Community Service

Last Thursday night I had to attend another ‘Community Service’ session. My name was down on the list; it didn’t matter if I kicked up a fuss and performed the screaming ab-dabs, community service is community service.

 

But don’t worry everyone, I haven’t turned to crime and then got caught by the police. Some of the Méribel Ski Instructors are given their winter season lift pass in order to do their job. In return we are expected to provide a service back to the community. This often means helping at local race events or taking part in torchlight descents.

 

This month is the twentieth anniversary of when some of the Olympic events were held here in Méribel. It was therefore decided that each week of the French school holidays, all four of them, there would be a torchlight descent. Hence last week some of us skied down to Les Allues in the dark with our torches.

Now the thing is, it’s quite a distance from the top of the Roc de Fer chairlift all the way down to the Les Allues village. So that meant there was a bit of a dilemma, whether to take two torches in order to ensure ‘visibility’ all the way down, or to just ‘hoon it’ at great speed before your torch burnt out. There was much discussion before the off, and I opted for just the one torch. But the faster you ski, the more the risk of the wind blowing out the flame. When you look at this next photo, try to ignore the light from the flash of the camera, and you will see how little light is provided by the torch.

 

So, how did I get on with my one torch? It blew out twice on the way down, with frantic re-lighting, but I just made it to the village. Who says Community Service has to be glamorous?

My work was different to normal last week as well. I didn’t have my usual self-generated work as a Private Méribel Ski Instructor. I rushed to one of the directors at the school and opened myself up to the mercy of the French school holidays.

 

The school did me proud by filling up all of my planning. In the morning I had an adult group lesson, British and Irish snow-plough to parallel skiers, pictured above. Then at lunchtime I had a mixture of short separate private lessons, French, English and a few Dutch sessions. And then in the afternoon I had another adult group lesson, this time all French and Belge. With half the week teaching in French, and the hectic lesson schedule with diddly-squat breaks inbetween, I ended the week ‘right proper pooped’. Hence very few photos were taken. A great experience meeting so many people of different nationalities, and loads of stories to tell. Here’s one, what do you think the Dutch call draglifts? The answer is, Pancakes !?! Apparently the pancake bit is to do with the shape of the disc that tucks under one's bottom. How strange that I learnt this on pancake day.

 

One of my personal favourite moments from last week was sharing time with Robert, above. An ex-rugby player, now with a replacement hip, from Dublin. He is scarily one of the fastest snow-ploughers in the West, and in the 3 Valleys come to think of it. A stunning ‘all or nothing’ character that made me and others chuckle many times. And no, that’s not a custard tart on his face, it’s how he applies sun block late morning, ‘all or nothing’. Thanks Robert, great to meet you.

Back to normal this week with private ski instructing work. Awesome sunny weather by the way, day after day, after day…..you get the picture.

Martin

P.S. Going back to Community Service. As instructors we have to buy our torches, which is fair enough. But other participants, including lifties and pisteurs, are given theirs. But here’s the irony, the pisteurs (they are the awesome security chaps that look after us on the piste) are given wooden torches !?! Isn’t wood flammable?

 

Guess whose name is on the list for more Community Service yet again this Thursday evening. Yep, I’ll be scuffing it down to Les Allues once again in the dark.

Couloir-tastic

Last week was a bonkers week in many ways, so this post deserves to be just as bonkers - here goes. For many years I’ve skied with the Joneses (now newly named and self–titled as a double barrelled ‘Special-Weeds’) and it’s always a hectic time with them, especially over the half-term holiday.

 

When Captain Chris first sent me their list of things to do, I nearly fainted and felt very Weedy myself at the thought of it all. Firstly, Robbie and Olivia (the teenagers) had decided that their days of cruising around the biggest ski area in the world with their parents were numbered and were looking for more ‘cool’ things to do.

 

Blimey, there’s a statement, bearing in mind that they are both very competent skiers on all grading of pistes. So that meant skiing more off-piste in variable snow conditions, and sniffing out the odd couloir as an extra challenge. This is the kind of stuff that loads of Alpha Male skiers bang on about in the bars here in Méribel and other top ski resorts, and can’t follow it up the next day on the mountain. Come to think about it, this Private Ski Instructor in Méribel (just slipped in another cheeky attempt to help with online search engine rankings) doesn’t get to ski much himself whilst teaching. But you see the thing is, Alpha Males choose to brag about such things because it’s actually pretty serious.

