Greetings from La Plagne....

Greetings from snowy La Plagne! Yes, that’s right it’s been snowing for the past 18 hours and we’re all loving it!

So this is the last activity week of the year, but boy what a week. After the initial trouble of flying into Grenoble airport instead of Chambery, the group had bonded well and it was clear that everyone was very excited skiing, skiing and more skiing.

Day one - On the slopes saw everyone gear up for an action packed day. Instructor Karen produced the outfit for the week – two pink tutu’s. First up to wear the tutu was Stevie – who changed his name for the afternoon to Stephanie! Iona had an interesting first day being 180’d on the first run by Richard. But like she says, she’s had worse! The snow on the  was beautiful and the mountain was perfect for all of us. Lots and lots of blue runs to tackle and conquer. Skier Chris Jones managed to fall in to the deepest powder on the mountain and it took everything that Holly, Pete and Richard had to get him back out! Everyone was in high spirits after a great day on the slope and when we saw it snowing later that night we were all really excited about the next days skiing. After taking part in (and winning) the Disney Quiz we all went to bed dreaming of snowy slopes.

Day two - Didn’t disappoint! Blue skies greeted us in the morning and we all were keen to get on the slopes as quickly as possible. Skiers Neil, Polly and Stevie were lucky enough to get a whole day on the mountain skiing hard and fast!  Stevie Cairoli had set the evenings entertainment with a fantastic quiz. We pitted the boys against the girls and we all have lasting memories of Andrew and Caireen jumping around like chimpanzees, Gordon miming a brilliant version of Bohemian Rapsody and lots of ballroom dancing! But in the end the best team won, and the girls claimed the victory!

Day 3 -  Started with instructor Nick realising that Jim’s bi-ski had different sized ski’s on it. After swapping them around Jim’s turns magically improved and became much more even!

After an epic day on the slopes, the instructors did 3 track training and suddenly everyone was in awe of how fast and skilled Sheena’s skiing is. The Crystal Quiz night saw all of us get our thinking caps on and it definitely brought out our competitive spirit, and our team Andrews Wally’s came second! Not a bad result at all.

Day 4 – What a beautiful day! The suncream was slathered on and the snow was beautiful in the morning. Helpers Ian, Tracey, Maureen and Sarah went out for a free ski but ended up soaking in the sun with a drink. Everyone else however had a much more productive ski and everyone was exhausted but happy to sit down to lunch. The afternoon saw cloudy skies, but we all knew what that meant – snow was on its way! We all were pretty skied out by the end of the day in slushy sugary snow, so we decided to have a group outing for après-ski. Scotty’s bar was the venue for the evening. Entertainment was provided by skier Chris Jones singing with the live band to rapturous applause. Hat night was also the theme with everyone swapping hats and Gordon trying to steal Instructor Sarah’s beloved red hat. After a boogie, some ballroom dancing by Stevie and Sarah B and some snacks most of the group headed back to the hotel for dinner.

Day 5 – The recent snowfall made for great conditions on the slope even if it was a little cloudy. Later in the afternoon all the helpers received training – everything from crabbing and blocking to tethering. The evening’s entertainment was the girls versus boys ping pong tournament with the final being held between skier Chris and instructor Caireen. It was a tense final drawing level pegging at every step, however at match point, Chris claimed victory with an amazing ace! Victory to the boys – well they had to win something this week!

The final days is upon us and we’re all intending to ski hard and fast and make the most of the time on the slopes. The grand presentation is tonight, so we’ll keep you updated with which skiers got the most accolades. An amazing week has been had by all and all the skiers, helpers, instructors have been absolutely fantastic. Here’s to next year!