Colin.Guthr.ie Illegitimi non carborundum

Viva Verbier

Boof! Holiday v2.0 was a fantastic follow up - great weather, great company and great chalet hosts.

I really need to get me a place in the mountains......

Well, it has to be said that that was fantastic. Verbier is an awesome place, quite different to where I've ever been before, slightly tarnished by quite possibly the worst piste map I've ever had the misfortune to attempt to interpret.

Flights/transfers went smoothly enough but the rep on the bus (who was Scottish) couldn't sort out or passes etc. as we were piggy backing on a Thomsons bus.

After a very picturesque drive through the mountains, we met our rep (who was Scottish) and were taken to the chalet along with a family who were already on our bus. The family was four kids and their parents (who were all Scottish). We had hoped to avoid kids but I guess that was wishful thinking.... I don't think we really managed to stop making massive innuendo and swearing tho', so sorry to the parents :p

We arrived at our chalet which, compared to the one two weeks ago was a bit of a shit hole, but the hosts Graham and Hannah (who were Scottish) were both really nice so that made up for it (even if the only shower that didn't require you to hold the shower head above you was actually in the hall!!)

We met the various other people in the chalet: another family (who were Scottish) with two kids, a gentleman on his own (I forget his name just now, sorry) (who was Scottish), and the only non-Scot we'd met so far, Tim, an Aussie from London who was by far the closest to our age (not to mention mentality). He was a boarder too which was good as Derek was planning to take some lessons which would leave me and Lindsey to our own devices and Lindsey had already said that she wont be going hell for leather every day.

Anyway, it turns out Graham is a chef by trade and he was able to knock out some excellent meals for everyone and his veggie options were brilliant - considerably better than the Meribel chalet chef's efforts.

Getting to the slopes was just a 5 minute walk or a bus up to a different uplift if that took your fancy. The queues went surprisingly quickly considering there is only two main lifts out of the resort (unlike in Meribel where there are a few more lifts but surprisingly more queuing).

The terrain was good, tho' a little icey for the first day or two until it snowed. Surprisingly, Derek's lessons did not start until the second day, which I can't help think is totally daft. So we fannied about on the mountain on day one and generally found our feet. By the third day the snow had come with a vengence which was great. Visibility that day was pretty pooh, but still had a great day. The day after that tho' was awesome. It was still very overcast in the valley but once you assended to a decent hight, you rose above the clouds to sit above one of the more spectacular inversions I have seen.

The second last day was ace and I had the best run of the season. It was very short but it was just perfect. We were up at the very top of the Mont Ford. It is a very steap black run and despite him only just learning Derek was very keen. The first run was great I think I quite possibly broke the world record! I got down in the time it take to play Concrete Schoolyard

After lunch tho' we did it again and I carefully chose my line from the cable car. It took me accross the tail of an avalanch so I wanted to be sure I'd got the right line. We then just dropped into a perfect powder basin and sailed to the bottom. Perfect.

The last day was great too, really sunny and hot. I was boarding in a t-shirt for half the day, playing at thowing ourselves of a couple of drop-offs.

All in all we had a great time. Thanks to everyone who made it worthwhile.

Photos comming soon.