 

The photo above shows one of the Courchevel couloirs, the impressively steep ‘Téléphérique’, which starts directly (and falls away from) the top of the Courchevel cable car. As always, photos make gradients look flat, but if you look carefully the little ants at the top of the shot are people skiing down the infamous Combe de Saulire red piste.

One of the days last week I skied the couloirs with only Olivia in the morning, and then later with only Robbie in the afternoon, my Weedy legs were getting tested. Robbie and Olivia both ski technically very well on testing pistes, which meant I was happy to take them into this environment, but something was playing on my mind. If either of them were to trip and fall, then…… well…… how do I say this….. it’s not like taking a tumble on the piste.

 

I felt as though I had to mention this to Helen their Mother, just to double check and make it clear, but when I did you should’ve seen her face! I took the blank look as a positive thing !?! Bet you can’t guess what happened a few moments later, the next couloir I skied with Olivia? Yep, she tripped over something and started to slide downhill at a rapid pace. Fortunately she was able to slow herself down and come to a halt. ‘Thank goodness for that’ I thought with my heart pumping, and then I realised that one of her skis had released off her ski boot, but sadly was motionless about twenty metres above me with a snow-covered Olivia below me. RUBBISH. I looked at Olivia down below me, taking a rest sitting on the snow……. she looked up to me helplessly saying ‘Sorry’….. RUBBISH. The glamour of the job of being a patient ski instructor in Méribel (yippee, hopefully more search engine bonus points!). The Alpha Males in the Méribel bars don’t talk about side-stepping up an impossibly steep couloir to collect a ski do they? Anyway, we all survived, but my Weedy legs struggled with the side-stepping up and skiing down countless couloirs, or so the Joneses like to think.

 

Another item on Captain Chris’s list for last week was to take a day trip away from our ‘Dog Basket’ of the Méribel and 3 Valleys ski area. On Thursday morning we drove for 45 minutes to the rustic ski resort of Champagny, which is conveniently connected to the Paradiski area of La Plagne and Les Arcs.

The morning was quite a challenge though. Captain Chris called the visibility ‘Pea Soup’, I called it ‘downright unpleasant’; we couldn’t see a thing because of the thick cloud. But after lunch, I thought (and hoped) I could see the faint outline of the sun above us. It’s very difficult predicting weather in the mighty Alps, but I took a gamble and suggested that we should try going up to the highest point of the Bellecote Glacier of La Plagne, hoping against hope that visibility would improve. It was either going to be a complete disaster, or……

 

Oooph, what a result? The final (ancient) bubble took us above a massive expanse of sea of cloud just as we reached the foot of the Bellecote Glacier. We were all utterly gobsmacked by the beauty before us. It was one of those moments that completely stopped us in our tracks and left us speechless.

 

I can’t begin to describe the sheer beauty that was in front of us. Whilst taking the odd photo a La Plagne pisteur walked across to me to talk. Now, bearing in mind I was wearing a ‘foreign’, ie Méribel Ski Instructor’s (!) ESF uniform and was clearly not a local, he still beamed from ear to ear and said ‘Incroyable, c’est magnifique’. Enough said. But yet again, sadly it’s so difficult to record in camera such an experience. Needless to say that afternoon will stay with us all for many years to come.

 

On our final day together back in the 3 Valleys, Captain Chris had another trick up his sleeve. Now before I mention this next special treat, I want to point out that what happened last Friday was extremely unusual for me. Ok, here goes…. We had lunch at L’Oxalys, a two star Michelin graded restaurant in Val Thorens. I’ve only ever once eaten before at a two star Michelin restaurant, last winter with corporate clients in St Martin. So to experience this again was quite amazing. Unfortunately I’m not eloquent enough to describe how amazing the experience was, but needless to say it wasn’t wasted on me or the ‘Special-Weeds’. What a week Ladies and Gentlemen !?!

