Another wonderful season

Season 2013/2014 has drawn to an end and we can look back on another fantastic winter in what has got to be the best ski resort on the planet.

Having had an early start to the season doing a revalidation (recyclage) in the first week of December for the French system, Martin and i booked-marked the season nicelly yesterday when we did our revalidation for our British quaifications. It's been a great season in so many ways: the snow has been fantastic (infact, i've never seen such a build-up of snow as we had in late March), the weather hasn't been that cold, we've had our usual lovely clients and to top it all, the last couple of weeks have just been beautiful. 

                         What a lot of snow! The scene outside the Portetta, Courchevel 1650, early February

It's been great to ski with so many of our returning clients again this season and also lovely to meet a few new people. I'm always intrigued to find out how other people earn a living and i find that everyone i meet skiing brings something new to my life. Most of the time it seems to me that teaching skiing isn't a real job at all; after all we're getting paid to do something we love. 

                                            Icicles hang over the windows of the Bel Air restaurant

The end of season weather has been absolutely spectacular; we've had a few weeks now of beautiful clear skies and sunny days, but with nights cold enough to preserve the snow. The house martins made their return to Méribel on the 7th of March and since then the mountains have gradually filled with birdsong as more and more birds venture to higher altitudes. In the last couple of weeks i've seen black redstarts, ring ouzels, the magnificent golden eagles and yesterday i was lucky enough to spot a female capercaille from a chairlift. 

                                          Snow on the roof of a hut in mid-March outside at Rond Point

We've had fantastic end of season skiing with superb spring-snow every day. I've been able to introduce a few of my friends and clients to skiing this most enjoyable of snow conditions. It's also the time for barbecues and sun-downers on terraces. It's a beautiful time of year in the alps and if you haven't ever skied at this time of year, it's worth giving it a try. 

                                  Happy skiers off-piste on spring snow on the decent to St Martin de Bellville

I'll sign off now as i need to prepare for the journey back to Blighty. Just might have to stop off in Beaujolais and Burgundy en-route! Here are a couple more end-of-season photos to enjoy....

              The "flying grannies" enjoy a well-earned rest after a rip in the spring snow on their last day in resort

                                  The lifties getting into barbecue mode at the bottom of the Roc de Fer chair

                                    Spring is a comin! The scene from my balcony as Méribel goes green