Currently in LDA!
First 2 days were grim. Bleak weather, absolutely zero visibility. Dank feeling everywhere
Thankfully yesterday the village was shrouded in cloud but luckily jt was an inversion so everything above 2000m was in glorious sunshine.
Over and out for me for the season. On the whole it has been a good one but February - I kind of fell out of love for a bit. Weather meant lifts were closed, half term week so huge queues at the base and then witnessed a fatal avalanche (inc the fatalities) as a 1.5km long slide / 500m wide came hurtling down the side of Rendl (Arlberg). We witnessed two people (of the three that passed) in their final moments and it was really harrowing. But brought home the risks of offpiste to us in a different way. Ordinarily you consider the risk (and we are risk averse) that you yourself are creating - but this also made me think even more holistically about the terrain you are on and who or what is (in this case 1km) above you... - It was avi risk 4 that day so we were not going anyway. Yet some did and didn't live to tell the tale. We passed the area again last week...the debris has thawed enough to see a solitary ski halfway in the slide. And a small candle vigil at the bottom which is where we last saw one of the guys. (we were stood at the lift watching it unfold).
To end more positively - my son has taken his racing skills up a notch this year following a broken leg in 2025, he stood on a podium in Austria last week and we had some great days as a family on the snow. I didn't think my knee was going to let me... but a lot of physio, gym work and a knee brace meant I could squeeze more than I thought! - Some great skiing, great closing parties and now saving up to hopefully get back out there in 2026/27 - Trump permitting......
First day in Les Deux Alpes, it’s incredibly warm in the village but thankfully cold enough up high above Toura and up on the glacier that the snow is holding up very well. Time the slope based on aspect and altitude and you’ll have a good day (I did). Only downside was my nephew taking a fall and his hire skis (nice sharp edges) cut through his trousers and leg needing seven stitches. He shrugged it off well and is skiing tomorrow no matter what.
