Let The Winter Commence

Hello everybody, it's ski instructor Martin Hemsley here, and welcome to the first blog post for the winter of 2015/16 direct from Méribel. My goal again for this winter is to try to entertain you the reader with interesting articles, some about Méribel, others about the skiers I have taught, and perhaps an occasional article about improving your skiing. All accompanied by the odd nice photograph, shot by yours truly. So let's get cracking, starting with today's post titled 'Let the Winter Commence'.

Ah, but you see, since I arrived a few days ago, it has hardly felt like winter (apart from today onwards, and more on that later). Similar to the UK, the Alps have experienced on the whole a very mild autumn. Normally at this stage of November the snow cannons will be churning out 'cultured snow', as the French call it. But nothing, zilch, no evidence at all. No panic of course because there is still plenty of time before the skiers arrive in a few weeks.

So instead of crying into my glass of Gevrey-Chambertain, and making my summer Beaufort cheese damp, it was time to be creative. The answer? Dust off the ski boots, and scrape the wax off the skis anyway, and drive across to Tignes where there is a perfectly agreeable glacier to ski on. The above photo was taken en route to Tignes, just another superb example of how stunning the Alps are at anytime of year. So how was the first day of skiing? It was sooooooo good.

Granted it wasn't exactly twinkle toes time for the first couple of hours, but who cares. When saying goodbye to some of my relatives just over a week ago in the UK, I found it very hard to describe how much fun skiing is. But thankfully you are skiers, and can relate to this subject. Back to Tignes, and the views up there, the views........ unbelievable.

Then the following day was due to be the last nice weather day for quite some time. So it was time to put the walking boots back on, and go for another stroll in the warm sunshine, before the winter arrived. One of my favourite walks here in the summer is to head up into the Vanoise National Park. The entrance is via the Lac de Tueda, which in the winter is a sizeable cross country skiing area and two charming restaurants/refuges. In the winter it isn't possible to see the lake due to snow and ice.

Again, isn't it so beautiful? The peak in the background that has a dusting of snow is Mont Vallon, for those of you who are familiar with the Méribel ski area. It was a very pleasant walk, and got the heart and lungs going a bit. All good for acclimatisation. It was so nice sitting down for a rest, and taking in the views at the same time as having a play with my mate named Canon.

So there you go, what a wonderful way to ease into the ski season of 2015/16. "But what about the snow Martin?" I hear you cry. Well the good news is that the temps have plummeted today, and we have been on the receiving end of a very fierce storm. This weather is due to continue for another 24 hours or so. I can tell you that it is rather nasty out there at the moment. This was shot from the apartment balcony this afternoon, and dread to think what it is like further up the mountain. Such good news for putting down a decent base of snow.

The plan is to attempt another ski soon, whether lift assisted, or walking up (skinning). Canon will come along as well, and will try to report back before the end of the week. In the meantime, if there are any of you who are getting withdrawal symptoms, you might enjoy this short video. It is about the snow arriving late one winter. Which is ironic, because it isn't late at all for this winter now. Anyway, enjoy.

If you enjoyed this article you might like to see another from last winter, click here for the link. Right, I'd better light the log fire in the apartment, it's absolutely freezing in here. Can't have the next glass of Gevrey-Chambertain too chilled! Feel free to share away on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ by using the social media icons. Or leave a comment below. Have a great week everyone, and do come back soon. Martin.