So enough about the great life, that’s all history now. I’ve come straight back down to Earth this week. Packed lunches each day because I’m in the middle of the crazy French school holidays which means group lessons for me this week, with very little time to take a few minutes rest for coffee. Most of my lessons are being delivered in French as well, Zut Alors. The glamour of the job, no sympathy from anyone out there, especially after last week's experiences.

Martin

P.S. Can’t get that view out of my mind from last Thursday. The only landmark that I could recognise looking across to Méribel miles away from La Plagne, was our very own mighty glacier here in the Méribel Valley, the Gebroulaz.

Newsflash

“What’s happened to your skiing blog?” I hear you cry. Ok, time to own up, I’m selfishly using it to advertise two events that I think you might be interested in. Firstly, I’m hugely pleased to announce the launch of my wedding photography website, www.hemsleyphotography.co.uk .

As most of you know I’ve absolutely loved photography for many years, and have followed and been inspired by many professional photographers involved in all areas of the industry. Many years ago my love and passion of skiing turned into an amazing career, and I’m just as motivated to make photography the same.

Last summer I had the amazing experience of photographing many weddings. They  took me around the UK, and one in Méribel as well.

  

I had the opportunity of working alongside established and respected professionals, but also being responsible for my own weddings.

I’ve got to be honest and say it’s normally very unusual for me to say that I’m looking forward to start of the summer already.

In fact, that sounds ridiculous, because this winter season is turning into one of the best ever. But, it’s so nice to be able to look forward to something once this ski season has ended. I won’t go into the details, but I’m very excited about the schedule already.

Please feel free to browse my website, www.hemsleyphotography.co.uk , any feedback would of course always be welcome. Now back to Méribel and the second item in this newsflash.

Please mark Saturday March 17th into your diary because this is when the third Coeur Blanc Challenge will be taking place. It’s a charity event which involves teams attempting to ride every single lift in the Méribel valley. This may not sound difficult, but trust me it is, I’ve taken part in the first two challenges and it has been absolutely exhausting each time, www.coeurblanc.eu .

Every chairlift, bubble, draglift and even the baby slope ropes and magic carpets need to be used. A huge amount of money is raised for chosen charities both in the UK and in Méribel itself. Here is a copy of some text sent to me by one of the co-founders of the event, Rory Tapner.

“As you may know this is an event that Pierre Taylor and I (Rory Tapner) founded in 2008. Rather foolishly I have again committed to enter a team for the 2012 Coeur Blanc, which this year will be raising money for SkillForce. SkillForce is committed to inspiring and guiding 13 – 19 year olds who based on their backgrounds run a high risk of falling into the trap of being ‘Not in Education, Employment or Training’ (NEET), and as a by-product offer full time employment to former services personnel who become instructors to the kids, see www.skillforce.org .”

 

Every team is guided by a Méribel Ski Instructor, and I’m flattered and honoured to be asked by Rory to lead his team this year, so if you are able to, please do support us and click on the following link; www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/CoeurBlancChocolat  . Our team would fully appreciate any help you can give, especially when our thighs will be screaming in agony during the event itself.

 

Back to normal articles again shortly. I’m having a brilliant week with the Joneses, awesome skiing in great conditions. Plus Olivia and Robbie are doing their best to finish me off by skiing as many of the couloirs as possible. We are having a day trip away from Méribel tomorrow, driving over to Champagny and then skiing across to La Plagne, hopefully avoiding too many couloirs if I can get my way. Will post again soon.

Martin

NEWSFLASH UPDATE – Thursday Feb 16th.

I went across to the Paradiski (Champagny/La Plagne/Les Arcs) ski area today with the ‘Special-Weeds’ (Joneses), and took this shot on the Bellecote Glacier. Granted it’s nothing to do with Méribel, but somehow it fits in with the Coeur Blanc Challenge, ie a photo of a ski lift above a sea of cloud at a lung busting 3,250 metres altitude. An epic day that I’ll report on shortly.

 

Togging and Skiing

 

As mentioned on the previous post I attempted a new landscape project just as the Big Chill started. Regular readers will know that I love the high mountains with a passion, but as a Tog (photographer) I find it incredibly difficult to capture the beauty of the scene in front of me.

