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Sunday, 01 April 2012
Saturday 31 March
We arrived at the Hotel at 8:20. We then had our meal and an ultra-efficient ski fitting and despite the size of the party, we were all in bed for 11:30 feeling very tired.
Dinner Menu - Three Cheese Raviolli, roast pork, mash and green beans, tarte citron.
The Hotel Piolet has been refurbished to a much higher standard especially in the communal areas, the ski locker room and the bedrooms of the upper two floors. It is really looking very smart now!
Sunday 1 April
Weather - blue skies all day, very hot and no wind. A few red faces (Mr Nelson!!!!!!!!).
Snow Conditions - Despite the very sunny and warm conditions during the past month, the pistes still have an exceptional snow cover. In the morning, pistes were icy until 11 am after which they softened to heavy conditions on the lower slopes by mid afternoon. Some groups went to Val Thorens in the afternoon and reported powder like snow conditions in some areas.
Sunday Dinner Menu : Vegetable Soup, Fish and Chips and Fruit Salad.
In the morning pupils skied with their ESF Instructors and their group teacher. After a lunch of Pasta Carbonara, they then skied with their group teacher for the afternoon on a variety of runs in the area. The snow boarders even went as far as the top of Cime De Caron in Val Thorens.
An hours free time was spent by all in the Shopping Mall at the Croisette. Amusingly, one of the shopping assistants at the Carrefour supermarket had a message stuck on his back with a picture of a fish, which he clearly was not aware of (a bit like the 'Kick me' schoolboy pranks). We later discovered that this is a French tradition – instead of April Fools day they have a 'Poisson d'Avril' or 'April Fish Day' where people play pranks on others involving fish!!!
Tonight’s activity is “bum boarding” followed by a hot chocolate.
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Mr Cochrane's afternoon group
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Pocket Money
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Joe looking towards Cime de Caron
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Mrs Stanhope's Goup
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Even staff can have fun!
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Posted at 19:41:14 GMT
Monday, 02 April 2012
Monday 2nd April
Weather: Mostly sunny but with some clouds. In the early evening, high cloud was covering the top of the Val Thorens peaks. Warm again with no wind. Piste conditions were similar to Sunday but snow conditions on some of the upper runs in Les Menuires were superb in the morning. La Masse was 'fantastic' first thing.
Dinner Menu: Pate with onion marmalade, stuffed chicken with potatoes and broccoli, custard slice.
Lunch menu: Pizza, chips, salad.
This morning, many of the instruction groups went to Val Thorens for the lessons and some managed to get up the Cime de Caron in the 2 hours available. In the afternoon, tour members could choose their outings to ski with friends rather than their instruction group.
The evening activity is a quiz.
One of the questions - What is 'nomophobia' a fear of? This is quite a topical question as it was in the news recently. We think some of our party have probably got a dose of it at the moment. Answer - it is the fear of not being able to use your mobile phone.
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Mid morning break is on the terrace of the
Hotel Skilt (another SkiBound hotel)
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The lift operators like to create amusing displays like this
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A popular fuel stop after skiing is the creperie
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Bin collections French style!
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Posted at 20:18:28 GMT
Tuesday, 03 April 2012
Tuesday 3rd April
Weather: Last night there was some light rain and a dusting of snow on the upper slopes. Today it started off with blue skies but cloud soon formed and it was mostly cloudy with good sunny spells. Visibility was good all day. Temperatures were much the same as yesterday but it did seem to cool down a bit later on.
The snow cannons had been producing some snow high up last night. The Grand Lac piste was superb all morning.
Lunch menu: Spaghetti Bolognaise, salad and cheese. This was particularly tasty and one Form V boy was seen to have eaten three full platefuls!
Dinner menu: Parma ham salad, sausages and mash, rhubarb custard tart and cream.
As the party’s skiing skills have now been built up, tour members are allowed to ski on the snowcross courses and this proved as popular as ever. For the afternoon outings, we introduced a new option – by request of some party members – ‘Ski till your legs drop off (or the lifts close)’. We were surprised that there were eight takers, and yes, the lifts did close first! The leader said that it was a bit tight getting back from Meribel though as they made the last lift back with only a minute to spare.
Our top group certainly covered the ground this morning before their lesson. They left the hotel at 9.10 and arrived at the Skilt for the morning break at 10.40 having been all the way to the top of the Cime de Caron cable car. That journey involves four long lift rides and about 10 miles of skiing so it certainly was a very good time to complete the trip.
Mr Cochrane’s ski group had a delightful bonus for their lesson. Their instructor skied them down to St Martin and at one point, told them to take their skis off and invited them in to his farmyard barn to see the animals which are still inside for the winter. They saw cows, goats, sheep, chickens and rabbits. The milk from the farm is used for making some of the famous Savoie cheeses. However the lesson did not extend to showing them how to milk the cows!
Tonight’s activities: Forms IV and above went to the town’s sports’ centre and played basketball, badminton and table tennis. The others had a games’ night in the hotel with free pool, table football and WII games.
