I can’t deny that quitting my job, abandoning my yoga-teaching plans and leaving The Boyfriend to pay the rent while I hid-out in India or Les Deux Alpes wasn’t a huge temptation; but in the end it seemed all to easy to run from my commitments and turn my back on the challenges I’d set myself.

After all, nobody forced me to move here in the first place. And let’s face it, I’m so blessed to have a job, a home, a partner, clean air, hot water and fresh food. Then of course, there’s the view…

But still something is tugging on my soul. I enjoy my job but I don’t feel it’s my life purpose to sell ski school lessons and lift passes, no matter how fun and friendly the tourists can be. And I love The Boyfriend, all we are, how far we’ve come and all we will be. But how can I be fully present and open when I feel so unlike my full-self, just a shadow of who I know I can be? When I’m torn between household stuff, earning money and squeezing-in moments dedicated to finding and living my purpose, life – the fully-lived and conscious enlightened life that I’m seeking – seems just too challenging. I feel alone in my quest, discouraged in my darkness, lost in my own snowstorm.

And in these moments, when I wrap myself around a cup of tea, huddle into the corner and try not to cry, the last thing I want to do is the one thing I know will help. Why is this? What dark force trips me up in my desolation, perpetuating the cycle of self-loathing, paralysing me in my mind? Is it habit? A predisposition to darkness? Lack of commitment to the Truth?

Or a crippling ability to over-think and berate myself for each tiny decision, going round and round in circles until the minutes have slipped by and I find myself without time to nurture, take positive action or just stop the jabbering of my darkest mind and pause, drop into silence and just accept the moment without trying to protect myself from it’s vicious fangs or turn my back against the pain it causes. Why can’t I do the one thing I know will help? Why can’t I just roll out my mat?

When I’m on my mat I am my self again, my best self. I drop out of the darkness, out of the ‘real’ world and into myself, into the light that lives within me, the steady flame whose flickering is all in my imagination. When I’m on my mat the crushing loneliness I feel here unfurls into independence, I’m no longer alone but ‘all one’.

And so maybe, just maybe, I’ve come back here in order to rediscover this part of myself; to reconnect with my deepest inner-self rather than flit from one superficial friendship to another. To focus on myself in the absence of distractions. To learn who I really am and just what I’m capable of being. As I twist my spine up into Ardha Matsyendrasana I feel the potential of the future; as I raise myself into Wheel Pose I feel the strength of my will; as I lie back into Shavasana, my most challenging position, I feel the peace of allowing myself to surrender into the moment.

Each day, as I face these challenges I will bring my faith, my practice, my light into the darkness I perceive surrounding me; knowing that it too has its purpose and all I need to do is change my mind to really start living the life I want to live. To break a cycle one must either step out or stop. I see now how invested I’ve become in seeing only darkness in this place; I choose to close my eyes and feel the light, to both step out and stop this madness. From Lesson 132 of A Course in Miracles:

‘There is no world apart from what you wish, and herein lies your ultimate release. Change but your mind on what you want to see, and all the world must change accordingly.’

Here’s to a more powerful and positive season, a peace-filled Christmas and an inspiring start to 2012 at home in Alpe d’Huez.

PS: went skiing yesterday and the snow’s pretty good, although it’s very cold and windy up top. For more on the conditions, check-out Alpe d’Huez Net

Living in the mountains is a daily blessing. We’re so grateful of the clean, fresh air, the stunning views and the ability to look down on the cloudy valley below, knowing we don’t have to stay down there too long. But despite living amidst the beauty, it’s all too easy to step into the darkness of ourselves and the transient. And boy is this a transient way of life… nothing teaches you better how to let go and live in the moment.

For five months of the year we dig ourselves out of our apartment buildings and wade through the snow to work, seeing little daylight and even less of the mountains. Then we spend the two mid-summer months – working, again, indoors – shielding from the scorching sun and advising visitors on how best to enjoy these stunning surroundings. The seasonal lifestyle leaves five months to really experience the meadows, peaks and forests.

