The Echo Week 4 by The Val Echo

COVER ART By Atom Ludik atomludik.com Interview: Page 10

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY THE FOLIE DOUCE ART PROJECT Each week, the front cover of The Echo is going to be a different artwork produced by mostly local artists, but also several from further afield. This project is being very generously supported by La Folie Douce, whose contribution is allowing the artists to be paid ahead of time for their work, as both Folie and The Echo firmly believe in paying people for their skills.

If you’re interested in drawing/painting/ collaging/ creating something in whatever medium takes your fancy, please get in touch by emailing contact@valecho.co.uk and we can discuss. Equally, if you’re interested in writing for the magazine or have ideas for a feature, drop us a line. At the end of the season, the plan is to

We want to encourage a community of creators and give people a space to use their talents, even if whilst out here, many are taking a break from “regular life”. Prints of the artwork are available to purchase on The Echo website, www. valecho.co.uk/shop, with profits going to the artists.

hold an exhibition of all The Echo covers from the winter, and again Folie Douce is supporting this endeavour, as it fits with their creative vision. We can’t wait to see what the artists come up with each week and look forward to talking to them about their work and life in or out of the mountains.

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34 SAM’S KITCHEN NIGHTMARES

www.valecho.co.uk contact@valecho.co.uk

Tips to take you from starving seasonaire to kitchen extraordinaire.

Contributors Sam Box, Ben Pryor, Caitlin Kennedy, Lilidh Matthews

The lowdown on that drink you know nothing about but love to knock back.

Echo Publications CCK Intergalactic Ltd

Please recycle the magazine once you have read it. Or better still, hand it on to someone else.

28 GÉNÉPI - GOD’S GREEN GOODNESS

RESORT GUIDE

The downlow on everything from the best restaurants to the numbers to call in an emergrcy.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTIST

We chat to Atom Ludik, the designer of this week’s cover art. The Echo’s cover is generously sponsored by La Folie Douce.

EVENT GUIDE

GÉNÉPI WISDOM

What’s on this week: -Town events -Bar nights -Sporting competitions

Val d’Isère’s most seasoned génépi drinkers give us their thoughts on the drink of champions.

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14 OUT OF THE BUBBLE

A satirical spin on the week’s events from further afield than the Espace Killy.

18 23

LEGENDS OF VAL

Quickfire questions with our seasonaire of the week.

PRO GEAR TIPS

Tips from the experts at Snowberry on boot fitting.

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTIST

10 My life has constantly been in motion and I regularly need a change of scenery. But there are a few settings I feel particularly at home in. The Charente sea and its wild coastline, the Atlantic Ocean and of course, the Savoie Region and its summits. I have to be connected to the forces of nature and the oceans and mountains provide that link. From my extended stays, I have found people that ground me to these little pockets of paradise. Where are you living now and what prompted the move?

Where did the name Atom Ludik come from? The short answer is that my path in life led me towards learning about science. When I took a turn and decided to put myself out there as an artist, I needed to choose a name to breathe life into my artistic career. I thought the association between atoms and playfulness (the meaning of Ludik) was an interesting one. Tell us about the animal in your cover art… After working as an artist for a while, I started to understand that through art, I have the opportunity to defend ideas and to convey messages. For me, defending the most precious things on Earth, aka everything that is living, is extremely important. My roots have led me to focus especially on air and water, the essentials of life, which is why fish and birds show up in my work so much. You’ve been based in Val quite a bit- do the mountains inspire your work?

Actually, I am currently down by the equator on the Pacific Coast to breathe, surf, discover the local biodiversity and to prepare for a book I am making. It will meld illustration, poetry and philosophy as well as talking about the impact of man on the Earth and the necessity for a change in our behaviour and in society, to elevate our collective conscience. Love will save the world and I hope bring us out of the monumental stupidity that we appear to be living through at the moment Your murals in Next bar are stunning. Do you prefer pen and paper work or large scale wall paintings? I like touching on everything; making, discovering, experimenting, going where no person has thought to go before. So I oscillate between spray paintings walls, watercolor on traditional paper, pen and ink, acrylic on atypical mediums... Getting out of your comfort zone means learning, understanding and evolving. And finally, what’s the best genepi you’ve ever had? The best génépi of my life was one that was made with love and drank from the belly button of the maker. I’ll say no more!