Nevertheless I gave it another bash, at an unnamed location for fear of being rumbled by the security chaps, where I looked across the mind-blowing mountain ranges that included some infamous 3 Valleys peaks of Roc de Tougne, Mont de la Challe, Roc des Trois Marches, Pointe de la Masse and Cime de Caron amongst others. At first, the Big Chill didn’t affect me too much because of a flask of hot steaming coffee (with whisky) and a pair of hand-warming tea bag thingys!

In awe, Canon and I watched the sun set behind the crete; the temperatures plummeted to minus stupid degrees as Canon’s batteries struggled to stay perky. But what a slideshow nature gave us that evening. I’ve gotta be honest with you, the ski home in the dark wasn’t exactly the most accurate or as fun as I’ve ever had, but flipping ‘eck what an experience. But there were two things that bugged me as a Landscape Togger later that evening. Firstly there was little cloud in the sky to add drama to the shoot, and secondly I fluffed up on a couple of technical settings in camera which could’ve been something to do with shivering actively !?!

Don’t give up the day job I’ve heard people say in the past. Speaking of which, I had a brilliant two days teaching John and Gilly. We adjusted our goals and aspirations for the weekend mainly to fit around the stupidly chilly temperatures. We soon found some lovely bumps to practise on. We looked how to technically, tactically and psychologically approach one of the trickiest disciplines within the sport of skiing. It was great to watch both John and Gilly grow in confidence and experience the buzz. We also focused our efforts on fine tuning short turns.

As a Méribel Private Ski Instructor (bet you didn’t spot the discreet attempt at improving Google ranking there) it’s very important to help people develop their all mountain performance. This is where short turns are very important and can hugely help skiers’ balance and skills in all areas of the mountain. This worked to such an extent that it enabled us to ski down the Lac du Lou off piste route over in Les Menuires, but also taking John down the infamous Méribel Couloir underneath the new Saulire Express lift.

We packed in loads of skiing in two days during the bitter weather, and a couple of very fine lunches including La Soucoup in Courchevel. We even saw some amazing vistas through our frozen goggles, including this one from the top of the Méribel Couloir before dropping in.

My workload has been a little quieter than normal this week. Having said that I’ve had some lovely sessions with Julia from the Ukraine who works in Tiffanys in London, and Sara who is an ex-ballet dancer but now a pro singer, and also Jane from Chester who works for the Environment Agency. One of the great things about being a private ski instructor in Méribel (oops there it is again) is the variety of people I get to meet and ski with, week in week out. Plus of course being able to work in such a stunning office. The cold eventually forced my photography away from the top of the bitter mountain to lower down this week.

A location I’ve tried many times before has been just below the Altiport area. Post sunset often gives lovely pastel colours. But something was lacking, bold hearty oranges, reds and salmons that can be experienced on the horizon.

It was no good, I had to brave the elements again, so the next evening I returned to the same unnamed location high up on top of the Alps with another flask of you know what. It was cold, but this time I had some awesome clouds. More on that another time, including how a piste basher had words with me on the ski down !?!

So what else is on the menu? Firstly I’ll be joining up with the Joneses again for half-term week, always an enjoyable and hectic time. Secondly it looks as though I’ll be able to make a huge announcement to you all…… Have a great weekend everyone, and live with passion.

Martin            

A Chilly Office

 

At the beginning of last week I skied with Teresa and Bill for three mornings. It was a fascinating time because neither of them had skied for nearly twenty years. I’m not sure I can remember what skiing was like that long ago, but I do remember the kit that they would have been using. It’s amazing to think that they last skied on skis that were very long, ie over 2 metres, and very narrow under foot. The technique used in those days, sometimes referred to as ‘Pop and Swivel’, just isn’t needed today with the more user-friendly kit we are lucky to have at our disposal.

You could say that their technique was as old as faded sepia photographs found in a musty box up in the attic. Not sure where that came from, but you get my gist. Teresa and Bill did brilliantly at quickly adapting their technique for their new-found fancy carving skis. They also re-ignited their love and passion of being in the mountains again after such a long break. Well done Team for getting back on skis.

