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Last weeks blog here with some great video from Thursday's big La Grave Day 

Scroll down to see pictures & story about "That Cliff" that so nearly got me!

Now back in the UK and off the heavy painkillers / ibuprofen etc and feeling very sore as the bruising comes out - can't imagine how I managed that cycle ride & skiing so soon after! Have had to cancel the Brighton Marathon, which was a real hard call as I doubt if I could even have hobbled round with a mate who was hoping to just finish it!

Wednesday 8th April

Had to be done, one last "Hurrah"

Went for a quick ski up at Monetier first but light was a bit flat, came home and sun started to come out again, so out with the bike and went up to the Col du Lautaret!

All a bit bizarre being on the bike as a week earlier I was driving on my own over to La Grave in gnarly conditions questioning my sanity, and here a week later cycling up to the Col on a pushbike!

Took just over an hour and was really warm on the bike, took it nice & easy....had a little coffee in the Cafe at the top hoping to see Teresse who now runs it (have known her from the Chaumine days in La Grave 12yrs ago) but it was her day off, or she heard that I was coming!

Old git on a bike - and yes I did wear a helmet before you all start!

By the time I finished up and said goodbye, light snow was falling, by the time I arrived home was really cold, but again felt good to be alive doing it, shame conditions had not been better to do some more throughout our stay :(

Then packed up the appartment and loaded the van, easy to type but more like three hours work!

Drove to my brothers just North of Grenoble (Voissant) in torrential rain with one really major accident and then bad traffic around Grenoble, it's just as bad as the M25 now it seems.

THE DOG's BLOG

What a day, knew something was up with bags all over the appartment and they were all running up and down the stairs, so I went down with them and sat in the Blue Kennel just in case they were to forget me!

Then I felt this big sting in my "derriere" and jumped on to He Who Torments Me in shock, he started laughing and talking about a Bee that was in the van and he let out.

Then just as I though we were going home I had the "muzzle" put on me, HELP! not good and then into a sterile white room and then some stranger started on me, so I started on him........but could not get a grip because of the muzzle, which was also making my bark sound more amusing than my bite.

Then I was released...............

Tuesday 6th April

He's Back!

Well felt quite good this morning and after spending an hour or so packing some kit away, almost came close to going out on the bike,even pumped the tyres up and thigh/groin did not hurt but I thought Puy St Vincent might be a good call to ski with Loulou & Elaine.

Arrived there just before 13:00 and over there they really are sensible when it comes to lift ticket pricing, we were able to get for Loulou a full day, cheaper than a half day, student ticket, plus it's low season for 22.80 with insurance, result!

As it was so warm in the afternoon the snow was very sticky even up the top, but I was just happy to be back on the mountain, though my touring skis & boots are not the best combo in the wet slush, and leg was sore on the bumps.

Met a friend over there (brothers lady's daughter) who's a ski instructor there training up on her board for the forthcoming inter ESF Championships in Tignes later this month, she reckons they had over 70cm day on Sunday!

So pleasant day, though was no way inclined to do anything away from the piste, not for fear of cliffs but have to be honest in that I could feel the leg!

That said thinking of first lifts tomorrow!

FROM ELAINE

So started the cleaning - beds, bathroom, oven, etc! Back via Graham tomorrow. How did 5 weeks go sooo fast?

Family ski today with The Baylis back on skis. Hurray! He has lived to tell the tale - er, many times!!

THE DOG'S BLOG

Something's up. Suitcases are coming out, clothes are being piled in, the sucky up machine is appearing in the apartment. Think we might be on the move again.

Now in Mojo's having to say farewell to my favourite barman, Tim. Sob, no more yummy beer mats...Suppose I'll have to go back to bland cardboardy Meaty Meals.

Oh, and, I believe, it's hello to the vet tomorrow. Just sharpening my teeth..

Easter Monday

Body felt better again this morning, though the earlier optimism of hoping to get back on skis, by Wednesday or even tomorrow I think now was a tad ambitious.

Was very very windy first thing this morning, and whilst Elaine and Loulou went for a ski I decided to do a hike up the South side above Viileneuve to see what the legs were like, and did around 350ms climbing in just over the hour, think by the time I came back down been on my feet two and half hours. So might well be able to hobble round the Brighton Marathon a week on Sunday, but no way now of doing a decent time, though have hardly been doing the right type of training for a good time, so now at least I have a good excuse for a circa 4hr one!

