes. Up the button tow and after four runs down the nursery slope I was feeling a little happier.
The guys were ready for lunch now and Joe and I queued in the self service restaurant while Peter guarded our table. Most things seemed to come with chips but I spied some kebanos style sausages and they were pretty good. Peter decided to get his lunch in Avoriaz as the queue was quite long.
Onto the first big lift and we went up to Avoriaz. Joe and I decided to do a blue while Peter ate so we queued for one of the giant Avoriaz lifts up to the top of the mountain. Going through the gate though my boot snagged on the metal gate – a large nut was stuck out and very nearly came a cropper getting on the lift and almost dropped my ski pole. I wasn’t having a good time.
The day though was beautiful and we had a wonderful view from the top across to the Dent du Midi, my incompetence aside this was the most fantastic day for skiing, totally clear and sunny with incredible panoramic views over the Portes du Soliel region.
We all had different goals for the trip depending on our different abilities. Joe wanted to ski reds and blacks, Peter wanted to relax – maybe do some reds, and for me - overweight with dodgy knees I just wanted to be able to do some skiing each day – as much as I was able.
I would set off back earlier than the others from the top and they would catch me up on the way.
This first day I drifted back down from Avoriaz towards the Super Morzine lift back to Morzine town and by the end of the day my skiing was starting to come back together on these fairly gentle blues. We met up at the top of the Tetras run in my favourite cafe before doing the very nice run through the forest – a sweeping curve to the final bubble back down. So day one, after a very ropey start, a success, knees hurting but still functioning and back to the hotel for tea.
The meals in the hotel this year it was felt were better than previous years – personally I thought they were better than the ones we were having out on the mountain. My favourite - the beef bourbignan – really tasty.
We were all quite tired by the end of the day and decided to have a quiet night – tucked up in bed at 9.30 ready for an early kick off.
The next morning Peter and Joe drove to the Arden lift due to Peter’s dodgy ankle. I had a more leisurely breakfast and took the free bus. A couple of warm up runs on the nursery slope then I thought I’d try one of the Les Lindarets blues.
Onto the lift and up up I went. Off at the top and then looked down the blue. I realised this was quite different to the blues I’d done before that week. A pretty steep drop off into a narrow bumpy track through the woods. It was the most busy run I could remember being on. The top was too steep for my turning ability and I side slid down to where I felt I would be able to turn.
People were shooting past me on both sides and on each difficult bit there were queues of people with lots of skiers down on the floor. Soon I was to go down too. This was a tough blue. It was a run that should have taken 15 minutes, but after ¾ hour I was still struggling down. Towards the bottom there was a narrow bit with a large metal support for the overhead lift in the middle of the piste. Again a big queue of people into it. It had to done though, a first turn into the narrow area then I hit a large bump. Down I went again. This time I couldn’t get up. I suffered the humiliation of taking off my skis and walking past this bit. By the time I got to the bottom I just wanted a nice sit down, but the guys hustled me onto a lift up to Avoriaz – they were hungry.
We ate at Cafe Flo. I can’t remember eating this well before. Large meals out on the slopes then a three course meal back at the hotel. Peter and Joe were keen to find the best restaurants, I was quite happy to just have a sit down and give my knees a rest.
Today the weather wasn’t as good as yesterday. There was a layer of cloud above the mountains generally but conditions were ok. I decided to do the Arare run again, but in the different conditions it seemed like a completely different run.
My days were starting to form a pattern – the mornings my skiing was poor but by the afternoon I was starting to get the hang of it again. Going down the gentle Proclou run I was surrounded by small children in snakes – maybe 200 children. When one of them crashed 5 or 6 would pile into him or her and there would be a tangle of limbs in a huddle blocking the piste. It was quite entertaining but made the run quite slow – just waiting for gaps between the crocodiles.
Not many were doing the Q’mont run though and this short run was becoming one of my favourites. I finished with the Zore run – fairly steep with one difficult bit, I’d gone down it on my backside before, and it was a small triumph for me to manage to ski all the way down it today.
Two days skiing and I was still going, I got back to the village quite happy and headed for the hotel just as the sun came out.
Outside there were a couple of benches and I sat there with a beer – I was very happy, and a couple of people came out and chatted to me. First a guy who had spent last season in Canada, and this season working in Morzine. Then a Birmingham couple whose son was a young 125cc rider. He had competed in the UK and Spanish leagues. They had come to surprise him - they told me to look out for a small lad, he was 20 but looked about 14 they said.
Tonight there was some discussion about should it be a big night or not? The first night had been a heavy night but it wasn’t that enjoyable. Tonight we decided to play it by ear, we had a much more relaxed night and the group was gelling a lot better. We ended up in a more French style bar with lots of young boarders/skiers - much less pressure, and a much nicer night.
The next morning the boys were off early to do their reds and blacks. I had a very slow start - last night had been relaxed but we hadn’t got in till after one. I was sold a can of Orangina by a gay couple at the foot of the bubble. One of them was giving the other a massage when I walked in. The lady at the ski pass shop said if I waited 10 minutes I could get a cheaper pass, so I hung around. The guys called me and said they were ready for lunch, so I should get straight onto the lift up to Avoriaz.
I got on the lift - one of my favourite parts of skiing is sitting on a lift on your own – so peaceful as you are transported through a ‘winter wonderland’. I think it beats the skiing for me.
Coming to the top of the lift I realised something was wrong. I was on a different lift to the one I’d been on before, as coming off it bent round to the right. I got off and looked at my piste map. Shit! I’d gotten on the wrong lift. Now there just seemed to be blues and reds heading back down the way I’d come rather round than to Avoriaz. I looked down. They seemed to be tough drop offs – in fact I couldn’t even see where the route was. Again I found overnight I’d forgotten how to turn, and now I was quite worried. The blue I’d done yesterday had been quite tough but at least I could see where it went. I called the guys. They were pissed off – they wanted to eat. I decided to follow the least steep blue round to the left. I was having to snow plough – my ability to parallel had disappeared.
Then to my joy I realised that the path I’d taken by chance had led me back to where I was supposed to be on the Avoriaz side of the mountain. I called the guys again. They sounded a lot happier. They would come and find me. Peter had had a restaurant recommended on his mobile and we looked for that ‘La Reserve’. It was a cut above the restaurants we had been to before – a very nice place. Joe had been ordering menu du jour through the holiday - I decided to give it a go. Salmon cheese starters, and lamb main. The salmon was very nice, but my lamb was quite stringy and not good. Ah well!
Outside it was snowing fairly heavily and the guys discussed whether they should do ‘the gully’. This was a very nasty black that Dave and Joe had done two years before. They decided to go and have a look at it. I headed off to lower runs where conditions would be ok in the heavy snowfall. It was really beautiful dropping down with snow falling all around, not too windy, and the runs quieter today without as many children.
Q’mont was great and reaching the cafe at the top the guys came up behind me. They had bottled the gully and that was the end. Tonight would be our last night of hedonism. And tonight I was promised we would go to the rave!
