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The view of Plagne Centre form my balcony!

30/11

Non-stop snow in the Alps

Well, I’ve been a bit busy, but I’ve got loads of excuses!! Apart from the non-stop snow which brought La Plagne to a stand-still, we’re really busy preparing for the season. I’ve been booking lessons, hotels, restaurants and even the Bobsleigh!
In La Plagne the bars are starting to open (I’m a big fan of La Grölle, although having a tab is starting to prove rather dangerous) and the tour operator reps are arriving in truck-loads. I finally have some neighbours in my apartment building as the new ski technicians for Oxygène have arrived; and they have been very busy too as the new skis and snowboards have arrived, and man do they look gooooood! (the skis not the ski men!)!
With all this snow we really can’t wait for the season to start, and I’ve been learning all about the different types of snow! We’ve had a real mix here – hail at first, then almost sleet, but now just big soft snowflakes falling so thick and fast that you can’t see more than two metres in front of your face most of the time! There has been a lot of wind, which I’m told doesn’t form the best snow for skiing, as it’s powdery, uneven and compacted by the wind. But thankfully now it’s more settled. We’ve had snowstorms and blizzards but now there is just one constant flurry!
The pistes are looking beautiful and I can’t wait to get skiing! La Plagne opens on 12th December, so I hope to see you on the slopes very soon!

It's snowing already in La Plagne...are you ready for the season to start?

08/11/09

Ever wondered what a ski resort looks like with no snow…?

Well I hadn’t really thought about it before arriving in La Plagne at the end of August, but the answer is BEAUTIFUL! Rolling green hills, cows with bells around their necks…I felt like I was living in The Sound of Music! There were however, no people. No Spar. No-one at all (except for my boss and colleagues)!

But that was then, now 10 weeks later La Plagne is even more BEAUTIFUL - covered in well over 2ft of snow (and that’s Plagne Centre, so just imagine how much there is up the mountain…!!!). This tiny village has really come alive recently, as everyone adds that extra lick of paint or that final touch ready for the season to start. It may still be several weeks away, but here it’s all go!

And talking of skiing... there are ski tracks down the slalom slope, and I’m told if you don’t mind the 40 minute walk up the slope, then it’s well worth it for the pristine skiing over fresh powder snow.

There may be plenty to do in the Alps in the summer, but I think I prefer the winter... It STILL hasn’t stopped snowing here, so I’m off to try out the slalom slope – my first skiing this winter!

Thanks to Jenny Yates from ‘Summer Zest’ for her mountain biking excursions and proving that there’s plenty to do here in summer. Also to Julian from Oxygène Ski School in La Plagne for putting up with my endless questions about snow and skiing, and giving me all the inside information on where to ski – I’ll share all that with you next week!

N.B. - the blog is not endorsed or sponsored by Oxygène in anyway, it is merely the ramblings of one of our newest recruits. We do not mean to cause any offence, but if there is anything that you would like removed (or like to know more about) do not hesitate to contact sarah@oxygene-ski.com