Chamonix Training session 2-more advanced snowboarding (April 8th to 11th 2006)

Adil Latif | Snowboarding-Mont Blanc glacier Descent | ON 8th April 2006 | 0 comments

Day 1 on the slope
08/04/2006
First morning in Chamonix. Arrived last night after 1am in the bunk house. I was all prepared for the late arrival. Philip one of the owners had provided me with the security code for the door, I was also instructed to look for a note which would have on it a room number. I had the bus driver Martin help me enter the code, we entered it and turned the leaver to the left, for a moment of panic the door didn't open, when Martin turned it the other way...voila we were in. However there was nobody in sight apart from a nice skier gentleman. We all diligently began looking for the note with no avail. Then arrived Ben one of the guys working at the place. He to didn't know of the note but found me a bed in a room of 4.

Having lived quite a sheltered life I never knew of the norms of a bunkhouse.
1. Should really bring a sleeping bag no bed sheets if you arrive after hours.
2. Inevitably being condemned to a top bunk which you need to find in the dark without waking up the other occupants in the room.

Apart from me being ill-equipped the place was lovely and clean. The owners were a fantastic bunch of people who took the time out to chat. Hot showers and full kitchen facilities with the option for signing up for breakfast and evening meal made it a wonderful place to stay. However I did slightly miss the wireless internet and the hot tub which was present during my stay at the McNab Chalet the last time I came. The chalet was booked out this time round.

I don't think I have ever made it for breakfast anywhere, so I was very grateful to be offered a yogurt from one of the skiers who was in the same room as me. The day got better as my instructor Keith had a bit too much champagne the night before while celebrating his wedding anniversary so he sent me a text at about 10 saying he had just got up and would be at mine for noon. I took the opportunity to take it easy and ask as many people as I could where breakfast is with the hope that someone would volunteer to take me to the closest place as I didn't feel adventurous to head out myself and really couldn't be bothered getting lost and wander around more than likely outside the place I would be looking for. As it happened, a friendly Irish girl offered to walk to the cash machine with me and then to deposit me at a lovely café. I had some breakfast and sent a couple of text messages to Keith to see how he was doing. The weather was lovely with the sun shining down, no sign of snow, a nice cold orange juice and lots of relaxation. I suggested that we should might as well have lunch in the cafe, he agreed and we eventually hit the slope at 2pm!

The first run was quite pathetic kept on falling. The remainder runs we took the poma lift up. I felt I was improving on each run. The last 2 runs I fired the board straight down the slope from the top as this was the only way we could pick up enough speed as the snow conditions were slushy and sticky.

Had a near miss with a skier who must have liked my aftershave or something as he got really close and cut in front of me. My lightening reflexes and Keith shouting at the top of his lungs avoided a clash.

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Formal apology to easyjet, due to the possibility of being arrested by the snowboarding fashion police, I wasn't able to wear the bright orange easyjet hat today, however I will attempt to build up some confidence over the next couple of days
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What a coincidence:
1. Sat next to the same guy (Alex) on the plane I had sat next to when I had gone to Geneva the last time.
2. Got the same bus driver (Martin) for the transfer from Geneva to Chamonix, as I had got last time, it was odds of 1 to 30 as there are 30 different drivers.

Day 2 on the slope
09/04/2006
Feel really crap and sore.  Most of the time I was tumbling down the slope head first.  The snow conditions were very slushy and the off piste stuff was like powder but mixed with water and of a similar consistency of lumpy ice-cream.  Regardless, most of the problems today were from my really bad habit of leaning into the turns.  Towards the last couple hours of the day Keith devised and idea, he would pelt snowballs at me everytime I fell due to leaning.  I could see he was really enjoying this new rule as I think at some subconscious level he actually wanted me to lean so he could have an opportunity to fire snowballs at me.  Truly being fed up of falling and then being bombed by snowballs I decided to get my own back.
I gathered lots of snow and picked up speed as I got close to Keith I called his name so I could hear exactly where he was.  After he spoke I secured target and fired and got him well and good.  However my success was short lived as he saw me happily riding towards a big mound of soft snow and stayed silent as I went crashing into it.

Day 3 on the slope
10/04/2006
Legs were in pain before starting which may have been the cause for my worst day on the slope ever.  Missed breakfast again, and my foot was wobbling around in the boot for the first run.  After having a small bite to eat before starting the second run I felt slightly better.  Nevertheless the day didn’t improve much and consisted of some of the hardest falls I’ve had to date.  Description of one of them:
I was on my toe edge of the board going at a reasonable speed on the brink of executing a toe to heal turn.  I had began the turn however hadn’t notice that my board had began to slide down the fall line as apposed to carving across the slope (even though I think I heard Keith shouting to inform me!).  This lead to my heal side of the board catching while I was steering the turn resulting in me going airborne backwards down the slope on the first bounce landing on my arms with my back crashing down, the second bounce was better as I remembered Keith’s advice to cross my arms over my chest so not to break arms and wrists and stuff..However had nowhere to put my head so it crashed down hard.

All I can say is I really can appreciate the valuable training my body received from my years of being really crap at Judo as my body hardened up to being thrown around!

Day 4 on the bed!
11/04/2006
Couldn’t move my neck for the first 5 minutes of being awake.  Could here everybody busying around to make it for breakfast.  Another morning without breakfast I thought.  However it was going to actually be a day without any riding as my legs were in just as much pain as my neck.  Yes I thought time to come home!  Today was supposed to be the final day of riding however I was welcoming the break.

As always without everybody's generosity I wouldn’t have made it to Chamonix:
Easyjet who show boundless enthusiasm for the project and even had it in this month’s in-flight mag (was slightly embarrassed on the plane when the 2 ladies sitting next to me asked me to sign the article!).

ACT for providing my transfer from Geneva airport to Chamonix.

My instructor Keith McIntosh for still not losing hope in me (I think).

The Belvedere for providing an excellent stay and friendly environment.

And all the people who crossed my path.

Training over the next couple of months will take place at the indoor places in the UK.