Funny incidents: one boy holding a boot told Mrs Robb that he couldn’t find his other boot anywhere. After a quick scan around, he was told ‘Here’s a clue – there’s a boot already on your foot’. Another boy came out for his afternoon session only to go back inside looking for his goggles. After some considerable time, he came back out announcing that he couldn’t find them anywhere. Someone then pointed out that he was already wearing some goggles! We think (hope?) that it may be something to do with the height and lack of oxygen!!
Posted at 20:20:40 GMT
Wednesday, 04 April 2012
Wednesday 4th April
Weather: When we woke up, there were clear skies but some lowish cloud quickly rolled in so there was variable cloud cover during most of the day with a few sunny spells. Visibility out of the cloud was not too bad but in the mist, the flat light made it difficult to see bumps. Temperatures were slightly down over the previous days but it did not freeze overnight. In the evening, it has started to rain at village level so we are hoping that higher up, it will be falling as snow.
Piste conditions were less good lower down today because there was no freezing overnight so that they softened up too quickly in the morning. However, higher up, they were still good.
Lunch menu: Pork stir fry, rice and salad.
Dinner menu: Mushroom, chilli and thyme soup; breaded chicken, salad and chips; profiteroles. Both meals were very popular.
Evening activity: Bingo.
Tour members had a surprise for their wake up call this morning. Mr Sinclair toured the rooms with his Arabic alarm clock which has a genuine Immam making (singing?) a call to prayers. This definitely seemed to have more effect on room occupants than the traditional knock on the door!
One of the favourite names for a piste in any resort is ‘Les Marmottes’ and souvenir shops have any number of cuddly toy marmots for sale. The marmot is a burrowing rodent up to 60cm in length which comes out of hibernation about now. For the first time on any of our ski tours, marmottes have been spotted by some tour members in rocky areas on the side of some pistes. What most people don’t know is that they digest their food twice by eating some of their own faeces!
Posted at 21:01:30 GMT
Thursday, 05 April 2012
Thursday 5th April
Weather: For much of the day, it was overcast with large pockets of mist but also occasional sunny spells, especially higher up. There was a little snow above the mid-station overnight which helped freshen up the pistes a bit. Groups going to the Cime de Caron reported quite a lot of powder there. Unfortunately, there was no freezing overnight again so the pistes softened very quickly this morning. The lower slopes seemed strangely deserted by mid-morning.
Lunch Menu: Cordon Bleu, potato cubes, egg mayonnaise and salad.
Dinner menu: Spicy chicken wings; Lasagne, garlic bread and salad; chocolate brownie and custard
It has been an exciting day for activites. Tonight’s activity is the disco which will be in-hotel this year. The bar area has been blacked out, disco lighting, large speakers and mixing desk brought in and pupils have been issued with glow sticks, glow specs and glow bands. DJ Ralph is our ski technician who was a professional DJ in a previous life. As I write, it looks and sounds fabulous!
This afternoon, we ‘took over’ the swimming pool at the sports centre as 50 of the group descended on it as a rest from skiing. Much fun was had in the pool, Jacuzzi and steam rooms and there was even a competition to see who could stand the longest in the snow on the terrace.
Most of the Form V and VI tour members danced the afternoon away at La Folie Douce in Val Thorens. This is a ‘nightclub in the snow’ which is essentially an ex-mountain restaurant with a live DJ and loud music blaring away on the terrace. Some of our group went dressed as nuns and Harry Potter and, according to one of our staff, were the centre of attention. Entry is free but buying drinks is extremely expensive – a beer or coke costs €8 for example – so our group didn’t contribute much to the day’s profits! Our supervising staff reckoned that there were probably 500 persons on the terrace today (and that is a typical number every day) so the potential profit from the operation is immense.
Interesting fact: if a helicopter is required for a rescue, it costs €58 per minute with a minimum hire of 30 minutes!
Last night's prize bingo: The non-alcoholic cocktails were flowing last night as Alistair celebrated his big win in the prize bingo when he won a pair of Beats headphones worth £150. He claims that the win won’t change him in any way - he’ll still be the same old Alistair and that he has no plans to retire from school (just yet anyway). He was kept ‘sweating’ for over 10 numbers while he was just one away from the ‘full house’.
Joe has been asking his snowboard instructor about his career as an instructor:
Name? ‘Charle from St Martin de Belleville. Age about 22.’
How long have you been instructing? ‘I have just passed the instructor qualification having been a trainee for the last 4 seasons – it is a very long course’
Which resort do you like best? ‘Val Thorens is my favourite but Les Menuires is where I am based.’
What clients do you prefer? ‘I like expert groups the best as I can have great fun while instructing but most of my clients are beginners or intermediates. This has been a good week for me with your group!’
How has this season been? ‘The best I can remember – such great snow.’
Were you a racer? ‘I used to race as a boy until 18. I am training for the instructors’ challenge races in two week’s time.’
What happens after the ski season has ended? ‘I help repair buildings and do electrical jobs. I do mountain biking as my sport.’