But of course, there is such thing as too much. When I’m working, all I want is to escape onto one of the mountain paths, turn my back on this crazy tourist-filled town and walk for hours. And when I’m not working a million little jobs surface and the days fill themselves with the usual chores and admin tasks that we don’t have time for during the season.

When the to-do list is complete I find myself bored, so unstimulated by the lack of anything I consider creative or productive that I’m desperate to escape off the mountain, just to get some stimulation, some excitement, some human warmth. Where’s the balance in all of this? Where’s the joy?? I find myself constantly wishing for the something other than what I’m living. The sun and the views and the wild animals aren’t enough to soothe a soul that’s crying in the darkness, a soul lost and confused, unstimulated, unappreciated.

And I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep living this life. The on-off-on-off-again has to stop. Because it’s not just my soul that’s suffering, I don’t think this constant flipping between stress and lonliness can be doing my health any good; and of course, if I’m not working, I’m not earning anything.
I know myself well enough now to know that my soul needs me to be engaged in some sort of productive work; that a life of leisure isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’ve been living in this constant state of flux for the past five years, not counting my first winter season and the subsequent year in a London office dreaming of France. I’m 33 and I’m starting to crave something more steady.

I know that stability is a state of mind, I understand that happiness comes in surrender to the inherently changeable nature of the universe, allowing ourselves to be swept along with the tide, rather than bracing ourselves against it. Resistance is a constant theme for me at the moment. What am I resisting? I’m certainly resisting against the life I’ve chosen, a life that I’m not enjoying or appreciating as much as I used to. But I’m also resisting change.

I’m resisting admitting this this isn’t necessarily for me any more. I’m so aware of how blessed I am to live this life that I feel guilty for wanting to change it. For wanting a life more in-tune with the seasons, a pace of life that’s more consistent, less jerky. And with these feelings of guilt and questions about the future I’m left feeling confused, trying not to resent the choices I’ve made in my life and the cold, north-facing apartment, in an empty block, in a town empty of everyone except builders and workmen.

So I’m leaving. Just for a short time. I have a visa for India. I’m going to learn how to become a yoga instructor. Then I’m going to lie on a beach and do a little exploring in Sri Lanka. And then I’m going to London to see my family and stock-up on British essentials like Cadbury’s chocolate and Marmite. This is my plan. I’ll be back just before the season starts, when the town will already be deep in snow (here’s hoping!). I’m going to let the wave of euphoria for the start of the new winter carry me into work, into creating yoga classes, into 2012.

Or, I might just take advantage of that six-month Indian visa, quit my job and stay away. Who knows. Right now the second option is the most tempting but the fact that it would be so easy to stay in India is what’s stopping me. I’ve never been one to take an easy path, I love a challenge and perhaps this is the key for me. The challenges I present myself in this seasonal lifestyle aren’t spread thinly enough. Each season I take on new responsibilities, jobs, commitments… and each interseason they drop away. We’re back to that on-off-on-off-again, the flickering lightbulb of my life.

I really have no solution, only a maze of questions. But just asking the questions is making me feel better. Knowing there are options and possibilities, admitting this is no longer for me, I feel a sense of relief. So, for the next few months I’ll continue to try to ground myself in the healthy daily practices of yoga, reading, writing and photography. No matter where I am in the world, no matter who I’m with, I pray that these little disciplines will keep me on the right track. And I pray in faith, knowing deep in my soul that my prayers have already been answered; it’s just the details that need to be allowed to fall into place.

The photographs accompanying this post were in and around Alpe d’Huez. They show the views along the path from the resort to the Col de Sarenne and the road from Villard Reculas to Huez. For more hikes in the area click here.

The streets were full of cycling enthusiasts, bedecked in their national flags and/or team colours. It seemed the entire population of Luxembourg had descended on Alpe d’Huez, creating a new national capital in the chalets opposite the ‘O’Bar.

The leading riders approached, their proximity announced by the blaring French TV commentary coming from new-Luxembourg across the road. Within seconds it was over.

The eventual winner and the riders who placed second and third, were followed by a stream of spare bicycles mounted on cars and photo-journalists on bikes.

