SkiBike Tour 2012-13 - Flaine with Three
Posted: Friday 28 December 2012 by Mark Kinnon in Labels: 2012-13 Tour, D.I.Y., France, SkiBike
After yesterday's soaking and a rare early night, I was up just after 5am to collect all my skibike stuff drying on every radiator in the flat. I then forced down two cups of coffee and some excellent Galette des Rois, a tasty almond flavoured cake traditionally served at Christmas, not dissimilar to the English Bakewell Tart.
Then to my surprise it was gone 7am and time to hit the road in order to get on the first lift from Morillon at 9am. There was quite a bottle neck trying to get over the hill to Les Carroz to meet Carl for our day's riding. Fortunately the weather had improved, but some of the pistes were boiler plate hard, good to practice that carving technique.
Once Carl and I had made our rendezvous we ventured over towards Flaine where the snow was considerably better and improved markedly as the day wore on. We both found a sweet spot where our riding became both fluid and rhythmic, got to keep some of that mojo going at all cost. We were able to meet up with the man who bought Carl's first skibike and had an impromptu coaching session with him.
We completely forgot the passage of time and had to make a mad dash back to our respective base camps before the mountain shut down for the night. I could have used a headlight on my skibike for the last run and wasn't back at the car till 6pm.
And tomorrow we ride, with Serge Mermillod and his friend Thierry and there will be four of us, which I think is a skibike first.
Then to my surprise it was gone 7am and time to hit the road in order to get on the first lift from Morillon at 9am. There was quite a bottle neck trying to get over the hill to Les Carroz to meet Carl for our day's riding. Fortunately the weather had improved, but some of the pistes were boiler plate hard, good to practice that carving technique.
Once Carl and I had made our rendezvous we ventured over towards Flaine where the snow was considerably better and improved markedly as the day wore on. We both found a sweet spot where our riding became both fluid and rhythmic, got to keep some of that mojo going at all cost. We were able to meet up with the man who bought Carl's first skibike and had an impromptu coaching session with him.
We completely forgot the passage of time and had to make a mad dash back to our respective base camps before the mountain shut down for the night. I could have used a headlight on my skibike for the last run and wasn't back at the car till 6pm.
And tomorrow we ride, with Serge Mermillod and his friend Thierry and there will be four of us, which I think is a skibike first.
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| A mad dash back to our respective base camps before the mountain shut down for the night |
Glad the second attempt had a happier outcome. BTW. night skibiking is fun. We guided a group of 21 people from the U.K. a few years ago. They were fearless. It was pitch black that night too. Just headlamps and reflective vests.