Winter

We returned from our holiday in the Var to a few days of lovely, warm weather which enabled us to chainsaw to length and stack two more stères of wood ready for the cold spell that was forecast. It also enabled me to dig over a patch of the potager in anticipation of some frosty mornings which I hoped would help to break up the heavy soil a bit. I have now got my sowing/planting plan sorted and am impatient to get started on the production of this years veggies!

The snow arrived as forecast on Sunday and, for the first time, it actually settled here at our level. Our little hamlet looked very pretty in its snowy setting

 We had a couple of lovely pretty snowy walks

which the pooch enjoyed

Then my thoughts turned to skiing. It is three years since I last skied. Looking back at my blog posts, for some reason I just lost all of my confidence and, instead of enjoying time on the slopes, I ended up stressed and tense and having a thoroughly miserable time. Not fun. But with the arrival of fresh powder, the anticipation of a blue sky day and some amazing ski resorts in this area, I was keen to see whether my feelings had changed or whether I should seriously consider selling the skis. So, with Suzanne and Steve and a couple more of their friends, we headed across the border into Spain and the resort of Baqueira. I have to admit to being pretty apprehensive and nervous but thanks to the conditions those feelings were soon put to bed. The snow was stunning and the skiing an absolute delight. The resort has a massive choice of wide, sweeping blue and red runs which enabled me to find my ski legs, to relax and actually enjoy the experience. Baqueira Beret is also a spectacularly beautiful resort which probably helped!

Fiona and I were of the same mindset and were quite happy just cruising down the easier runs, whilst the others went off to explore some of the harder stuff. But despite spending the day there, we only just touched the surface of what Baqueira has to offer. I am keen to go back before Winter ends and explore some more. I think I'll hold off selling the skis for the moment ;-)

On the house front, we have now decamped from our bedroom into the gorgeous guest room in anticipation of starting work on the former. It will be lovely to have both rooms done and it's nice not to have any time pressures to get it done.

Skiing

There was a dusting of snow above 1000m yesterday, so, with good weather forecast for this afternoon, we headed down to Ax for some more ski action. Although full on 'soleil' had been forecast, I was somewhat disappointed to be greeted at Ax by not insignificant banks of cloud which extended beyond Bonascre. However, the tele cabin from there up to the top lifts miraculously pushed through the cloud and we were enveloped by wall to wall blue sky and sunshine for the whole afternoon. It was simply stunning.Little pockets of cloud stubbornly clung to some of the lower ridge lines, but they created an eery, wild beauty all of their own
Ski-wise, I am becoming frustrated with my lack of confidence and my tentative approach to just about every run that I do, regardless of its grade. Skiing needs a confident, even an aggressive approach for the best results. I just don't have it. I am not a natural. Rather than getting a buzz and that 'YES!' feeling when I have done a (for me) hard run, I feel more relief that I have made it down in one piece (IF I have made it down in one piece!). Is it simply down to technique? Will an outlay on lessons result in a corresponding jump in my confidence and therefore enjoyment of my skiing? Do I just need to spend more time on the slopes? I don't know the answer. But one thing I do know, and that is that skiing takes you up to some simply breathtaking locations. I will keep at it simply for that reason.

Black

I met up with Lee and David at Guzet today for a morning's skiing. After finding my ski legs again and getting some hot technique tips from Lee, we headed over to the Freychet sector of the resort where I would tackle my first ever black run. We took the top lift from where the only way down was black. I managed a weak smile as I tried not to let nerves get the better of me. I knew I could do it, so positive thinking was the way forward. The snow was in excellent condition, the runs had been pisted so there was not a better time to break into the blacks. I skiied the top half well, making a conscious effort not to allow the steepness to be an issue but concentrating on my technique and my turns instead. But ahead of me was a very nervous bloke, sliding his way tentatively down the slope. I lost my concentration along with my balance and ended up on the floor with a faceful of powder as I slid a good few metres down the slope. But no damage done and I went on to complete the run without further incident. There followed a couple of excellent, uneventful descents of a shorter black run (the pisted slope on the left of the photo below) which boosted my confidence
With the cyclo sportive tomorrow, I was keen not to overdo it today, so left the boys at lunchtime and headed home. I still need to work on my technique but at least I know that I can ski black runs now, which is progress indeed.

Skiing

Clear blue skies and warm sun today - wonderful! We spent the afternoon skiing at Guzet where the conditions were perfect.

Ascou

Pat and Kev have not been to the Ascou Pailheres ski resort before. It had been the starting point for our ski tour up towards Pic de Tarbesou a week ago and I was keen to revisit the resort and have a play on what seemed to be some rather interesting and steep runs. However, we could probably have chosen a better day on which to visit. A couple of the lifts were not operating today which ruled out three of the pisted runs that I was keen to play on. However, this was reflected in the price and there were still some good runs to go at and, after all, the resort is in a spectacular and beautiful setting and the weather was perfect.
The lower runs were very icy and hence challenging, so I was quite pleased not to end up in a crumpled heap in the course of the afternoon, although I did have a couple of close calls! The top runs were however an absolute pleasure and gave me the opportunity to really work on my turns and technique. By the end of the afternoon, Pat commented on how much 'neater' and 'tidier' I was skiing which gave me a real boost :-) So another successful outing!

