Take Me Back to Alpe d’Huez

Shot from the top of my bunny slope

DC has been experiencing sub-freezing temperatures the past few days but instead of wishing for a little bit of tropical weather (which I’ll soon get on a work trip to Hawaii anyway, hehe), I find myself longing to relive that snowboarding trip I just took over the holidays.

Our group of 6 headed for Alpe d’Huez in the central French Alps from Dublin on St. Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day). And from then on it was snowboarding, eating, sleeping, drinking and more snowboarding!

I’d never been to a giant ski resort before and this first experience was quite magical. The entire place was covered in white and carnival-like french music blasted overhead while everyone, big or small, played like children on their skis and snowboards. Lifts of all kinds that brought people in all their colourful outfits up and down the slopes, from afar looked like assembly lines in a toy factory. And at almost the same time every morning, two packs of huskies excitedly raced by the same spot, pulling their sleds (and owners) behind them.

A couple of us who were less experienced at winter sports took lessons at the reputable Ecoles du Ski Français for a whole week, which proved worthwhile at the end when we were able to turn both left and right (unlike Zoolander)and play follow the leader, all on slopes much steeper and higher up than when we began. We even got little certificates like report cards to recognize our achievements!

Here’s me on a board, possibly before a fall… (no, I am not wearing oven mitts!)

The instructors were mostly French but spoke adequate English to get their instructions across and were, for the most part, pretty good teachers.

I also learnt about Après-skiing, which I had mistakenly heard as Apparate-skiing and was quite excited about my very own Harry Potter experience. Alas, all it meant was going out for drinks after skiing, no magic involved (unless you count the effects of alcohol).

By the end of the 6 days, we were all battered and bruised but already starting to plan where and when we’d go snowboarding next!