SKI ALL DAY, KEEP IT SIMPLE AND SPEND YOUR NIGHTS AT VICTOR´S

Funky tuesdays with DJ Joblime

Hip hop thursdays with DJ Wanne

Seasonnaires Saturdays Chicken thai + 1 beer 20 € for all seasonnaires + 3 3 4 79 0 6 0 6 52

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PLANKS PHOTO COMPETITION

Each week the winner of the Planks Photo Competition wins themselves a Planks beanie from the flagship store in town. This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winner: Jason Maxwell Enter at www.valecho.co.uk/competitions

OUT OF THE BUBBLE Despite efforts to ‘Cox block’ it, the full Brexit legal advice was published, confirming the Irish backstop leaves the UK in a limbo from which the EU has little incentive to release them. Bank of England governor Mark Carney was wheeled out projecting forty years of famine if the UK leaves with no deal, continuing to prove statistics are like hostages: you can get them to say whatever you want. The eternally flawed strategy of trying to scare people into acquiescence left Theresa gonebyMay facing massive defeat on her Chequered Brexit vote, with little alternative to making like a good Catholic and pulling out at the last minute. Jacob

14 Greased-Mogg then mustered enough signatures for a no-confidence vote but, given the confederacy of dunces waiting in the wings and the Jeremy ready to do just about anything (see Abbott, Diane) for a General Election, she survived and headed off to Brussels for another round of gladhanding; mildly preferable to the nettle she’s been avoiding grasping for the past two years. The China/Canada row escalated as two Canadians with ties to North Korea were arrested, while Huawei’s CFO Meng Wanzhou remains on bail in Canada pending US deportation; you know things are bad when Dennis Rodman seems like the right person to broker a deal. President Macron has been forced into increasing the minimum wage in France from January and cutting an unpopular tax on pensioners; his wife must have complained. Scrapping

the fuel duty rises failed to quell the rioting and protests but sadly, France was faced with a greater tragedy than an incompetent gerontophile leader after a Muslim extremist opened fire at a Christmas market in Strasbourg, killing 3 and injuring 12. He is still at large, with the attack reminiscent of one in 2016 where a lorry was crashed into a Christmas market in Berlin. Kim Wrong-Un moisturising face masks, featuring a picture of the North Korean leader and the slogan ‘All hail moisture for all women of the North and South’, are selling by the thousand in South Korea; probably the only way ‘Kim Wrong-Un’ and ‘women moist in the south’ get within two paragraphs of one another. A mother spat in a Christmas elf’s face in a Stockton shopping centre after being told she couldn’t take her child into Santa’s grotto; wonder which list she’s on this year then.

An SNP MP was ridiculed for filming her left hand in the House of Commons ‘shaking with rage after a rubbish response from the PM’, despite managing to keep her right hand perfectly still to film it; like her party, left hand doesn’t know what right hand is doing. And finally, a comedian pulled out of a gig at SOAS student union after receiving a consent form for their ‘no-tolerance policy regarding racism, sexism, classism, ageism, ableism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-religion and anti-atheism’, to protect the venue as a ‘safe space’; the only thing safely spaced is the person who issued that form. Until next week, I’m off to shake an SNP MP.

LEGENDS OF VAL

got back?

We caught up with two ex-seasonaires outside their favourite watering hole.

Suzy: Forgetting everything from my first night back and being told about it the next day by everyone I bumped into. Also losing my coat and having to walk home in a blizzard with only a jumper on.

Lara: Waking up to one of the new YSE chalet hosts staring right up my bum-crack. (Someone walks past and overhears.) It’s a full moon, what can I say?

Some things never change. Advice for incumbent seasonaires? Suzy: Don’t sweat the small stuff- everything blows over in a day or two. And be kind to everyone.

Suzy, why do you have dribble down your top? Suzy: I was laughing too hard at something Lara said and couldn’t quite control my facial muscles enough to prevent a little bit of spit coming out. Lovely. What do you miss most about life in Val? Suzy: The community for sure. I miss seeing Lara stumbling home. I miss seeing Aaron in every bar I go into. I really miss my friends and knowing that there’s always someone to get drunk with. Lara: I miss actually having to get up for work. Really, don’t you have a real job now? Lara: Oh wait, I’m a little confused. I have no idea what day it is, what time it is, where I am... Who am I? I think I meant to say I miss being able to get up for work still smashed. That’s tragic. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done since you

Lara: I’m going to resurrect an oldie but goodie: it’s time to grab your snorkels and dive in the D-pool. Everything else is white noise. And I can say that because I don’t go here anymore and can’t be censored or redacted. I have a voice. I have a name. And clearly it’s being used to great effect. Well we’re done, anything you’d like to ask each other? Suzy to Lara: What’s the most prominent memory you have from your time in Val Lara: Trying and failing to climb on the roof at Cocoricos after the Monoski World Championships. Broke a rib, shattered a dream, let down friends and family. My dad was actually privy to the incident. Suzy: When you bring your Dad to Monoski, you’re doing it wrong. Lara: Well it’s 80s themed and my Dad’s a fossil so it was apt. Suzy, after being crowned Miss Seasonaire at the Val Oscars, what advice do you have for aspiring candidates? Suzy: Well it was a massive shock and a great honour. I definitely didn’t vote for myself. My advice, don’t take yourself too seriously. And Genepi is life!