I contented myself with hanging off the wall of the ‘O’Bar terrace, camera in one hand, weight on one foot. And despite the passing of this world class event through our small town, I found myself more attracted to photographing the reality of the two days, the impact on our lives.

So here follow some shots of the excited smiles, nose-to-tail caravans and fully-packed car parks in Alpe d’Huez this Thursday and Friday. For more, please visit take a look at the Destination Oisans Flickr page and keep up to date with the enhanced shots via Istagram, username “vixie2alpes”.

Want to get involved with Destination Oisans or life in Alpe d’Huez? Get in touch via email.

We’re preparing, once again, to open Alpe d’Huez on Saturday. Many businesses are already open, and you can smell the new season in the air. Or maybe that’s the smell of rubble and sawdust as workman and builders continue their renovations until the last minute? I prefer to think it’s the new flowers as they bloom, as layer upon layer appear in the grass and the undergrowth.

For me the pre-season days are a time of frustration, of limbo, of being neither here nor there. I love the emptiness of inter-season but crave the buzz of the season, spending time with people other than The Boyfriend. Our work rhythms directly oppose those of our clients and guests, so gearing ourselves up for the onslaught of visitors, full of enthusiastic questions (the same ones over and over again!) can be quite a psychological leap.

As always, I find the best way to cope with it is to try to remind myself why – in fact – I am here. I love the scenery, the smells, the feeling of fresh air filling my lungs. I love to wander for hours and not see anyone at all. I love to share the best routes and views with curious and like-minded visitors (hence the creation of Destination Oisans). I love experiencing the change of season, the lengthening nights, the slowly warming air.

This week I’ve been searching for my love once again. Erratic weather, caring for my sick sibling and a nasty bout of inter-season blues have kept me off the mountain. I’ve been here long enough to know that a good long walk on my own, preferably with at least two seriously steep sections, may not cure me of my malaise but will get my heart and body moving, shift some of the darkness in my mind and push the anger out of my lungs and into the air.

So on Tuesday, in desperation I slammed my feet into my trainers and completed the loop down to Huez Village, along the Gorge de Sarenne and back into Alpe d’Huez in record time. The walk should take around four hours; my time of roughly three hours tells you how badly I needed to clear some psychic space.

It’s a stunning route and one I highly recommend. If you have transport you can drive either the first or the last section, or take the bubble lift down to Huez during the season. The only people I saw were some workmen and a shepherd. It was just the tonic I needed. Not quite enough to clear me completely, but enough to get me through the rest of the day.

Practical Information: From Alpe d’Huez follow Path 9 on the official
Alpe d’Huez Walking Map down to Huez Village, take Path 10/11 along the Gorge de Sarenne, up Path 12 to the road and either along the road back into resort or along the path alongside the archeological site.

For more information about walking in Alpe d’Huez, click here or visit the Destination Oisans Hiking page for more walks in the area.

The stats for this event are staggering: 4300 cyclists riding the bends six times to (hopefully) raise 20m€. And let’s not forget the stats of the course: the access road to Alpe d’Huez from Bourg d’Oisans is 14km long, rising over 1000m. An accomplished and fit cyclist would generally make the ascent in just over an hour, and Marco Pantani set the record for the Tour de France in 1997 with a time of 37 minutes and 35 seconds.

But today’s riders aren’t professionals; and rather than making just one ascent, the aim is to ride up and down the bends a total of six times, either as a team or alone. It’s massive test of endurance, both mental and physical. Watching the riders enter resort today I was amazed and inspired by their courage and determination. But I have to admit not feeling so positive about the event at the start of the week…

In fact, I’ve been a bit of a grouch since I realised just how many Dutch were arriving and how slowly they drive! It’s my first summer in Alpe d’Huez and my first experience of the HuZes. The mass arrival began last week. Overnight, all the cars on the roads and in the car parks were Dutch. All the voices in resort and Bourg d’Oisans were Dutch.

The supermarket shelves that normally hold on water, pasta and cereal bars were empty; and the campsites were full. The road up to Alpe d’Huez was littered with cyclists training for today’s event, and numerous Dutch cars driving at 20km/hr to encourage the cyclists. Not to mention those screaming down the hill, cutting corners and scaring the life out of careful overtakers!

