Nov. 21, 2025

Ep 77 Snow, rules, taxes and bans.

Ep 77 Snow, rules, taxes and bans.
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Ep 77 Snow, rules, taxes and bans.

1. Weather 21st November 2025.
2. Cairngorm Mountain opening this weekend.
3. AirBnb…. Rules…..fines…
4. Taxes for toilets.
5. Hiker hitched by a belt.
6. Neck guards for Olympic Ice Hockey players.
7. Environmental considerations for J.O. 2030.
8. Alcohol ban in Sölden.
9. No uphill on Obertauren’s downhill pistes.
10. Ski in a Tunnel in Brisbane.
11. Gingerbread cookies, cakes, loaves and houses.

Calendar

Special Offers I have Spied....

Snow and more snow, including snow in Scotland. - Cairngorm Mountain is opening this weekend, before Val ! Though sounds a bit limited. Don't just turn up - book your ticket beforehand, and bring your own kit as hire shops not  yet open. 

If you are thinking of renting  your second home out through AirBnB, check the rules in  your area..... or risk a hefty fine..... 

More property rules.... taxes on luxurious interiors......inside toilets, heating, shower, washbasin.... there is an outcry.....

A hiker had good friends.... a fall and a serious head injury.... a belt attached him to a tree so didn't fall further while waiting for rescurers...

Ice Hockey players will have to use neck guards in the Olympics. Remember Adam Johnson who died after having his neck cut by a skate.

The UN Environmental team are considering concerns about the possible damage caused by the French Alps Olympics in 2030. 

Sölden is banning alcohol in public places.

Obertauren is banning uphill skiing or walking on the open downhill pistes. No parking without a lift pass. No camping. 

From 2027 you will be able to ski in  a rotating tunnel in Brisbane ! Like a hamster wheel, but more glamorous. 

UK Gingerbread day.

00:09 - Weather 21st November 2025

00:26 - Cairngorm Mountain opening this weekend.

01:08 - AirBnb…. Rules…..fines…

01:39 - Taxes for toilets

02:05 - Hiker hitched by a belt.

02:55 - Neck guards for Olympic Ice Hockey players

03:19 - Environmental considerations for J.O. 2030.

03:38 - Alcohol ban in Sölden.

04:10 - No uphill on Obertauren’s downhill pistes.

04:30 - Ski in a Tunnel in Brisbane.

05:06 - Gingerbread cookies, cakes, loaves and houses.

Good morning Val d’Isère

LOVELY SNOW

We even had some sunshine in the middle of the day yesterday

It will continue snowing today…

And cold

Down to minus ten

With a bit of a breeze

Making it feel colder

 

It has also been snowing in the UK

Even in Brighton, I am told

By an arty friend,

 

In Scotland

the Cairngorm Mountain

Is opening before Val !!

 

Although when they talk about

A marked run…

I suspect not MUCH is open

Though if you are in the area

Give it a go….

A day pass is just £27

HOWEVER they are only selling

100 passes a day

So please book in advance..

Also

There isn’t any equipment to hire

This weekend…

There is still time to get an

Early bird season ticket

Buy before 30th November…

 

Another

INTERESTING

Property issue

The tax foncière will increase for many

Due to their luxurious interiors………

Spas ?

Hot tubs ?

Billiard rooms ?

NOPE

Inside toilet…

Shower…

Hand basin…

Heating….

 

There is a bit of an outcry…..

 

When out and about

It is nice if your friends are

Useful….

Especially in an emergency

 

A hiker in Colorado

Fell 200 feed

Down a steep rocky mountain

And stopped

Head down

Battered  head down…

In a precarious position.

 

One of his friends

Used a belt

To tie his injured mate

To a tree

So he couldn’t slip

Further down the mountain.

 

It was a difficult and long rescue

 

11 hours

From early evening

Until late at night.

 

Some abseiled down

Accidentally

Knocking rocks

Towards the rescuers walking up

 

Once again

Many thanks to rescurers

Who risk their lives to help us.

 

For the first time in the Olympics

Ice hockey players will have to wear

Neck guards.

Remember the awful death of

Adam Johnson in Nottingham

2 years ago

When a skate cut his neck.

 

A few months later

Neck guards were made mandatory in

Britain’s Top level of competition

The Elite Ice Hockey League.

 

 

The will it won’t it happen

For OUR Olympics 20 30

Continues

 

The UN environmental convention

Are going to consider

The public concerns

About the environmental impact….

 

Watch this space !

 

A couple of Austrian

Bans…..

Sölden is fed up with wild and unpleasant

après-ski antics.

They are banning alcohol in a large area…..

  With fines of up to 2 thousand euros.

Restaurants and organised events

Are exempt….

So you can still have alcohol fueled fun,

But can’t wander around

Town

Beer in one hand, wine in the other.

 

Meanwhile in Obertauren

No uphill skiing / walking

On the pistes.

No parking in the car parks

Unless you have a lift pass.

No camping.

 

We are lucky in Val

We have two ski touring pistes

 

Safe for both tourers

And those skiing downhill.

 

Fancy skiing in

Brisbane ??

Fancy skiing in a

Tunnel ?

 

Wait until 20 27

And you can do both

In the one place.

 

The tunnel will be 12 and a half metres high

sixteen metres long………

And

lined with machine-made powder snow

 

It rotates

At various speeds

To give an endless mountain….

Someone described it like a

Huge

Hamster wheel…

 

Apart from the tunnel

There will be other slopes

And a play area.

 

There is a link to a video in the episode description. 

 

UK Gingerbread day

Cookies, cakes, loaves

Or houses

 

It is actually not particularly British…

Appears in so many different

Countries and cultures

Seems appropriate with the

Snow and cold.

 

I am going to wrap up well

And dawdle out

With the doodles

 

See you tomorrow.