Oh. finally got round to telling Per last night about my little incident as I was somewhat embarrased about the whole affair of being such a "CocK" - he was quite philosophical about the whole thing.

And came across this link with more information about the new Girose route

FROM ELAINE

Woke up to the sound of the wind howling down the valley. So had later morning and out with Lou just as the Aravet gondola clossed due to "violent" winds. Had one of those strange things I haven't seen in five weeks - a queue - to get to Frejus. Went down Cas du Boeuf which is fantastic condition and quite quiet, seeing as it is Easter Monday. Blue sky and sunny. So good we did it again....Lou feeling her thighs so Pooch's paws on her lap feel like a mini Thai massage...

THE DOG'S BLOG

So there I was seeing he Who Torments Me hobbling around again whilst the others were getting their funny boots out, and must admit to being quite excited as I kept hearing the W word from him, so no danger of getting dragged out for a run with him in that state, so maybe a nice gentle "Walk" to Mojos or somewhere was on the cards.

And things looked even better when we all got in the Blue Kennel, result! Then She who Cotton Wools Me dropped him off and I was dragged out, this was not looking good, though still could be good as we could be going to Mojos as we walked across the bridge....but then it literally took a turn for the worse....in fact we turned right up a hill!

Then he kept looking at that funny object on his wrist which never means a quiet comfortable sniff of a walk. Then we're pass the houses and going up through the trees with masses of the white stuff all around us again, we even passed two poor dogs (of the working type) chained up outside what must have been a farm (from the awful smell). We then carried on for a what seemed an age, and eventually we stopped, then he had the audacity to make me chase balls made of the white stuff, I kept barking to tell him to stop but if anything this seemed to encourage him.

At one point I thought I was going to going flying off a cliff or drown in the white stuff...........but, .no, I'l leave that to Him!

Had time to finish & update the La Grave vid from Thursday

Sunday Morning

Better nights sleep and feeling way better, now sure have ripped hamstring and groin muscles / ligaments, and shoulder chest painful where knee impacted on landing. Tracy just sent this photo through which shows that "cliff" in its true glory!

Though Elaine had just reminded me that it's two weeks today the Brighton Marathon!

Luckily X didn't mark the spot where I landed! Although, as ever in the photo above the landing zone does not look that steep, you can make out the tracks where Bing had to skin up to me, yes luckily it was steep, that probably helped me!

FROM ELAINE

Snow, snow, snow! Let Lou have a little lie in but missed the first lifts so runs and off piste quite cut up by mid morning and sooo many more people than we are used to. But it IS Easter Sunday and we really can't complain - we have had amazing conditions

And thank goodness the Great Fall of Baylis came at the end of our trip.

THE DOG'S BLOG

I have been house bound looking after He Who Torments Me who is now The Tormented One. Had to watch DVDs, sleep on the sofa, and drink cups of tea. Such a Man's Life!

Easter Saturday

Have not been out of the house.........

Only because walking and getting up is really hard. Rough nights kip sponsored by Coadamol/Ibuprofen and red wine, with whole body seizing up by the morning. Feeling pretty sorry for myself but have to be positive as at least I can feel the pain and I'm not paralysed!

Bing sent through a better photo (see below) that shows the cliff. And have to say thanks for the various messages of "condolence".

Watched Scorsese's Departed this afternoon as the weather closed in, been snowing a fair bit, though rain at lower altitudes, could be a good day tomorrow!

Good Friday

Nearly fecking crucified

So here I am back at the apartment typing this, reflecting as I have over the past couple of hours that I’m so very lucky to be here. The fact(s) that I probably will not be able to do the Brighton Marathon, and that I now only have one Scott Mission ski and only one pole, pale into insignificance with what could / should have happened!

Bing, Tracy, Elaine and I set off for Monetier in no rush; pistes as ever were deserted so we did a couple of corduroy runs with Bing showing how to really carve a ski , I tried to take on board the tips and at times felt both skis carving together with the same pressure on both uphill & downhill skis.