Now, this being France, driving at 20km/hr on a 70km/hr road was intolerable for most and even I found myself cursing the pace of the drivers, to the point where I’ve not bothered trying to drive the bends since Sunday. On a trip to Les Deux Alpes during the week, I took the road over the Col de Sarenne instead, down through Clavans and Mizoen to the barrage.

Even here, on this one-track lumpy mountain road, I found myself stuck behind a gaggle of Dutch cyclists and a pink van with an inflatable white pig on top (?!?). Being stranded on our rainy mountain in June isn’t my idea of fun, but – with no sign of blue sky for over ten days – the campers had it worse! Thankfully today the rain has abated, the winds have died and there’s just enough cloud cover to protect the riders from an unexpected dose of sunstroke.

Walking up to the Palais des Sports, outside which the cyclists complete one circuit, the transformation of the resort is apparent. Any other nationality (and bear in mind, we are in France) is totally swamped by the Dutch. There are literally thousands and thousands in resort. The resort is covered orange banners and balloons. I heard no French or English voices, and saw no locals… everyone’s too busy working, making the most of this unexpectedly large event.

The cyclists started at 4am so some bars and restaurants have been open since 5am. It’s going to be a long day for everyone involved but with the great atmosphere, the adrenaline will get everyone through. With all the cheering, BBQs and excitement, it’s easy to forget the purpose of the event, and one at which it’s extremely successful; raising money to fight cancer.

One in three people in Holland develop cancer. That’s a huge proportion, and the aim of the organisers of the event is: “for cancer to evolve from a deadly disease into a chronic illness”. To this end the event aims to raise over 20m€ this year alone.

On my way home I spotted a row of photographs of those who have lost their fight against cancer. They were posted outside the church, an inspirational reminder to the cyclists of what it is they’re trying to achieve today, not a cure for cancer, but “to facilitate and inspire people to lead happy and healthy lives in harmony with cancer”.

You can support the event by increasing awareness on Facebook and
Twitter.

Of course there are always things to do, but they’re rarely exciting and usually involve some sort of French bureaucracy. For example, I spent two and a half hours in the tax office in Bourg d’Oisans yesterday, waiting for advice on my income tax form. Once that was completed I found myself with a free and sunny afternoon. What better way to pass a chunk of time than with a long walk with a good friend?

Our mission – because it’s always good to have a mission in life! – was to provide sugary sustenance to some friends who are renovating a chalet, and get a bit of a work-out at the same time. Louise had baked brownies, now we just needed to deliver them to the neighbouring village of Villard Reculas.

We set-off down the path from Alpe d’Huez to Huez Village. Starting next to the VFD office at the bottom of the resort, the path winds through the fields, cutting across the main road and through the back of the mini-village of Maona. Exploring Huez from the top is by far the best way, not just because it’s steep but because the most beautifully renovated barns seem to be clustered together at the top. We had a peek at some lovely modern stained-glass windows, bijou gardens and gravity-defying decking.

Once you reach the church, take the main road to the right and pass under the télévillage lift, the bubble lift that runs between the village and the resort. From here we took the road to Villard Reculas. It’s single-lane for most of the way and gives some great views of the valley as it’s literally cut into the cliff face. It’s generally a quiet road but do be aware that you share it with drivers who won’t be expecting pedestrians, so stay to the side of the oncoming traffic.

After the fairly steep descent into the village it was a relief to start slowly climbing up again. The road levels out after about ten minutes and it’s a gentle walk around the headland and into Villard Reculas. Here we stopped for a good hour to explore the chalet and share the brownies. The boys bought the chalet as a wreck and have completely reworked the inside, plus adding a new roof.

It’s now a self-catering luxury pad, the kind of place you dream of visiting… the master bedroom has a stunning view of the mountains and a bath right there in the room with you. The boys built it all with their own hands and the simple wood and white décor whispers of understated luxury.

