YOUNG AND FREE(RIDE)
PHOTO Andy Parant
As 20 powder-hungry skiers head for Tignes on the Ski Club's first Under 39's off-piste trip, the one question on everybody's lips is: will the snow gods play ball? Sophie Mead is set to find out...
This spring, the Ski Club ran its first holiday for under-39s, where 20 off-piste amateurs made a beeline for the Tarentaise Valley in France for a week of mixed terrain and adventure. And I w
This spring, the Ski Club ran its first holiday for under-39s, where 20 off-piste amateurs made a beeline for the Tarentaise Valley in France for a week of mixed terrain and adventure. And I was one of them. As my fellow powder hunters and I arrived at L’Aigle lodge in Tignes, squinting into the glaring spring sun, a look of concern spread across our faces. Tignes had not seen any new snow for two weeks. How, then, would an off-piste holiday go ahead?
That’s the thing about a ski holiday: mother nature always calls the shots. But you have the choice – cancel or make the most of it. And let me tell you, the squad I travelled with weren’t made of soft stuff. The forecast predicted snow mid-week so we remained hopeful, made our prayers to the powder gods and got stuck in.
Around a third of the group had already been on a Freshtracks holiday, but most were new to the concept. Having discussed their abilities with staff prior to the trip, skiers were grouped according to their level (various stages of intermediate and experienced). Ages ranged from 21 to 41; the 'U39' age-range is only a rough guide – it’s the skiing that counts.
To begin, all the groups had a few runs on the piste to get everybody’s ski legs working, since many hadn’t skied all season. Then it was straight off the beaten track to hunt for some illusive powder.
Our group started off at the back of the Marmottes lift, located on the Bellevarde sector of Val d’Isère. We would be tackling Le Banane, a steep off-piste route through a rocky valley. After a short traverse, including a walk over grass, we were off – and faced with several different types of snow: ice, crud, hardpack and windblown patches.
Our guide, Patrick, let us ski using our own technique first to assess our capability, before stopping to explain the snow conditions and to give us tips on how we could adapt our technique according to the terrain. Whereas on ice we were told to avoid sharp turns to minimise skidding, as the conditions changed to crud it was important to keep our stance relaxed to absorb bumps.
We continued our descent through a dramatic canyon called Le Manchet, before winding back to Val d’Isère. Negotiating our way through the rock formations, it was thrilling to explore such an extreme environment.
For lunch, the group refuelled at Pizzeria Italiana Chez Paolo in the centre of Val d’Isère village, where I opted for a veggie option and lapped up the sun on the terrace.
Rest is for the wicked of course, and we were soon back on the piste, challenged with a few exercises where we were instructed to keep both skis on the ground during turns. It’s very tempting to lift one ski as you turn, but off-piste requires both skis to work in unison.
Next, we headed to a quiet clearing for transceiver training, an essential element of backcountry skiing. It was compulsory to bring a probe and shovel on the trip, with transceivers provided by the Ski Club unless skiers had their own. Patrick explained what different surfaces feel like to probe, such as rock, mud and, ominously, the texture of a human body.
After some familiarisation with the tools, we did an exercise to find Patrick’s buried transceiver, with six of us scouring the ground for signs of a signal before digging it out. Despite the seriousness of the subject, the mood was relaxed and we all felt comfortable enough to ask questions – and make mistakes.
Day two didn’t bring fresh snow and the sun beat down once again on Tignes-Val d’Isère. Our group started the day off with some ‘leafing’ exercises on the piste. When exploring off-piste, a lot of time is spent traversing, side-slipping and moving in a completely different way to on-piste skiing (when the ground is typically a predictable shape). So we practised sliding down with control, concentrating on our weight distribution.
We then proceeded to practice jump turns… with some grasping this technique better than others. This was a new type of movement for me so I did struggle, but our group managed to execute some great practice jumps, putting the move into our ‘bag of tricks’ for later.
“We made our way over to Le Fornet where we put the techniques we had been learning to good use, lapping the powder fields before descending down to the town for a well-earned croque-monsieur”
With some training under our belts, we headed to Tour de Charvet, which starts from the Grand Pré chairlift in Val d’Isère and involves a 20-minute hike to a narrow ridge, offering panoramic mountain views.
