The Final Few Days

Here I am tapping away on the keyboard over another sunny Bank Holiday weekend, and it feels strange that I last skied one month ago. Since then I understand the Alps have had some pretty rotten weather with further snow storms and low temperatures. But the lifts have closed and everyone is waiting for the 'proper' start to the summer.

My personal skiing plans at the end of the season sadly didn't materialise due to another bout of 'chronic man flu'! I wanted to go ski touring but that requires a decent amount of energy which wasn't on tap this spring. However I managed to squeeze in three mornings of skiing just before leaving Méribel. And what an absolute treat it was.

A fresh body, lovely weather and quiet pistes. It was an absolute delight to be back on skis again and to be blown away by being high up in the mountains. It reminded me of how incredible the sport of skiing is, and how dramatic the landscape appears at times. This must be exactly how holidaymakers feel on their first day of their holiday. It's great to observe other people have these experiences.

Simple things like skiing down an empty piste, having a coffee looking out at the views, breathing the fresh clean air and feeling the sun on your face. 'What a great life' as Michael and I often say to each other.

At the end of the season I tend to appreciate the environment more, again I guess similar to how holidaymakers feel on their last day of their holiday. Then the final day or two I feel sad at times because I'll be losing the views across to the mighty Mont Blanc and other local peaks.

But this year I didn't feel quite as down because I knew that I'd be back in Méribel this summer for a couple of weeks. Firstly to photograph a wedding, and then to have a short holiday. So my last night in Méribel saw me sat on my balcony, with a whiskey in hand looking up to the moon, feeling very positive about the summer ahead.

To say I can't wait to get back to Méribel would be an understatement. I'll be packing my walking boots, mountain bike and a ridiculous amount of camera gear. Likewise my wife Harriet will bring her horse-riding gear. Did you know there was a stables half way down the Truite green piste?

If you enjoyed this end-of-season article you might like to read the equivalent blog post from this time last year, titled Peak-A-Boo. As always please feel free to leave a comment below. You can follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well. Live with passion.