Leaving the boys to finish building another staircase, we wound up through the village on the main road to the ski lifts. Here you take the path to the right, passing a small lake and it’s uphill all the way and through a few trees until you join the main path to Alpe d’Huez.

From here the path is reasonably flat, descending to the resort and popping you out by the Shanghri-La apartment building. Looking for a bit more of a challenge, we strayed off the main path and zig-zagged up a tiny track to the weather station on top of the ridge.

There’s a great view of Alpe d’Huez from here and the option to climb even higher to the top of the Signal, a route I took this winter. We opted for the lower path, which – after you walk the length of the ridge – slowly descends into the trees and brings you round the base of the Signal to the Rond Point des Pistes, the base of the DMC lift. A good afternoon’s hike!

More precise directions for this hike are difficult to provide, as the we took various paths marked on the official map but you can get an idea by following Route 9 to Huez, Route 8 to Villard Reculas and Route 13 to Alpe d’Huez.

Click on the links or on the menu above for more on Alpe d’Huez in the summer and hiking hiking in the Oisans region.

And then my breath kicks-in. And I realise that via ferrata isn’t just great for the body, it’s a mental sport too, requiring focus, strength and a kind, supportive, inner voice. A great lesson for life as well as for the rock face…

Via ferrata – for those who aren’t familiar with the term – can be directly translated from Italian to mean ‘iron way’. For those who are familiar, the term conjures up images of iron rungs bolted into the mountainside and a cord of metal that criss-crosses the cliff face. This is your iron way, your route up the mountain.

There are lots of via ferrata in the Oisans region and for our first attempt for the year we thought we’d keep it simple, opting for the découverte route in Alpe d’Huez, from the base of the Sarenne gorge. découverte simply means discovery, and differs from sportif in that the routes tend to be more like a scramble up the rocks via narrow paths, rather than comprising of long sections of rungs (which is what you’ll find on the sportif routes). At the bottom of the Sarenne gorge you have the option of either type of route and they cross mid-way, allowing you to try both disciplines in one hit.

Did I mention that the routes take you hundreds of metres off the ground? This means safety equipment is essential. You’ll need a climbing harness, a specialised via ferrata attachment (which comprises of two spring-lock carabiners on a short length of rope and a third which acts as a braking device), a helmet, comfortable clothing and trainers or other suitable outdoor shoes. You’ll also need a lot of guts, especially if you’re afraid of heights.

Via ferrata is a great way to combat fear and conquer your adrenaline. I’ve done a few via ferrata now, and a bit of climbing, but the first of the season is always terrifying. It took me a good hour regain confidence, not just in the safety equipment but also in my body. Trusting my hands not to simply let go of the rung at an inopportune moment took a lot of energy. And this is why my hands are burning now… I literally gripped and hauled my way up the rock face. Not great technique but for the first ascent of the season I’m just glad I made it. And this is why I persevere with the sport: it’s literally the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

When you’re on the face you’re part of a team and the team are there to support you and talk you through, when necessary. But essentially you’re on your own, in your head. And the way to talk to yourself when you’re coaxing yourself up and up and up is maybe the way we should coax ourselves through life. “Come on Vixie, [that's what I call myself in my head!] you can do this. Here’s another crossover. One carabiner to the next section of line. Done. The second. Done. Nice work. Check you’re secure. Now, get your right foot onto that rung and lean for the hand-hold. Secure? Edge the left foot along the rock and squeeze it onto the rung. Good. Secure. You’re doing well. You can do this. Breathe. Remember to breathe”.

The other beauty of the sport is that you can only deal with one section at a time and quite often you can’t see what’s ahead or below, so your only option is to focus on the job in hand. The strange peace that ascends as you move up section by section, staying solidly in the present is another lesson I think we can apply to our own lives. What’s the point in worrying about what’s to come or what’s behind us? Let’s just deal with what’s in front of us right now.

And then, before you know it, all your coaxing and inching up the rock face brings you to the top… that triumphant final haul over the last edge and you’re done. Hopefully with a big smile on your face as you realise what you’ve achieved and how – with all that focussing on the present moment – you’ve left all your other worries at the bottom of the route.

