It's been getting steadily colder and we had a bit of snow but not masses. However I woke up this morning to find the cat clearly in winter mode (on the bed), the collie in excited five year old boy mode (by the door wanting to go and play) and I could make out car shapes on the drive beneath a healthy blanket of fresh snow...

We just need some lift attendants now. They start arriving next week end which will present a dilemma - Barbarians v South Africa rugby match or the first ski of the season!! Tricky...

So today is dusting off the shovels and working the shoulders - which of course the collie just takes as a game of catch with the ball being replaced by a shovel full of snow - often watched by a bemused and uncoprehending cat... and roaring Chalet Care 3 into life and chucking snow everywhere to clear drives, which of course being a bloke with a snow clearing machine is no fun at all :):):)

Winter 2010/11 - looks like we're off!!

It's snowing!! Not much, but enough to give the pistes a freshen up and probably make tomorrow a good skiing day even though it's mid April. We keep getting top ups, the week before Easter saw enough of a snowfall to get everyone who wanted to make fresh tracks get out of bed on two days during the week plus there was hardly anyone around... Living out here does have it's advantages :)

The season has been busy for Chalet Care with an additional van, new staff member for the winter (the very excellent Sarah) plus the ongoing distractions of the now 9 month old Border Collie who fortunately likes playing snowballs and is very friendly. I'm hoping to train him to do "Meet and Greet" for next season!! He was out with his big mate the labrador the other day happily running around the forest, so much so he missed the full sized deer 20m away!! Mind you he'd only have run away from it, he can be a bit of a wimp.

The lifts close soon albeit only for a couple of months before the ever increasing numbers of Mountain Bikers become a familiar sight. This year the Passeports du Soleil event was booked up in a matter of days and there are three or four new chalet operators in Chatel offering guided Mountain Bike holidays, click on the links on the Homepage to find out more.

The two strimmers and mowers are already being serviced. Spring always surprises me here, everything is calm for a couple of weeks then you look out of the window one morning and the grass has grown a foot and behind every tree there's a Fox cub looking hungry.

I was asked the other day what I most missed about the UK.... Haven't thought of anything yet!!!!

Following the soggy Christmas we had, conditions are excellent in the run up to half term. There was a decent snowfall last Friday and Saturday (29th and 30th Jan) followed by cold weather. Well not exactly cold, more like VERY, VERY cold indeed. Minus 20 last night with the cat staying firmly on the bed!!

Some of us were lucky enough to do the Vallee Blanche in Chamonix on Sunday following a fresh snowfall on the glacier, big smiles all round apart from the descent down the ridge, roped together in minus 28 with a very strong wind blowing.... Brrrrrr! The stunning scenery with a clear blue sky made up for it though.

However on the mountains of the Portes du Soleil the snow is in great condition both on and off piste.

It's snowing down to approx 900m!! After a mild autumn we are now getting our first proper snowfall of the season. There is approx 15cm outside Chalet Elan at the moment and it's still snowing. Higher up there has been more snow as last week whilst it was raining in Chatel, you could see snow on the top of the mountains.

More is forecast for later in the week...

All of this is much to the disgust of the cat who has taken to the cushions. The three month old border collie pup (Roger) is however delighted notwithstanding that he thought the whole cold white mass around the chalet needed a good barking at this morning. Apart from the obvious pleasures of snowballs, running around at high speed kicking up as much snow as possible or pouncing into it whilst sliding downhill seem to be the most fun... much better than trying to get the boring cat to play chase!!!

Lifts open 12th December :)

It's snowing up on the mountains with more due later in the week and lower down.... :):):)