PRO GEAR TIPS If you have never had ski boots properly fitted, you’ll likely have no idea how they are supposed to fit. You might even think they’re supposed to hurt like hell. Well they’re not! Ski boots should be a snug fit. They should hold your feet firmly, but they certainly shouldn’t feel like a crippling vice. And neither should your feet be swimming around inside them. Boots are without a doubt the most important piece of your equipment; they are the interface between brain, body and feet on the one hand and skis, their edges and the snow on the other. The stiff material transfers instructions to the skis and gives you feedback from the snow and terrain. Poorly fitted boots, aside from giving you sore feet, will cause a delay and dampening of the transmission– in other words, your skis won’t do what you tell them to do as quickly as you want them to. So getting your ski boots right, whatever level of skier you are, is crucial to both comfort and performance, and if learning to ski properly is on the agenda then getting the right boots, rental or shopbought, is imperative. Unfortunately an awful lot of shops either don’t know how to fit boots properly or – even worse – just don’t care. Some shops don’t even bother to look at or measure your feet, they just ask your shoe size and

hand on over a pair of boots. But even IF – and it’s a big “if” – your correct size (length) in ski boots is the same as your street shoe size, there’s a lot more to getting the right ski boots than just the length. For your ski boots to fit and function properly, it’s a question of matching the overall three dimensional shape of the hard plastic shell as closely as possible to the overall three dimensional shape of your foot. So as well as actually measuring the length of your feet (both feet that is; a lot of people have different-sized feet), there are a plenty of other things to be taken into account. A skilled bootfitter should look not just at the actual length of your feet but at the width, instep height, toe-box shape, Achilles, ankle and calf before selecting the shell (model) of boots that most closely corresponds with the overall 3D shape of your foot and lower leg. Watch out for “bootfitters” who don’t really know what they are doing. It’s all too easy for them to put you into a boot that is too big because it feels nice and comfy in the shop - of course it does, your feet aren’t even touching the sides! As soon as you get onto the mountain, however, your feet will start to move around inside the boots, keeping control of your skis will be impossible and hefty blisters and/or shin bruises will be on the way. Tightening the buckles just deforms the shell, flattens your arch and cuts off your circulation causing excruciating pain and freezing feet... To Be Continued

OFF PISTE SNOW REPORT Henry warned us on Monday that Tuesday 11th December would be risky with a persistent weak layer under the new snowpack from above 2400m. So it proved. We have seen considerable evidence of recent avalanche activity in the past two days. This has been most apparent on NE facing slopes above 2400m. All the signs are there that there is a considerable risk (Rating 3), especially on these slopes. Keep an eye out for recent avalanche activity, you can learn a lot from looking at the evidence. Off-piste snow depths are now much improved following Sunday and Monday’s snowfall. It’s hard to tell exactly how much fresh snow we received because the wild and stormy W to NW winds transported it all around the mountain, piling it up in places and scouring it off altogether in others. We still have quite a few rocks around, but there’s more snow due on Sunday and the early part of next week. At altitudes between 1400 and 1800 m, where there was previously no snow, any recent snowfall is currently lying on top of bare ground/grass. It will form the base layer when any new snow falls on top of it. Further up the mountain, between about 1800 and 2600 m, fresh snow has often landed on top of older snow which has been humidified by rain.

24 At higher altitudes above the rain/snow limit of 2400 m or so, the older snow has remained cold, loose and not consolidated. Where slopes have not already purged, there are dangerous buried weak layers of faceted grains. Added to this, there’s a lot of windslab around above 2000 m. This is particularly unstable on steep slopes shaded from the sun, and on slopes in the lee of the recent strong W to NW winds, (i.e. NE to SE facing slopes) where the underlying layers of snow are often still light and loose. The weight of a skier passing by could be (and has been) enough to trigger a slab avalanche on these steep high-altitude slopes, potentially taking a large amount of snowpack with it. As is often the case on a bluebird powder day after fresh snowfall (Tuesday 11th December) many skiers and boarders rushed out to get their fresh tracks. Some were not so lucky. The weak layer showed its ugly face and we know of at least two accidents. The biggest one was on the Banane, Val d’Isère off piste (E to NE facing) in very often shaded couloir where three skiers were taken for a ride and one was completely buried. The main victim in this avalanche survived because he activated his avalanche airbag. This kept him near the surface of the snow, and enabled rescuers to find and dig him out easily. The avalanche was 500 m long and 60 m wide. There was also an incident above the ‘Familiale’, Tignes (E facing) where a big slab released and a local rescue had to be performed. Fortunately no one was killed in any of these avalanches. Contrary to what many people think, the vast majority of avalanche accidents happen on cold N facing slopes in December, January and February. These avalanches are nearly always triggered by the victims themselves. Only a small minority of avalanches are directly related to rapid warming. Of course, we don’t discount the risk on S’ish slopes and when temperatures rise. However, Henry warns that the widespread belief about avalanche accidents generally happening

