Back from the snow to the snow

Oh deer, oh dear...

Well after last week's mileage high, I set off to Chamonix on Thursday quite regretting the lack of exercise I was heading for - little did I know...

A steady old day on Thursday up at Grands Montets (apart from a specular drop off an 8' cliff onto a road in completely flat light) led to some proper Brevent-Flegere mileage on Friday.  Saturday was going to be my Pas de Chevre adventure, but unfortunately my guide, Neil, decided that it was all a bit windy and avalanchy so we were off to Switzerland for some transceiver training and a bit of a day tour.

Me and Rob at Brevent with MB behind

The transceiver training was in a car park, accompanied by the bizarre spectacle of me setting up a crevasse rescue in the same car park, belayed to a ski stuck in a snow drift.  Still, useful...

However once we were up on the road to the Lac d'Emosson I was soon skinning up the road like a good 'un.  Slightly disconcerted by the lack of "lifts" though...  Two and a half hours later it had sunk in there weren't going to be any lifts, and I was utterly knackered.  Skiing uphill is hard work.  Skiing uphill with 800m of climbing is very hard work.  Still, I thought, you've "earned your turns" as they say!  Only I couldn't really do any turns - it was avalanchy, scary, deep and in places, steep.  And I was goosed.  So after a bit of gorgeous powder that I really couldn't take advantage off due to my feeble legs, we just skied back down the road on the whole.  Still - I had no qualms that I'd had a hard day, and that it would be paid back in fitness and weight loss (despite beer and chips).

Sunday saw us at a much tamer Les Houches - we went because the forecast said poor vis, but as we looked at the GM sparkling in the sun I was slightly regretting not dragging everyone up there.  However as Tim and Rob had decided it was my "birthday" I spent the morning dressed in a reindeer suit, much to the amusement of most of the lifties.   A nice day was had by all, and after an afternoon of introducing Rob to the joys of off piste bumps we headed off for my "birthday meal" at Maison Carrier.

Home again and back to running - in the snow!  Leeds airport was closed for large parts of Monday but we got home 4hrs delayed and then straight back into work and running yesterday.  Running's definitely getting easier, and the scales suggest I've dropped about half a stone since new year - which is a reasonable 2 or 3lbs a week.

We've not got into the Fred, so my spring challenge is yet to be decided - may try for a late entry, or possibly the Etape du Dales, which I know Bob's having a bash at.  Alternatively I might just make the White Rose long route the main event for the year.

Just a 5 and a 4 miler so far this week - but given the conditions I'm not unhappy with that.