Another Season Wrapped Up

Hi everyone and welcome to the latest post from your favourite blogging Méribel Ski Instructor. I haven't written for a while, and wanted to give a quick review of the last few weeks I had before returning to the UK. Work for me finished during the first half of April after an amazing winter. As soon as I stop teaching, I take it very easy for a week or so. I absolutely love my job of ski teaching, however it is an exhausting and intense period of several months, so 'down time' is needed and very much appreciated.

In a way, I guess this period is kind of like what people would call 'Me Time'. I take a step back from skiing for a bit, to really soak up where I am in the world, which is in the incredible French Alps. I'm very grateful to be able to spend six months every year in this wonderful industry, and in one of the world's must beautiful environments. And the end of April is a time when I go into overdrive with this appreciation.

Catching up with friends in resort is easier when our work has stopped. And catching up with friends away from the 3 Valleys, for example in Annecy (my mate Slippers Jackson), is a real joy. It's funny you know, living and working in a ski resort for the winter is a privilege of course, but is it normal? When I take a day trip to Annecy is probably when I observe more normal things going on. For example people going for a run or a bike ride at lunchtime, breaking up a day of work. You don't see that in Méribel in the winter. Seeing people of all ages, and shapes and sizes, is way more typical in Annecy than in Méribel in winter. Seeing parents pushing buggies with either babies or dogs! Seeing retired folk catching up with friends for a coffee with a bag of fresh veg and baguettes. These are things that are a pleasure to observe after months of ski resort living. It is a funny old life I lead!

Reminiscing is another activity at the end of the season. This kind of happens when I return to the UK as well. For example, when I meet up with friends after the winter, the classic question I receive is "How was your winter?". A perfectly good question. And this time I've found myself replying with the word 'Epic'. It's true, the ski season really was epic.

The snow conditions this winter, on the whole, were really very good indeed, way above average. The snow depths were terrific; for most of the winter, the quality of the snow we skied on was superb right up until the end. I was lucky this year in that I stayed healthy, and avoided any injuries. This may sound odd, but if you have any illness (whether mild or worse), or are carrying an injury, ski teaching becomes very challenging in many ways both physically and mentally. That's a big tick in the box for this winter. And my hours (worked) were the highest for at least the last ten years.

I met so many amazing people, both regular clients and new ones from all over the world. This is another part of ski instructing I love (and have written about before), meeting different people from varied backgrounds who I wouldn't normally come across here in Leamington Spa! Let me give you an example; I skied a few days with a husband and wife who lived in a major city in Brazil. When they found out my wife worked for Jaguar Land Rover, they were delighted to hear this. They explained that they owned and loved their Range Rover, they described it as being bullet proof. I thought that was nice to hear, assuming they thought it was a solidly built car and well engineered. Then I realised that they meant it was actually (converted into being) bullet proof. I was skiing with people who would often feel the need to be driving around in a bullet proof car, and this was normal for them and their friends!

Before the ski lifts closed, I managed a couple of days of skiing for myself. And guess what, I really enjoyed it. It was kind of like a celebration of the end of another winter. I had fresh legs on these days, an unusual sensation that!?! That must be what you lot feel like on a week's skiing holiday, all fresh and bouncy?

I also couldn't resist popping across to Champangy-en-Haut with my big camera a couple of times, to see if I could catch up with other mates of mine, the ones with four legs. The mighty bouquetins, also known as ibex. Here are couple of handsome chaps I spotted.

Right, onwards and upwards, time to look forward to the summer. I'll post again in a few weeks' time, about a town that was new to me where I stopped overnight during the big drive back to the UK. In the meantime, let me end with my usual finish - Live With Passion. Martin.