How to reach the Alpe d’Huez via ferrata: the route starts at the bottom of the Sarenne gorge, just upstream of the chairlifts. You can walk into the gorge via the footpath from Huez or down from Alpe d’Huez on the steep path that descends next to the second car park on the way to the Col de Sarenne. You’ll finish just below the same car park and the walk back into Alpe d’Huez takes about 30 minutes. We completed the route in around 90 minutes, but the speed at which you go depends on your fitness, experience and whether you want to stop to take photos to scare your friends and family…

Click on the links or on the menu above for more on Alpe d’Huez in the summer and climbing in the Oisans region.

Looking back at my reports over the season, it probably only snowed a total of ten times. And the sunshine – usually a welcome sight during the dark winter months – became monotonous, taunting us from the centre of clear blue skies devoid of snow-filled clouds.

Tourist number were significantly down on last year, as the full effect of the economic crisis hit the resort. Even the visitors for European Gay Ski Week could do little to raise the occupancy rate, although the fun and frolics kept everyone amused in what would have otherwise been a ghost town.

But despite the low numbers of tourist, lack of snow and the odd cloudy day, it’s not been a bad season. The lack of powder forced the hardcore riders back onto the pistes, allowing them to mix it up a little with the tourists and not-so-accomplished riders. And once the on-piste conditions deteriorated, we found ourselves experimenting with the other activities available in resort.

I did a fair bit of hiking this winter, and the gym, climbing wall and bouldering room at the Palais des Sports also proved popular. So perhaps we should be grateful for this season’s lack of snow, because it’s forced us to be more imaginative with our sports and to realise that there is – in fact – more to life than snow. That said, it had better snow properly next year or I think we’ll all be moving to Canada!

So anyway, the season’s now over. The pistes of Les 2 Alpes have fared better than Alpe d’Huez and the resort closed as expected, yesterday. It’ll open up again in seven weeks (18.06.11-28.08.11) as the summer season starts with skiers, snowboarders and MTB riders heading up to ride the world’s largest skiable glacier and to tackle some of the most challenging MTB tracks in Europe.

The pistes of Alpe d’Huez closed five days earlier than expected and I had my last ski of the season on 07.04.11. The resort will open again for summer sports only from 02.07.11 to 28.08.11. There’s no longer any skiing and snowboarding here in the summer, but the resort is popular with road bikers, MTB enthusiasts, hikers and families looking for a multi-activity break. You can find out more about the summer activities in Les 2 Alpes and Alpe d’Huez on the summer pages and do check out last summer’s events and videos.

And of course summer is when the local villages come into their own, offering a variety of activities and hikes, as well as more tranquil holiday destinations than the main resorts.

But despite the spring buds and early flowers, the summer season is still a good few weeks away, so it’s time to settle down into my inter-season routine, which involves lots of walking, climbing, baking and reading.

I dusted-off the oven gloves last week with a double-batch of pink cupcakes for our Royal Wedding party and have given already made a few trips around the ‘A-frame’, the mountain path that leads from Alpe d’Huez to Villard Reculas. As long as the weather holds we’ll have a grand time, making the most of having the mountain pretty much to ourselves. But the spring mountain weather is notoriously unstable and just a three days ago we watched aghast as snow settled down to 1800m.

Here’s hoping that’s the last of the white stuff we’ll see until the autumn… it really would be too ironic if we found ourselves in the midst of a post-season spring snowstorm!

As I was uploading yesterday’s report on the snow conditions in Les 2 Alpes, news reached me that the cold, hard pistes above 2100m had turned soft overnight. Not quite slushy, but wet and soft. Hmmm… was I about to discover the same thing in Alpe d’Huez?

In the two weeks since my last proper ski here, the snow on the lower pistes has all but disappeared. The Rif Nel and most of the runs into Bergers are closed, as is the Signal. The Hirondelles piste remains open and – at 11am – it was in pretty good condition, wet for sure, but smooth so not too hard to navigate. In fact it was much harder at the bottom of the piste as we had to negotiate the muddy puddles and river that now runs down from the ESF hut, past the DMC and into the road at the Rond Point des Pistes.

