First the important stuff - This weekend we participated in an avalanche awareness course, and I'm really glad we did. Although I knew a lot of the theory, and have managed well without for two decades(!) of off-piste, getting a lot of practical exercise crammed into two days was well worth it. There is to much to go into detail now, but I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who spends time in the mountains at winter. 

Now lets talk weather. I spent both yesterday and today at Le Tour, although it hardly seemed like the same place. Yesterday it was a complete white-out. Riding the piste I had to stop at each pole and try to spot the next pole just to know where the piste went. And we all fell over numerous times not being sure if we had stopped or were still moving. Oh, and the wind was so strong we worried the lift would close and we'd get stuck on the wrong side of the mountain. Fun times! Going off-piste was completely out of the question. 

Today on the other hand was the complete oposite. Beautiful blue skies, and I even got my first hint of a goggle tan. Very windblown, but still good enough conditions to get some very good runs both down to Vallorcine and Le Tour.

Here's a couple of not-to-blurry phone-pictures.

Yesterday, New Years Eve, they closed of the road just past our house, in front of the climbing crag after we had some record amounts of snow dumping down on us. There was an avalanche there some years ago that went straight across the road, so I guess they were worried.

Since I had/have a cold I took it easy with the partying, and was rather ready to take advantage of the empty slopes on New Years Day. But I ended up staying home after all. With all the avalanche risk going around I decided to do some training in the garden. And even the snow there looks like it's slipping!

Went for a little stroll as well, and to my surprise there had actually been an avalanche down the climbing wall! Nothing to throw cars into the lake, but I'm very happy I wasn't near when it happened.

Happy New Year!