Tuesday 23 November 2010

Spring has lost its' bounce!

Tue 30 Mar 2010 21:33 BST

What is going on with the weather here?

On Tuesday we were out on our mountain bikes lapping up the sun, trundling down the Col d'Ornon to Valbonnais on trails dotted with primroses and surrounded by trees about to burst into green life again. Our trail was interrupted twice by the paths of recent avalanches and as as we hauled the bikes over these we all thought that was the last we'd be seeing of snow for a while.

In total contrast the very next day it snowed and it has done just about every day since then. Fortunately it's the light spring snow that doesn't hang about so the shovels have not had to be employed but the welly boots have as it's been a slush-fest!

The fresh snow was however encouraging for Sunday as we had signed-up for our last cross country ski race of the season at Les Saisies in the Savoie. We have only ever skied there once before and it was paradise. The area boasted probably the best groomed and most perfect pistes we have ever come across. Despite the recent fresh snow, conditions on Sunday could not have been more different; hard packed snow and ice, rutted and pitted making falls (we both had then!) painful and hard. It was a day to take a pedestrian pace and just finish with the minimum of bruises and no broken bones! All was forgiven when we arrived at the hall for the end of race meal. We were greeted by the sight of two wood fired 'cauldrons' and a marvelous aroma of cooking sausages - joy! Amazing what a good bit of mountain food can do to pep you up!

For photos of mountain biking, the 'Etoiles des Saisies' ski race and of course the sausages, see top left.

Helyn

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