The final ski

For ages Ian and I had been waiting for a break in the weather for our final ski of the season.

At the beginning of this week we eventually spotted our opportunity, and ventured upon a two day ski tour up inside the amazing and beautiful Vanoise National Park.

We stayed overnight in a mountain refuge before an early morning start up La Grande Casse, a towering mountain with a huge steep glacier visible from many miles away. This was our way of celebrating the end of the winter and spring together. We were both in the environment that we love, skiing in the high mountains.

During the trip we spoke about how good our winter had been. We spoke about the great snow conditions, and also about how much we loved our jobs as instructors. It's always good to communicate with colleagues and learn from each others experiences.

For the record we didn't quite reach the peak at 3,850 meters, however an amazing experience for us both all the same. It has to be said that crampons attached to our boots were used more than skins under our skis for safety going up.I leave Méribel on Friday to return back to England for the summer. There is plenty for me to look forward to. For a start I haven't seen my wife for over three weeks. Plus I'm really excited about catching up with my family again, to see how much my nephews and nieces have grown, and also friends who I haven't seen since I left the UK November last year.

At the end of next week, I will pick up 'Noddy' my new little BSM car, when I shall start straight away with a new batch of learner drivers. Back to teaching again, in a very different environment, but enjoyable in a different way. I'm aiming for a high pass rate for my learners again this summer, but also without any crashes this year, wish me luck !?!

Hopefully I will see some of you over the summer, but especially again back in Méribel next winter. I hope you have all enjoyed reading my blog this winter, and I wish you all an amazing summer wherever you are.

Martin

PS, Over the winter I often crave for fine English food and drink. So this weekend I will probably dive into fish and chips with mushy peas, washed down with proper beer, fine English ale. How big will my belly expand after such delights?