Quite why I’m telling you that it’s been a bit chilly recently, I don’t know. Because let’s face it, the whole of Europe including Blighty has been affected by the Big Chill. But when I wake up in the morning and see minus 19 degrees on my balcony, I know it’s going to be a tough freezing day in the office, ie the mountain. So what does minus 24 look like riding up on the first chair of the day?

Visually, whether we’re looking at minus 4 or minus 24, it’s not that much different, but I tell you what within just a few seconds your hands are about to fall off in screaming pain when taking photos, or checking texts. It has been Bitter here with a capital B. Fashion takes a back seat when people are kitting themselves up in full combat gear. It’s actually quite difficult to describe how cold minus 24 can be.

The only way I can think of is this. If it is plus 24 on a summer’s day you would probably sit outside in a short-sleeved shirt feeling very comfortable and happy about things in life. But then if the temperature were to drop down to zero degrees, that is quite a difference, you wouldn’t last long in your short-sleeved shirt outside would you. Ok, here’s the thing…. Now imagine that zero degrees is the new plus 24, and the old zero degrees becomes minus 24. The gap between the two temperatures remains exactly the same. Do you know what? Not sure I’ve done a great job of describing, let’s just say it really has been extremely cold on the mountain.

However it has been sunny for most of the time which helps. At the end of the week I skied for two days with John and Gilly where we did our best to stay warm. New mittens and hand warmers were bought and even a pair of heaters for ski boots. Before I skied with John and Gilly I decided to attempt another sunset shoot with Canon.

 

Quite what I was thinking of I have no idea, to say I got cold would be an understatement, even with a hot flask of coffee and a ‘splash’ of whisky to hand. I selected a new spot away from the pisteurs again. But I jumped out of my skin when one of my ESF colleagues skied past me with a small off piste group just as I was setting up Canon on his tripod. I need to head back again for better results, but there’s no way I’ll be doing that until the Siberian weather disappears.

I hope you are all coping with the Big Chill. Right I’d better start the fire again, trouble is, I’m running out of logs.

Martin   

The Gooney Bird Annual Migration

The self titled Gooney Birds, from Dublin, descended on Méribel last week. They sound like characters that wouldn’t be out of place in a Monty Python sketch, or even a Spike Milligan script. Come to think of it, the Gooneys are actually much funnier than the above. Either way they are a loud hilarious bunch, sometimes close to the knuckle and, how shall I put it, require special attention.

 

Mary, Margot, Jane and Rohiyah had booked me for six full days. In fact I’ve skied with them for at least three if not four winters now. When I first met them they were a very wobbly gaggle of Gooney Birds (feel free to YouTube 'Gooney Birds' and you’ll get the general idea) where I introduced them to the infamous Méribel green piste known as the Altiport. This was years ago, and where were we again last week? Yep, the gentle side of the Altiport.

 

Now, don’t get me wrong, their goals and aspirations of their week's holiday are probably different to most people's. So, the Altiport piste it was, day after day, after day, after day…… You get the idea. Mid-week I lost the will to live, but soon thought up a cunning plan. We agreed to a day trip over to Courchevel, to see if they could leave their dog basket of the Altiport, and experience different green pistes. We used the lifts to go up, and then back down again to the other valley of Courchevel.

After a few wobbles and flapping of wings, mainly because they felt lost away from the Altiport, we had great success in selecting the flattest of green pistes that Courchevel 1850 could offer. They saw and skied on different pistes, and I had a psychological change as well, what a result.

 

I could visually see their ruffling of feathers in excitement of experiencing a different area. I hoped that this would motivate them further to ski beyond the Altiport. But no…… The very next day we were all back on familiar territory. I boiled my head again, but you know, it’s not about me. The Gooneys trust me to not take them anywhere where they would lose confidence. They also trust me to help give them confidence at the appropriate time, deliver valuable feedback and instruction, and help them enjoy themselves. They are all looking forward to returning again next winter, if not sooner, when they promise to email me yet again to organise another week of head-boiling sessions, for me that is. Joking apart, they are very different to my usual winter clients, but boy oh boy it is a laugh and as long as I throw away the ski instruction manual of expectations for a week, I’m more than happy to help them enjoy their precious skiing holiday.

Martin

P.S. We’ve had yet more snow since the Gooneys migration, and it’s now absolutely freezing. Stay tuned.