Then we headed up to do Montagnolle where we thought we should still be able to find some untracked. Was also good for Tracy & Elaine to do some steeper pitches in deep powder. Then we put in a long traverse to get over to where I “knew” we should probably find some untracked.

I was following a single track on the traverse, and then all to suddenly as I turned a mini blind corner I did not have time to stop and found myself falling down through the air, to what I thought was my final resting place getting smashed on a load of rocks below.

Somehow, and I don’t know how as I certainly did not try to, I landed clearing the rocks in the snow, as I landed I felt heard the familiar sound / feeling of muscles / ligaments tearing / popping in my thigh. By the time I sort of came to assessing the situation that I was in one piece I suddenly panicked that the others would follow my tracks, so I started shouting.

Fortunately they all had more sense than I, with Tracy seeing that there was a drop, though she did not go close enough to see the extent of it, commenting that she was not going down there to follow me. Then Bing came through thinking that anything Gav can do it would be alright, and then he saw the gravity of the situation!

Gradually I started to look for my bits of kit, both skis & poles gone though could see one ski and one pole but at least my sunglasses were close by, result!

Bing then appeared quite a way below me having descended the other side of the cliff face. I said I was ok, but that I was missing a ski, asking if I wanted help I all too readily agreed. Took him about 15 mins to skin up to where I was, with Elaine & Tracy now below they could see I was at least moving.

I was concerned that I had injured myself and that if we could not find the ski I’d start to seize up or worst still go into shock because it was becoming all too apparent how lucky I’d been.

As Bing came up he just could not believe what I’d fallen off. The photo below does not show how sheer the face was, so in fact it looks worst, or that I was more fortunate than I really was in escaping a slamming into the rocks. I came over just to the left of that bush at the top. Conservative estimate is in the region of 40 to 50 foot, Tracy has a couple of photographs that do show the perspective far better taken from below.

Edit: Bing just sent through another photo which shows just how high etc it was

So with fear of going into shock and knowing we still had a major problem in getting me off the mountain with just under 3 miles and 1000ms descent to do as there was no way I wanted to be helied out of there due to insurance issues as we were way way off piste and sans guide. So kissed goodbye to my nice new ski and pole!

Bing being the superstar he is managed to ski down on my one ski in the powder whilst I limped down on his skis to a point where I agreed to walk as there was no way you could ski the final run out on one ski. Still took well over an hour to do the last mile and a half with Elaine walking along with me making sure I was ok.

So looking back on how / why it happened I was a “Cock” going too fast on a blind traverse, ok I was following a track but that’s no excuse. Yes I’d been over that way many times but I should have known better and now I’m paying for my stupidity. That said I am very lucky to not be in a serious state in a hospital or worse!

Just heard that Andy, in Switzerland, has taken his son in a heli to hospital with suspected broken leg.

So not so Good Friday….

FROM ELAINE

You never know what’s around the corner – in Baylis’s case a 50ft drop.

There we were having a fun time – Bing did a header into the snow, I face planted (and should have shut my mouth as ended up eating snow) and there we are traversing when there’s a faint “arghhhhh” and Baylis disappears.

Fortunately cos of my face plant, Tracey and I had swopped places otherwise there is every possibility that I would have blindly followed Baylis over the edge whereas she was for too sensible.

There was a dreadful few minutes while Bing looked over, then skied down and around cliff to see what had happened when there was no sound from Baylis. Finally Bing declared “Well, he’s alive” which wasn’t altogether comforting.

But praise the Lord. When you see the drop on Tracey’s camera (we were like happy snappy tourists), you’ll see just how high and rocky it was.

Getting back was another issue – can’t believe that Bing can still ski a million times better than me, on one ski! Baylis was looking very dodgy, skiing like a complete muppet so we knew something was really wrong.

Long, long walk out – but, hey, at least I carried my skis the right way!

THE DOG'S BLOG

Had incredible food cravings last night - needed to eat Robochon cheese and grated carrot. Then felt the need to share with The Bing - especially His breakfast this morning. Danish pastry, mmmmm. Don't worry not pregnant.

Now in Mojos where someone is singing and so they all clap when she finishes. And I do my barking. Except....suddenly everyone started barking, too. Which confirms what I often think:  humans are almost dogs....

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