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This view shows how important snow cannons are. The snow on these link tracks is over 70cms deep.
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The bar at the Piolet serves popular milk shakes.
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A few poma button tows still exist in the area
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La Folie Douce
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Posted at 20:24:42 GMT
Friday, 06 April 2012
Friday 6th April
Weather: It was a very clear night so there was a slight freeze of the pistes overnight and temperatures were generally a bit lower today. This meant that the snow in the morning seemed to last much longer before softening. It was cloudy until 11am after which it was nice and sunny until mid-afternoon when the clouds returned.
Our top group went to Courchevel for most of the day. Conditions there were similar to Les Menuires with good snow high up and slush lower down. However they had a very good time exploring the runs in the resort. There was also a ‘Courchevel Express’ option for the afternoon groups and some very keen (and very fit) tour members actually opted for it. Others chose ‘The Highest Hot Chocolate in France’ as their afternoon excursion which involved a trip up to the top of the Cime de Caron.
Lunch menu: Baked potatoes with various fillings.
Dinner menu: Courgette and blue cheese soup; chicken curry and rice; apple tart and custard.
I have asked a selection of pupils whether they were happy with the food this week and the majority were very positive. The lasagne, breaded chicken and cordon bleu were mentioned by a few as their favourites.
Evening Activity: Packing and Movie Night (with lots of popcorn!)
During their lessons today, the pupils were assessed by their instructors who came to present certificates before dinner. Most seemed happy with their awards. The chief instructor remarked to Mr Lumsden that they had found our pupils extremely polite, enthusiastic and very willing to learn. Our group leaders reported that the instruction was mostly of a very high standard and that groups genuinely enjoyed their lessons. The instructors also had a very good command of English so that communication was excellent.
Our own awards for the most improved skier and boarder went to Kieran Bell (J2) and Felix Principe-Gillespie (III) respectively.
Long distance runner Mr Johns has been getting up early to have a jog before breakfast each day. He has been accompanied on most days by a number of pupils (but not the same ones each day!). He commented at today’s breakfast that he had just completed a total distance of a marathon during the week! Considering the hills involved when covering any distance around here, it would certainly be a very punishing marathon.
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Interview with Chay, the Manager of the Piolet:
Over the years, I have been to quite a number of chalets where FPs were employed during a gap year. More recently, one of our teachers resigned from our school to become a resort manager in Meribel (and was even the English voice of Radio Meribel) and the daughter of a well known solicitor in Dollar has been resort manager for a chalet company in Les Menuires. Both of these persons had their interest in the jobs sparked off by coming on the Ski Tour to Les Menuires. As this seems to be a possible career choice, I asked Chay some questions about his career.
What has been your career path? I started as a general assistant with Skibound progressing to ski technician and then to resort rep. This gave me a good knowledge of the ski industry but I then quit to become an accountant for 11 years. I wanted a new direction so I then became a manager of a restaurant and this gave me valuable skills in managing people. One of my best friends, Kevin, was resort manager for SkiBound in Les Menuires so I rejoined the company to manage the Piolet and I have now had 3 seasons in the job.
How many staff do you manage? There are 16 in the hotel but another 34 staff from our sister hotel, the Skilt, reside here and really they need managed as well.
How many staff stay the whole season? We lose about 10% to skiing injuries, 20% to other mishaps and 10% to staff who don’t like the job and leave or get fired. So around 60% complete the season.
What happens for the rest of the year? I have an annual job in an American summer camp where I manage the lake and swimming pool facilities. The rest of the year, we look after the hotel and prepare it for the ski season.
What are your future plans? My family are very important to me. With young children growing up, I would like to remain in this job for a while yet (the French schooling for them in this area is excellent). Possibly in the longer term, I would like to start my own hotel business.
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This completes the diary for the 2012 Ski Tour. I have tried to give you a feeling of the fun, excitement and educational experience that all tour members, whether they be pupils or staff, have had from taking part in the tour and hope that I have succeeded in that. We are all considerably fitter and much better skiers but we are the ones who have experienced that.
We leave the resort at 2pm tomorrow and should be back in Dollar at around 2am provided that flight (TOM2627) is on time and Manchester Airport isn’t affected by the weather or passport control problems that we have heard about on the news. If this arrival time is likely to be wrong, we will try to give a more accurate estimate of our arrival time once we have started our coach journey from Manchester, either by text or phone.
Mr R Marchant
Postscript:
We arrived back in Dollar at 2.10am, just 10 minutes later than our orinally estimated return time!
Although the tour is now finished, we still have the tedious task of making various insurance claims to sort out. Most of the medical centre's fees and rescue costs are paid in resort by the insurance company but things like X-rays, prescriptions and taxi fares have to be paid locally and claimed back later. These are very expensive - an X ray will cost €130 and a brace or splint costs €145 - so claims soon build up! We hope to be able to close the tour accounts in 3 months but these claims have sometimes taken a full year to finalise.
Posted at 19:49:43 GMT
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