Faking it off piste with world champ
It took a high-octane challenge on the Paradiski slopes for Kevin Gleeson to unlock his true potential
Over the past four years I have been on three ski trips. I have had just one lesson that was given in French, a language I have a mere grasp of at best. After an hour of struggling to remain upright I figured I could either give up there and then or figure it out on my way down. This is a tactic that I have stuck to ever since. So on my return from a trip earlier this year I was pretty confident in my abilities and felt I had enough experience to call myself a skier.
But how do you measure an individual skier’s ability? Unless you take part in a course or a competition then how can you know what level you are at? I ask this because shortly after arriving home, exhausted yet alive, on that January morning, a message from Crystal Ski Holidays popped up in my inbox inviting me to join them on the slopes, and not only that – we would be accompanied by a world cup winning downhill skier.
I duly classified myself as an intermediate skier, a requirement of the trip, and eagerly anticipated my second ski trip of the year. However, as the trip grew closer I began to question whether I would be able to keep up. Surely it would be a doddle. A piece of piste. I am an intermediate skier, I thought… but am I competent enough to spend a day with a world champion?
A few weeks later as our transfer bus climbed through winding roads with the awesome scale of the icy Alps all round, I feared I might have bitten off more than I could chew with the whole ‘intermediate’ claim.
The Paradiski region is situated high in the French Alps and is made up of the resorts of Les Arcs, Peisey-Vallandry and La Plagne, which was to be our base. With just over 425km of runs accessed by 132 lifts there is a vast amount of skiing on offer here for every ability. This gave me some comfort – if the going got too tough I could just slide back onto the beginners’ run.
Crystal Ski Holidays made sure that collecting equipment and ski passes was as hasslefree as possible. So all kitted out from the convenience of our hotel’s basement we were on the slopes in no time. One small wardrobe malfunction later, of which I will spare you the details, and we were on our way.
The first thing that struck me was the width of the runs in this part of the valley. Always a good thing when making your first slippery foray onto the snow. Also the area ahead was vast. As we reached the top of our first chairlift the slopes stretched out before us like a massive mound of shaving foam, glistening in the morning sun. And, just like that, the excitement levels were back on and, with them, my confidence.
As anyone who skis knows, confidence is key. Just like riding a bike, the faster you go the more likely you are to stay upright. And the conditions in La Plagne are perfect for achieving that momentum. With runs of differing levels this part of the valley turned out to be the perfect starting point for what promised to be a great day’s skiing. After about 10km of narrow, steep beginners’ runs and then some bumpier, challenging-intermediate ones that passed through Alpine forest, the adrenaline was definitely pumping. That said, the sight of challenge: An intermediate skier
after all! our lunch destination was more than welcome.
Le Chalet Des Verdons Sud sits high in the valley of Champagnyen-Vanoise and serves up the best tartiflette, a cheesy stew of meat and potatoes. Lunch here is almost worth a trek up the mountain itself. After a challenging descent back to our resort I was pleased I hadn’t fallen once and only slightly held back the rest of the group. This isn’t going to be so bad after all, I thought.
Enter Adrien Coirier, double free ride World Champion. Adrien, who likes to jump out of helicopters onto unchartered mountains, was to be our guide for the day. Anti-avalanche backpack and all. As I looked around at my companions waiting for the joke to be revealed it quickly dawned on me that this was no hidden camera show.
We spent the first half of the afternoon climbing up and across the valleys of the region by draglift, chairlift and a trip on the enormous double decker cable car, the Vanoise Express.
After another delicious lunch, it was time to complete our ascent before starting off on our mammoth return ski. The next couple of hours passed by in a blur of snow-art, wrong turns and a fleetingly considered expert level run with a slight, unannounced, detour off-piste. Off-piste! And, all the while, I managed to keep up.
This is testament to the scope and variety of runs on offer in the Paradiski region. With runs for every level of skier, it is easier here than at most resorts to build up the confidence required by beginners and intermediates alike. Intermediates like myself.