Our ski boots crunched through the exposed soil and loose rocks of the path (no mean feat carrying skis on our backs) as we followed the track up to the summit of the Rocher du Charvet (2,856m). The dazzling spring sun quickly had us shedding layers. During the hike, Patrick could see I was flagging and offered to carry my skis. Note to self: a good level of fitness is essential!
After we caught our breath, the only way was down, for 900 vertical metres through rolling off-piste terrain behind Bellevarde, and the turns felt even better after the effort we had put in to get them. The focus needed to assess each type of snow meant the descent was as mentally stimulating as physically challenging.
After each day we would ski back to L’Aigle lodge, perched on the hillside just 140 metres from the slope, and a short walk from Tignes Le Lac centre, for a rest. There was always a spread of cakes on offer, and members had the chance to catch up with the day’s stories. The sunny weather was a good incentive to enjoy an après beer or two at the Loop bar at the bottom of the slopes, before retiring to the sauna and pool at the lodge where we could soak our bones ahead of the next day.
Three-course meals kept us fuelled up, with a selection of vegetarian options available alongside traditional Savoyard dishes like tartiflette. Each guest had a €70 bar tab to spend over the week and we also enjoyed a night out to a local restaurant, where regional specialities of raclette, fondue and baked camembert went down a storm. With that much cheese, digestifs were essential and we sampled some chartreuse (a sweet and spicy French liqueur) before stopping by a local pub for a nightcap before heading home, leaving the other revellers to it. No party night for us – off-piste zones are not advisable on a hangover!
On Thursday our prayers were answered and a fresh dusting of the good stuff was delivered overnight to the slopes of Tignes-Val d’Isère. Low visibility called for low-light goggles and extra caution, but the group was thrilled to finally make some fresh tracks. We made our way over to Le Fornet in Val d’Isère where we put the techniques we had been learning to good use, lapping the powder fields before descending down to the town for a well-earned croque-monsieur.
Thursday was a good warm-up for the most glorious day of the trip: Friday brought blue skies and near-perfect ski conditions with fresh snowfall overnight.
The hardpacked slopes we had scraped our skis over during the start of the week were now transformed into powder playgrounds, and every route could offer us a different ski experience.
Patrick led our group across to Le Fornet again, expertly guiding us through endless untouched slopes. We were so grateful to be rewarded with a perfect day after facing challenging conditions all week, and the excitement was visible on people’s faces as they grinned from ear to ear after every run, no matter how many tumbles in the powder they had.
After a full day we rounded off the week with a visit to the Cocorico bar in Tignes – new last season – where live bands and après pints were the order of the day.
We toasted to new friends, new skills and fresh powder: a trifecta for one very memorable week.
Freshtracks Friday: the powder-hungry group are rewarded with a perfect day
FACTFILE
The 2020 U39s trip will head to Val d'Isère from 1-8 February. Prices start at £1,099 per person, including chalet board accommodation at Chalet Lores (twin share), five days’ off-piste tuition with instructors, flights and transfers. A six-day adult lift pass can be purchased for a reduced price of £277. This trip is aimed at Aspirer (Red), Intermediate (Silver) and Advanced (Purple) off-piste skiers. If you are unsure of your ski level, please see our Ski Profile Page.
GUEST PROFILE
Skier: Dani Ward
Age: 23
Lives: Basingstoke
Works: As a sourcing specialist at a
retail buying office.
I found out about the course from a catalogue, when Mum joked that I should go on a solo ski trip as I had no pals to go with. I was hoping to push myself past the usual skiing I’d gotten used to – mainly bombing down the piste. There was a LOT of learning on the trip – I’ve never skied as hard as I did that week, so it was amazing not only to learn some off-piste technique but how far I could push it skiing seven hours a day (five of those before lunch.)The trip also involved meeting lots of amazing people with amazing stories and lives, and I was so inspired by our leader Sula. I did know about the Ski Club but purely through my dad as he’s been a member for years and gone on loads of trips – hence why we had the catalogue at home. I always thought it was for older people but it turns out it’s perfect for me!