Ep 80 Lone Wolf or a Doodle in the Snow ?

Good morning Val d’Isère

More snow

Lots more snow….

With a bit of a breeze

And at minus five

A little warmer than the last few days.

The French ski jumpers had a disappointing start to their season
in Lillehammer on Friday.

Their aim was just a place in the top 8

But they ended up 12^th in the team event.

Japan FLEW into top position.

There weren’t any British eagles.

The Times were musing

About the cost of skiing.

Even the Post Office have

shared their views….

The journalist looked back ….

His Best places to ski 20 years ago

When the pound was strong

And the economy booming….

Val d’Isère’s

plunging steeps

for thrill-seekers and speed freaks.

Tignes was perfect for an

Easter holiday on easy pistes. 

Post Office Travel Money

Reckon that

The price of

6-day pass, kit hire, lessons and lunch

Have more than doubled in the last 10 years…..

Above twice the rate of UK inflation.

UK’s Mountain Trade Network

Found that Brits booked

fewer ski holidays last season,

Due

mostly to cost.

On this side of the channel

Last winter

Was the best season in a decade

For French resorts.

Many Americans are taking advantage

Of the European cover

on their season multi resort passes…..

To them

 Europe is CHEAP……

A guide for four people

Is six hundred and fifty euros

In Meribel

Less than half the price it would be in Vail….

Over in Italy

There was More than 30 percent

Fewer Italian skiers…

Blamed on the rise in lift pass prices…

I don’t have an easy answer.

I did find LONDON very expensive

When I was there recently….

Prices have gone up globally…..

There are still resorts

That are less expensive

And less extensive

If you can shop around

While we all ride out the

Current

Economic turmoil….

We don’t always need

 A fancy long lunch

But

Munching a

Sandwich

outside

In the January cold

Is not much fun.

Val has listened

and made a big effort

To provide

Warm

Indoor

Picnic areas

With spectacular views

Like the Lounge

At the top of

The Solaise bubble….

That can save you

Ski Time and euros….

We didn’t get listed in

The Sun’s

Eight best European ski resorts….

Can’t win them all !

You don’t even NEED

To go

Abroad

To a

Foreign

Country

To ski…..

Cairngorm looks as though it has

Luscious snow

And a ski area in Cumbria

Has also opened…..

Yad Moss near Alston

Is run by unpaid volunteers.

After parking

then walking 10 minutes uphill

You get to the

Poma lift

Which is nearly 600 metres long

takes you

125 metres up

And gives you

800 metres of pistes

You will often hear me praise

Our rescue services.

In the Peak District

The Mountain Rescue Team

Went to help 2 walkers

Who had slipped on ice.

One of the rescuers slipped

And fractured her tibia and fibula….

Wouldn’t have happened

If she had been at home

Watching TV….

When I read it I thought

‘how lovely’

The

Kinder Mountain Rescue Team

The Kindest team……

Better than the Nasties….

But of course

The area is Kinder Scout…

Nothing to do with Kind !

In my

Learn something new

Every day mode

We have plenty of dogs in Val

And

Several wolves……

How to tell them apart

From their

Prints in the snow….

The pattern of the prints…

Dogs sniff and explore

Wolves are on a mission

Know where they are going

So

 move in a straight line

We have talked before

About Olympians

And other champions…

What to do when they retire ?

Coach

Commentate

Canada’s Olympic snowboarder

Ryan Wedding

Has an unusual

Post Olympic career….

APPARENTLY

Runs a

Multinational drug trafficking network

Is noted

On the

FBI’s most wanted list.

And

has a

Fifteen million dollar

 bounty on his head…

If you do see Ryan

And claim the reward

You will just have

Enough to buy a swanky flat

In the middle of Val.

There are a couple still for sale

For around 10 million euros…

Not sure what is going on in Georgia…

The Georgia near Russia

With the scarily pro-Russian politicians…

The Georgian Ski Federation

Are “withdrawing” from organizing the 

FIS World Cup

Snowboard Cross

Scheduled for the end of January

And ski cross in March

So both are cancelled

While the FIS look

For alternative venues…

Haven’t seen any reasons for the

Withdrawals…

It might be something as simple as

MONEY……

It is not cheap hosting World Cup events.

I can never seem to log in to X

Which doesn’t normally matter

But have seen a snippet of

260 skiers

Dressed in Peking Opera costumes

 ……….

Have put the link In the episode

Description…..

It certainly looks colourful…

Would love to know

What it was all about………

In case you haven’t heard.

For those covered by the

French Healthcare system

You can now

Have a digital carte vitale..

Not compulsory

But could be handy…

I like this one

International

Unique Talent Day……….

Apparently we all have a special skill…

Though

Possible candidates listed

Included double joints

And strange noises…..

Better ones

Were sports….. we do love our sport in Val….

And

A R T art !

Quote from Benjamin Franklin

“Hide not your talents,

they for use were made.

What’s a sundial in the shade?”

EXACTLY….

If you are passing the Maison de Val

The building between the swimming pool

And the conference centre

A selection of masterpieces

 from our art group

Is exhibited in the corridor

That leads to the cinema…..

Including a selection

Of my art

four charcoal people portraits,

seven dog portraits in pastels

And an acrylic landscape.

The variety of work

Is impressive.

Many thanks again to our

Inspirational leader

Rozenn Roszak…  

Monday again so off to art this evening.

Will be back tomorrow.