Skiing - again!

We have had a couple of inches of fresh powder in the last 48 hours and temperatures have plummeted. The grey clouds gradually lifted this morning to reveal the most wonderful winter blue. There was really no hesitation - the skis were calling! So we headed to Guzet this afternoon and briefly met up with Lee and Ian. Whilst they were challenging themselves on offpiste black stuff, we flexed our muscles on the pisted reds which I still found challenging in parts. But I felt wonderfully in control and able to handle whatever the pistes had to offer. Even my pole plants and turns were taking on new dimensions by the time we called it a day. It is a lovely feeling, to be able to relax and really enjoy the skiing!

Mont d'Olmes

We had a fantastic afternoon skiing with P&K under more sunny blue skies at the Mont d'Olmes ski resort today, just over an hour from Pissou. It may be small, but it is perfectly formed and wonderfully quiet now that the holiday period is over. The snow was hard and icy and some of the runs were steep and featured which made for an interesting time. But I got my edges in and felt that I skiied really well, which has boosted my confidence enormously. The only thing that spoilt the afternoon was my altercation with the button lifts, which resulted in my being ejected into a flailing heap in a rather unlady-like manner on two occasions. Oh well, at least there were few people in the vicinity to laugh at me and at least I didn't fall over whilst actually skiing!

Skinning and skiing

The weather is glorious at the moment - clear blue skies and low temperatures. The avalanche warning has stabilised at cat 2 at around 2000m, so we headed down towards Ax-les-Thermes with the intention of bagging Pic de Tarbesou 2364m on a ski tour. The starting point is the small Ascou Pailhères ski station which is in a fantastically wild situation in the hills to the NE of Ax. It was decidedly chilly (-5 deg C) when we set off from the car park which was in the shade, but we soon found ourselves on sun-bathed terrain where it must have been in the 20s. The initial ascent was parallel to or on the pisted slopes which made the going straightforward. We could see our target ahead with its snowy blanket glistening in the winter sun...
We eventually reached a point at which we had to leave the pistes behind to continue the ascent. The terrain changed noticeably with patchy ice coating the windblown snow and heather. The ski crampons were deployed and we headed up towards the Crete de Mounegou. The wind-chill was significant and we were still some 700m distance/200m ascent from the Pic. I was becoming concerned at the prospect of descending in the icey conditions. It didn't help that I had left the walking crampons that would attach to my ski boots in the car, so removing the skis and progressing on foot had to be ruled out. We didn't have any alternative but to head back down. The initial descent involved tackling Sastrugi, which was not exactly pleasurable. But then we veered off to the East and flew down some fantastic sun-crusted off-piste slopes to the Pla de Mounégou before heading back to join a blue run which took us on a gentle descent back to the car park. It was over all too soon. One thing is for sure... I need much more off-piste practice in icey conditions in order to build up my confidence for skiing in conditions such as today's.

On the piste

Jamie flies back home tomorrow and we had to get a day on the skis while he is here to save him returning home disappointed! An avalanche at Hospitalet had closed the road through to Andorra, so we headed down to Ax 3 Domaines for the first time which is only an hour from us. The resort was generally very quiet and we had some good long runs with some sustained skiing. The snow and piste quality was variable, with some icy, fast sections higher up but heavier mogulled going further down. It is good to feel my technique improving and with it my confidence!

More snowy stuff

Another 6" of snow fell overnight. The weight of the snow has been bringing down trees and branches in the area and Pissou has not been untouched. First job this morning was to clear a couple of smaller trees that had fallen across our chemin and which would hinder the passage of the snow plough which we were expecting imminently. More wood for the woodburner :-)
We have been clagged in all day and the snow plough came through too late for us to head over to Ax for a piste outing. So we donned the skis and headed up the road towards Peguere. Jamie used my old metre-long approach skis and with the skins attached, seemed to cope well with the deep powder.
It was hard work in places as I broke trail - the snow was up to a metre deep in sections, but the skis generally did a fine job. It would have been impossible to walk in such deep snow. The ski back down was taxing, as the road is not wide enough to be able to put in turns and the deep powder required very evenly weighted skis in order to avoid sinking in and grinding to a halt. But still, it was good to get out for a brief outing.

Andorra

Last weekend saw the opening of selected ski slopes and lifts in Andorra. Some have remained open this week (at a preferential rate) ahead of the resort's 'grand opening' this coming weekend. A fantastic amount of fresh powder fell yesterday, so, with the dog safely esconced with our neighbour Claudine, we headed for the slopes for our first outing on the skis this year.

