So this year we have heard lots of Christmas tunes at the supermarket and on the chairlift music. It is getting a tiny bit more Christmassy here each year. Although not a Christmas tree in sight.
Unfortunately, just before Christmas the weather turned crazy warm and we had a whole day of persistent rain on the mountain. I was wringing my mittens out and streams of water was running out. The afternoon required a second pair of gloves which also ended up soaked. My snowboard boots were soaked inside and I put my wet socks inside my dry snow boots and then they were wet too. Yuck!!!! Unfortunately we had turned our storage heater down with the mild weather which made it a nightmare trying to dry everything for work the next day. Thank goodness I have a third pair of gloves!
So our early Christmas present was icy snow which is a nightmare to teach snowboarding on. My students loved the challenge – not!
We both had 23rd Dec off so we had a day out in our little car, Minnie Move. Pete drove us up the windy mountain road to a natural hot spa at the side of a stream. It was a blue sky day so absolutely lovely – and we had the place to ourselves.
Then we went to a Napalese for lunch and Pete ate the biggest naan bread ever! Followed by a second!!!!
We have lots of instructors from Europe, who felt we should celebrate on the 24th December, and an equal amount from UK, Australia and NZ who thought 25th. Anyway, 24th won so we all gathered bringing a plate. We made pigs in blankets and there were a few others who thought the same. Brian made his amazing cookies. The Danish crew made a salty rice pudding which is served with butter and cinnamon sugar – it was tasty. Next we did Secret Santa and you could steal other’s present. A blanket, kettle and alcohol were popular steals along with remote control toys. Pete lucked out with a huge bottle of sake and I got a box of stuff including a wig, bubble wrap for stress, a tin of sweetcorn and a BB Gun?
After work on the 25th we cooked a Christmas dinner with our Aussie neighbours and mates, Nat, Glenn and Jas. Jas made fantastic garlic prawns and a tomato mozzarella salad. Then Nat and Glenn roasted a chicken in their air fryer and carrots in honey. And we roasted spuds, did pigs in blankets and some brocolli. The only thing missing was the gravy!!! And a fruit salad to finish – delish!
Boxing Day we were due to have training after work. I dropped colleagues at home and drove back up to the mountain to be faced with crazy strong winds. I haven’t seen anything like it. Training got cancelled and a few instructors went for one lap but I decided not to risk being stuck on a chairlift for hours and scarpered back home again. Bizarre weather this year!
So that was Christmas. Since then we have had some snow to replenish the sad patchy lower slopes. On the 28th we managed a powder run before work – now that’s more like it! And today had a weird inversion so I was skiing above (or in) the clouds.
Pete is currently poorly but I’m sure the tablets the doctor prescribed will sort him right out soon!
