Trip 2 - France, Spain 2014

January 2014 to May 2014
Jackie's dad's house in Costa Blanca, Spain
Skiing in Portes du Soleil, France










Our second trip was something we have always wanted to do and that was to spend an entire winter season skiing at a large European ski resort. We chose the Portes du Soleil, about an hours drive south from Geneva airport on the French/Swiss border both for its size (ranked as the second largest linked ski resort in the world, behind the 'Three Valleys' in France, but arguably the larger of the two) and the cost. We managed to rent an apartment in St Jean d'Aulps, which is one of the smaller, outlying ski resorts, linked to the Portes du Soleil by a free ski bus, but not by linked ski lifts.

The apartment was within two minutes walk of the ski lift, but was about twenty minutes drive by car (or bus) to the main linked area of Morzine or Avoriaz. As we had driven over from the UK, the distance to the main ski areas was not a problem, particularly as there were large free car parks at several of the main areas.

After the close of the ski season at the end of April we drove South to the Costa Blanca in Spain to stay with Jackie's dad, Richard and his wife Elizabeth in Altea La Vella, where we spent a few weeks of relaxation, rock climbing and mountain climbing, returning to the UK during the second half of May.

For more details of this trip see below, it's divided into the following:
  1. St Jean d'Aulps, the actual ski season part of this trip
  2. Costa Blanca, Spain

  1. Arrive St Jean d'Aulps by car from Solihull, UK with one overnight stop: St Jean d'Aulps
  2. For further details of the ski trip click on all blog entries from January 2014 to the end of April 2014. Special highlights as follows:
  3. Visit of our friends from Solihull Mountaineering Club: SMC, SMC 2, SMC 3
  4. Visit of Brian's sister: Denise & Paul, Denise & Paul 2 
  5.  Visit of ex work friends: Steve, Steve 2
  6. Via Ferrata in St Jean, red route: Via Ferrata - red
  7. Via Ferrata in St Jean, black route: Via Ferrata - black
  8. Visit of Jackie's mum, Pauline. trip to Evian: Pauline
  •  Costa Blanca, Spain:

  1. Arrive Altea La Vella, Spain by car from St Jean d'Aulps, France in one 12 hour journey: Spain, Spain 2 
  2. Spanish rock climbing with Dean and Sarah: Spain 3 
  3. Visit to Cartagena: Cartagena 
  4. Depart Altea La Vella, drive across Spain to Getxo near Bilbao, stay overnight, catch overnight ferry Bilbao to Portsmouth, UK: Bilbao



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