Gressoney Back Country Ski Course with Snoworks

Tales from the Back Country – Day 1

“You will need skis at least 100mm underfoot” said Snoworks’ chief instructor Nick Quinn at our welcome meeting.

We must be the jammiest off piste skiers in the world. A week ago, thin lines of white piste wound through grass and the black run needed a bit of a strim. Then it started snowing. And snowing and snowing and snowing! Since Thursday, it has virtually not stopped. We didn’t ski over the weekend as the visibility was terrible, then came Monday morning. The first day of our off piste ski course; bluebird skies, no wind – and 30cm of snow last night!

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The Vikings Have Left the Building

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Frozen Waterfall at Gressoney St Jean

Peace has descended once more on the Lys Valley. The Vikings have left the building.

We suspect that they departed in the wee small hours and decided not to do anything as mundane as go to bed. Nightlife here is limited – we did once see a person dance on a table in bar but that was an isolated incident and happened well before 8pm.

Nevertheless, I heard some Viking improvisation. Sleep evaded me as a light switch in the next room was switched on and off really quickly to produce disco-effect lighting as an accompaniment to the clattering, singing and what sounded like handfuls of marbles being dropped repeatedly to scatter on the tiled floor.

Noisy neighbours for a week. Such are the tribulations of skiing for a season!

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That Monday Morning Feeling…

 

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We have experienced a few problems with a Viking invasion…

If you read my last post, you will know that we are suffering a few issues with a full scale Viking invasion.

Last night, The Vikings went a’Viking once again. Yes –you might not know that Viking, or more correctly, Vikingr, is actually a verb used to describe men behaving badly with beards, backpacks and broadswords.

Eventually, defined by their terrible behaviour, these men became known as ‘The Vikings’…Continue reading “That Monday Morning Feeling…”

How to Improve Your Skiing IMMEASURABLY!

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“You do it like this!” – Not All Ski Instruction is the Same…

Previously, we discussed why it is that “With Great Powder Comes Great Responsibility.”

I also mentioned that the prospect of skiing down seven Chilean volcanoes was how we discovered our tried-and-trusted way to get into the back country safely.

A side-effect of all this was that our skiing improved IMMEASURABLY! So pull up a pew and I shall tell you how!

Continue reading “How to Improve Your Skiing IMMEASURABLY!”