We were welcomed by an air temperature of -10 deg C when we arrived at Pas de la Case! It was most definitely chilly! The sun was trying it's best to break through the cloud which was forecast to clear during the day but in the meantime, temperatures would remain very low. The resort was all but empty with just a handful of skiers and snowboarders enjoying the conditions. Excellent! However, this was my first time skiing deep powder and only my second time skiing unpisted slopes, so I was somewhat apprehensive when I stepped off the lift. But fortunately, it felt natural. I had not forgotten the basic skills that I had learnt last winter. The powder was light. The skis glided well through it. It was, however, with my heart in my mouth that I set off on only my second run, down what was an unpisted red in white out conditions, unable to see more than a few metres ahead. It was 'interesting' in places, it tested my nerve but somehow, I skiied it and reasonably well, too! My confidence had taken a major boost. As the clouds cleared later in the afternoon, Andy took my photo at the top of the run as a souvenir. And yes, it was that cold!

The mountains were spectacularly beautiful when they eventually came into viewIt was fantastic to ski on such quiet slopes and to have the opportunity to practise style and technique in peace and in such a beautiful environment. It had been a very worthwhile outing. Now, when is the next one?

Skiing

The forecast for today was for clearer skies and no more snow. So we decided to head out for a bit of a ski tour, up towards the Spanish border above the Col de Pause. Although the snow clouds had generally dissipated, there was still a great deal of high level cloud, which made the light very dull, which was a pity, but this did not detract from our enjoyment of being in such a beautiful situation.It was good to be out!
The route took us along the 'route forestiere'. There was probably a good 20cm of cover although along the track, this had been windblown to create either interesting drifts, or, as we moved higher up, bare patches where we had to remove the skis and walk.This on/off with the skis started to become tedious and with signs of a storm approaching, we decided to turn round and ski back down the track. Hopefully we won't have seen the last of the winter and will get another opportunity to head into the high hills before the real spring comes.

Skiing at Guzet

According to various ski info websites, the Guzet ski station enjoyed a fall of around 20cm of powder during the night. It was mum and Jamie's last day here, so what else could I do but head up to Guzet with them! Mum was fortunately quite happy to spend the afternoon in the very nice cafe/restaurant up there while Jamie and I had a play on piste. The cloud was down and there were intermittent flurries which made the descents interesting. The resort was also pretty packed with vacationers, which made the limited runs somewhat hairy, as we were buzzed by youngsters on snowboards and diddy, short skis. But I was pleased not to fall over once and to ski a somewhat worn and knobbly blue run in something resembling style! There were lumps and bumps everywhere which indicated just what a hammering the resort had taken over the Christmas period when there was limited snow cover. However, it was a useful outing and Jamie thoroughly enjoyed finding his ski legs again.

Skiing again

Over the past couple of days, the fine weather has held and the low temperatures mean the snow has remained. Following a visit to Telemark Pyrenees to sort out some new thermal liners for my ski de rando boots on Wednesday I was keen to get out and give them a try. John arrived down with us yesterday and hired some ski de rando kit from Tarascon, so we reckoned a trip back up to the Guzet ski station for a bit of a play was in order. We met a friend, Lee, there and skinned up to the top in wonderfully warm sunshine. Ski de rando is a new experience for John, as he is really a boarder so it was quite a surprise when he launched himself straight down a red run when we reached the top! The slope had been roughly pisted, but it was exceptionally icey where the snow cannons had been used and where it was still in shadow. The edges were crusty powder which proved to be my downfall on two occasions. John reckons he 'skis like bambi on ice' which would be fair! But for a first outing he did rather well!

This evening. Andy appears to be suffering from a mild case of sunstroke but still managed to rustle up a very tasty rabbit casserole which was mopped up with some of Gil's incredibly scrummy bread. Saint Girons market in the morning to stock up on fruit and veggies.

The skis see the light of day - yay!

The gales finally stopped and by lunchtime the skies cleared to reveal snow down to 800m. The temperature was still low so we headed over to the Guzet Neige ski station to get a feel for our all new ski touring kit on some fresh powder. It was kinda pretty out there with frosted trees and stuff.

But anyway, enough of the pretty stuff, the skiing didn't start too well with considerable discomfort from my boots due to pressure points on my shins, so we will be off to Telemark Pyrenees to sort out some thermo liners, I reckon! But we did manage a gentle skin up a gentle path to the top of Picou....
followed by a leisurely descent back down what will be a green run when the resort eventually opens. Just nice to be out really and in such beautiful conditions!

Visit to the ski resort...

.....no, not to ski (it isn't open yet!) but to check the area for ski de randonnée possibilities. Guzet Neige is at just over 1500m and there was certainly a good covering on the ground and temperatures were ensuring that it did not melt. We parked up and headed in the direction of the signposted footpath which would take us up to over 1700m. Almost immediately we realised that conditions underfoot would have been perfect for our skis and skins! We walked up to the highest chairlift from where we had fantastic views in all directions. But high level cloud was coming over from the Spanish side of the Pyrenees which we took as a warning of snow to come.The unpisted slopes were taunting us.... ... a couple of what would be good blue runs led back down to the main ski station, the snow was perfect and there were relatively few people around considering it was the weekend. We decided to make every effort to return to Guzet over the coming week (if conditions hold), before the slopes open to the public, in order to familiarise ourselves with our new kit and for me to gain some confidence before we head into a less 'controlled' environment.

We were treated to an amazing sunset this evening, the likes of which I have not seen since we arrived at Pissou....A portent of more fine weather to come we hope.