Monday 7 May 2012

Winter's comes to an end...

I'm sure most of you (our UK friends and readers at the very least) are sitting there thinking that winter came to an end quite a long time ago ... but you'd be WRONG!  Winter only finishes when the ski lifts close in the mountains and that happened on Sunday.  How do I know?  Because I was right there, in the mighty off-piste mecca that is Tignes, knee deep in some of the most incredible end of season powder for fifty years!

Turn away if you suffer from vertigo ... NOW...



















If you know me, you understand that after comics, the mountains are one of my main addictions.  But despite MANY trips to the hills, I'm always prepared to be surprised.  And nothing surprised me more than having to catch a London underground tube train to get to the top of the slopes.  Madness?  Genius?  Who knows!


Every trip to find snow carries with it the chance of misfortune but our little gang could not have been luckier.  Fresh snow everyday, clear blue skies, few accidents and almost NO ONE else on the mountains!  Amazing...




In my continuing attempt to JUMP the world, I climbed the glacier, found a large and deep pocket of snow and launched myself into the air.

Yes, it was cold.
No, I don't regret it.
Yes, I left a large crater.
No, I was not respected by my peers.
And yes, I would do it again in a heartbeat.





















One last treat ... despite the wondrous conditions, Spring was trying it's hardest to make itself known and never more so than in the emergence of dozens of ALPINE MARMOTS, better known as large ground squirrels!  Just take a look at these cute little devils.


















That's some real life nature spotting, right there!

I hope this post holiday post has at least made you smile and at most excited your interest in having a go at a winter sport.  Sure, you'll be broke for life if you fall in love with the snow, but standing on top of the world is a simply unforgettable experience.  Okay, enough messing around - I think it's high time I got back to work!

- Robin