Snow,snow, snow!

The view from our apartment car park down into St Jean on Wednesday morning

Tuesday we went back to Nyon, and had a much better time than on Sunday, we did a couple of runs in the snow, which was cold but not wet, before it stopped, hurrah, we had a good time, before coldness got the better of me and we headed back to the lift, waiting for the bubble to go down the snow started with a vengeance, so good timing or what.

Getting ready to ski in our local resort. This is the foyer of our apartment block, so we can gear up there and walk 2 minutes to the lift, leaving our slippers in the post box on the wall!

Making our own tracks off piste in the Graydon area of St Jean

Wednesday, only gentle snow and we decided to head up the hill to the local resort as it had been snowing all night and B was afraid we’d never be able to get out of the carpark. Amazingly the drive had been cleared, the snowplough hadn’t left a pile across the end of the drive and a man was out with a snow blower! That’s what the residence charge is paid for I guess, still impressive though. 

Jackie skiing the powder

And skiing on down in knee deeppowder

Slightly disappointed on getting to the lift to find that the circuit still wasn’t open, oh well, we can go over the top to Graydon for the first time! What a day, the sun came out and the powder was amazing, we had a whale of a time. We were the first two down an unmarked piste twice, because we knew where it went, it is a lovely feeling losing your legs up to the knees in fluffy snow. We were aware of our surroundings though, didn’t go down the piste closed due to avalanche risk, just the one we did, not beneath a steep slope and between the trees! Nipped home for lunch and a warm up and then back out for a few more runs. Still able to find some untouched snow we had a good afternoon too.

The Grande Terche in St Jean from the top of the bubble lift

Cutting our own tracks

Today woke to more snow, waited a bit, studied the website as to what was open where, thought it had eased off so went off to Nyon again only for the snow to start again with a vengeance so we didn’t do much, but it’s all looking so good and tomorrow may be a snow free day….. I know,some people are never happy!

 

Nearing the bottom of the red run back into St Jean Station, where we live. Our apartment block is the furthest building away, beyond which you can see down into the valley

 

And our reward after that hard day of off piste skiing? Lemon drizzle cake and vin chaud!

 

This is the current view from our apartment window. A bit of a transformation

 

The Great Tits have been fluffing themselves up due to the cold weather

 

Trying to get a photo of the Great Tits without scaring them away is a bit of a trial. Here's Brians attempt at making a 'hide'