In search of the coldest, hardest snow we took the DMC I and II, followed by the Pic Blanc cable car to the glacier. And found… uh oh… slush, at 3330m! That’s right; today, at the top of the mountain, the snow on the pistes was soft and wet. They’re not quite sticky, but they’re definitely slushy.

Conditions only got wetter and heavier as we made our way down the few runs that are open on the glacier, battling the slush bumps and pumping our legs to get through the heavy stuff. Back on my SX10s, I missed the width and length of the Bandits I’d been riding in Les 2 Alpes on Tuesday. After just three runs it felt like we’d been on the mountain for hours… thigh-burn was kicking in and we gave in to our apparent lack of fitness, taking the Marmottes III down to the lower pistes in search of a sunny terrace and a cold drink.

The pistes below 2800m still have good snow coverage but are softening rapidly. Clocher de Macle and Lievre Blanc were running surprisingly fast but with the soft snow getting choppy our legs took another battering. Down to the lower section of Couloir and the gentler gradient meant easier skiing but just over the brow of the lip you’ll find muddy patches and another little river to negotiate… it pays to watch your speed here!

More interested than ever in a sunny terrace, we swooped right under the bridge towards Oz en Oisans then bore left down to the Plage des Neiges. After a long and tasty lunch (salads were the best bet in the hot weather) we set off into the slush to make our way back home.

My friend Madeleine tells wonderful and hair-raising stories of getting lost and/or stranded on the mountain, so I’ve made it a personal rule never to follow her. But today, on the beginner slopes leading back into resort, I thought I’d be safe. Oh how wrong I can be. Within minutes I’d followed her turn across a nice flat section of soft but untouched snow onto… the grass.

Yes, the lower slopes of Alpe d’Huez now consist of white carpets of snow that cross the grass. Unfortunately, they’re not signposted at all so – in her defence – it is easy to get a little disoriented and end up in the mud.

After a slow and gentle traverse back onto the piste we made our way down the aforementioned track of snow, across another river and back to the Bucket Lift. The pistes down to the tourist office and the Grande Sure chairlift are snow-free zones so the only way to get home is to walk or take the lift. Ah well, at least we had a giggle…

But seriously, if you’re here for the season or live in the area, it’s probably not worth coming to Alpe d’Huez to ski. But the crazy golf is open and it looks like the mountain bike tracks will also be open within the next week or so. If you’re a tourist and your holiday is booked… don’t worry, you can still ski. And in fact, this might be a great opportunity to join ski school or book some private lessons as the instructors will know where to find the best snow and if you’ve not got access to the whole domain, you can at least make the most of what there is and work on your technique for next season.

Click on the link for more information about riding this winter in Alpe d’Huez, although you may be more interested in what goes on here in the summer!

There’s a lot of chat around town that the snow is finished and the season is over. It’s not true! The chat is coming from seasonnaires who aren’t too impressed with current conditions and that’s partly because it’s warm in resort so everyone is more interested in BBQs and sunbathing than riding. Only the seriously keen – and the tourists – were on the mountain yesterday.

I went straight up to 3200m, the base of the glacier, and found myself transported back into winter. Quite a shock when the birds are singing and wild daffodils are flowering in resort! As is common in early winter, the pistes were hard… rock solid in fact. Everything above 2700m is hard work and requires super-sharp edges. The pistes, however, are really smooth. The groomers have been working hard and there’s not a bump in sight… seriously, no moguls anywhere!

Despite a pretty low snowfall this winter, snow coverage is complete on the highest pistes, and with the winds howling it felt like January. The t-bars on the glacier were closed and there was no way I was leaving the relative warm of the sunshine just take the funicular and be blown back up the pistes of the glacier. So I chucked a left down the Signal 2.

I have to admit that it was really hard work at the top of this piste as the snow was rock solid (have I said that already?). Once out of the wind the pistes were still hard but slightly more forgiving, slightly more able to take the edge, slightly more bounce making the skis slightly more responsive. I did Signal 2 and 3 a few more times; these pistes are favourites because they’re long, generally quiet and have enough of a gradient to get up a good speed and throw some nice wide turns.

