Duthie's Diaries: Gettin' sick. Not like that.

After the good times riding powder in Tignes, I was hoping for more of the same back in the Three Valleys. There hadn't been any dump to speak of since Hamish left back in early February, and we were due. There had indeed been a decent fall the day I got back, but all it did was go some way to repairing the damage of the previous days' rain. Still, there were runs to be had: a short hike up above Courcheval led to two barely-touched gullys of deep, lightly crusty powder. After an afternoon of fresh tracks in the sun, I couldn't wait for the next dump.

before....

....after

And I'm still waiting. In fact, since that day, there's not been as much as a dusting anywhere in the Three Valleys. The snow cannons barely have an impact against all the traffic on the hill, and the scraped slopes are showing the strain. At their best, the runs are similar in quality to the Braehead snowdome. At their worst, they are more like the Braehead ice rink. The scenic shred down to les Allues is no longer an option, unless you like walking through mud. Even the path to la Raffort is out of the question, so there's no way to miss out any of the return gondola.

It's got to the point where the 2 whole centimetres forecasted for Thursday will feel like Christmas come early. If it comes, that is, and if I'm ready to ride it. Since Saturday I've been confined to my pit, spending the days guzzling cold remedies and watching Catholic scandal on CNN. All the while, I've been dwelling on the days last week where, citing the poor conditions, we didn't head up til the afternoon, or headed home early.

the gondola station: a sorry sight since mid-February

Missing the last few days has given me some much needed perspective, a kick up the arse if you like. We may only have a month or so before the powers that be close the Brides gondola, and I'm determined to get as much out of that time as possible. Every day on the hill, even those spent dodging rocks in flat light, is another day to look back on when we're forced to hang up our boards for good. Whether it's due to climate change or bad knees, that day is coming for all of us. Until it does, let's get out there and ride.

Pretty sure my phlemy presence is putting most of the people in this restaurant off their dinner, so I'll sign off for now.

Duthie