Another favourite is the Fée 1 piste. It starts with a steep descent that evens out and winds through a couple of turns, a second descent and then two flat sections that take you into the heart of a valley lined by amazing off-piste routes. The off-piste here is not recommended at the moment, there’s been a lot of blasting and quite frankly the avalanche risk is too high to bother trying to get a fresh line across thin, hard snow. The risk by far outweighs the potential for pleasure!

Here the snow on the pistes was amazing: softer, slightly wet, but running fast. I could have stayed here and played all day but my curiosity got the better of me so I stayed left at the top of the chairlift and took the Red and Black pistes of Fée 3 and 4.

From the Fée chairlift the snow looked amazing, glistening in the sun and promising a soft ride. But at the top of the steepest section of the Black I realised that the gleam was more like the reflection of the sun on a glass than water… whoops! Again I shuddered and scratched my way down in a very inelegant fashion, desperately hoping that nobody I knew was riding the chairlift above, witness to my shocking technique. Time for lunch…

The best value and most friendly restaurant on the mountain is by far Chalet La Fée. I had a large plate of omelet, chips and salad for 8€. The only downside is that they don’t do tap water as it’s not potable, so you need to buy bottles of Evian (2,50€ for a small). I sat in the sun, took stock of the morning’s skiing and prepared myself for the descent to resort… because one of the other reasons Chalet La Fée makes the perfect venue for a long lunch is that the route home is easy and relatively quick. Actually, I need to qualify that: the route to Les Cretes is quick and easy. From there you only have two options at the moment: take the White Eggs (Oeufs Blancs) down to resort or tackle the Valentin.

I say ‘tackle the Valentin’ because it has quite a reputation. The Black piste is super-steep at the top, with near over-hang that gets you off the path. Two-thirds of the way down the gradient softens but to get there you usually need to negotiate lumps, bumps and a selection of stranded beginners and children, wondering why they ignored the signs that quite clearly state: piste difficile!

But yesterday, at 3.30pm the piste was empty, the snow was groomed and soft and a pleasure to ride. In fact, I felt much happier on the Valentin than the higher, harder pistes. Of course this isn’t much use if you’re anything other than an accomplished skier as all the other pistes into resort are closed. Despite the good condition, if you’re not sure about your standard, take the White Eggs and save yourself the trauma.

So, I mentioned that most seasonnaires have given-up on the mountain. This certainly doesn’t meant that holidaymakers should and my skiing yesterday confirmed that hunch. The vast majority of the pistes are open and in good condition, with just the Pied Moutet and Front Face (the slopes that boarder the resort) closed. The pistes of these areas aren’t the best on offer anyway, so you’re really not missing much. Don’t even think of cancelling your holiday… just make sure to pack warm clothing as it’s still bitterly cold on the glacier.

I found the seasonnaires in shorts and t-shirts at Smithy’s Tavern, for the launch of Stupid, an aptly named clothing brand born in Les 2 Alpes and created by proud father and local designerHarvey Coxell. Burgers, beers and bare legs are far more interesting than snow – soft or solid – and the end of the season is nigh… but it’s not here yet!

Yesterday’s route: Up the Jandri Express 1, followed by the Glacier Express chairlift (commonly known around resort as the ‘8-Man’). Down Signal 2, up the Signal chairlift and down Signal 3… I must say here that the renaming of lifts and pistes this season by new L2A owners Compagnie des Alpes has made the routes much easier to describe but less poetic (as the following sentence shows)…

Eventually leaving the Signal area, down Glacier 3 and Glacier 1 to Jandri 4, up Toura and down Toura 1, followed by Fée 1, Fée chairlift and a few loops of Fée 3 and Fée 4. Lunch.

Thuit 1, Thuit chairlift to Les Cretes, then a little Petites Cretes to the Valentin and home. Thanks to Heather, Smokey Joe’s, Alex at Snow Angel Nannies and Eric at Precision for their time, equipment, accommodation and yummy food!