on heated slopes later in the day and in spring is not only false but very dangerous, for the opposite is true. Detailed off-piste snow and weather forecast for 14 – 22 Dec SATURDAY 15 DECEMBER Still largely sunny and cold. Morning greyness in the valleys below 800-1000 m will dissipate Few clouds high in the day. The night becomes gradually more cloudy, with a few drops or flakes at the end of the night. A strong NNW wind in the morning at altitude, turns little by little to the WNW and weakens a little. In the Prealps, the weak wind gradually turns from NE to WSW. Isotherm 0 ° C: rising to 1600 m during the day, 2400 m at night. SUNDAY 16 and MONDAY 17 A wave of polar air crosses the country from west to east. Wind turns to WSW temporarily then to NW more moderate. Sunday, mostly cloudy; precipitation is widespread in the morning, and persist at night, a little more intense in the afternoon and late at night. Monday, little sun; morning clouds are present, then weaken in the afternoon, and move away at night. The isothermal 0 ° C lowers little by little, around 1400 m Monday morning, 1200 m in the evening, then goes up a little. Snow lower from 900 m. TUESDAY 18 and WEDNESDAY 19 Anticyclonic weather Tuesday. NW current turns at SW temporarily on Wednesday, then at WNW at night. Tuesday, more or less sunny; clouds arrive before dark, with precipitation rather late in the night. Wednesday, a little sun, and some clouds, until the night. The isotherm 0 ° C rises Tuesday, towards 2400 m in the evening, then lowers, towards 1400 m Wednesday at night. The snow goes down a little lower.

Friday, then goes down a little. The snow can rise above 1600 m Hard and thick slabs persist, especially above 2000 m, these are more unstable on less sunny slopes, as well as in areas sheltered from the wind where the recent snow sublayer has remained lighter (especially NE slopes to SE). ACCIDENTAL RELEASES: A skier may be sufficient to release/trigger a thin or thicker slab, especially above 2000 m and on lee slopes. Above 2600 m, a more or less heavy overload can trigger an avalanche of slab carrying the greater part of the snowpack. The snow thickness is 90 cm to 1850 m, 70 cm to 2100 m, 80-165 cm to 2300-2550 m. The recent layer of snow rests on the ground below 1400-1800 m (depending on exposure), or on snow moistened by rain and crusted to around 2600 m. But higher up, the old snow has remained colder on slopes with little exposure to the sun, with weak layer of faceted granular snow. So it is the cold N NE and NW facing slopes where the greatest risk persists, but you need to keep thinking and applying risk reduction measures on all steep slopes at the moment. See our HAT Risk Reduction Framework / Checklist and check out our on-line talk which explains it all. Safety is Freedom!

Tip of the week If you are not sure, then stay on slopes that THURSDAY 20 and FRIDAY 21 are below 30 degree slope angle and pay The current of WNW then West becomes quite attention to slopes above you. You may be rapid at altitude. Numerous clouds on a 20 degree slope but could still trigger an The 0 ° C isotherm rises towards 2100 m avalanche on a 35 degree slope above you.

GÉNÉPI - GOD’S GREEN GOODNESS Lilidh Matthews The famous Génépi has become a liqueur emblematic of the Alps and, in particular, the Savoie region. No night-time adventure is complete without a taste of the local fire water. At the centre of the production of Génépi is the rare alpine plant commonly called Wormwood (Artemisia species) that provides the liqueur’s flavour and colour. Artemisia is a plant that is iconic of the Alpine region and a true symbol of inaccessibility due to its highly specific habitat. It is largely limited to rock crevices in the wild mountain moraines left uncovered during the cyclic glacial withdrawal. This robust herb from the daisy family tends to be found above 2000m, flowering between July and September and has earnt the name “white gold”, due to its scarcity. Unfortunately for anyone who is suddenly seeing €€€ signs, foraging for this plant in the wild is strictly controlled. At one time it was not uncommon for mountaineers to make their own liqueur, but now there are laws regulating the collection of Artemisia and in some areas, foraging for certain Artemisia

varieties is completely banned.

Artemisia is commonly referred to throughout history as Wormwood and appears as far back as the Bible and in ancient love charms. Before it became a pick-me-up for skiers, this drink was believed to have medicinal qualities. In the middle ages Artemesia was used as a medicinal herb recommended as a treatment for fevers. Alp dwellers also praised the drink for its properties as an appetite stimulant digestive tonic, and it gained a nickname of “l’aspirine des montagnards” (the mountaineer’s aspirin). There were many other fabled virtues of the plant as an antiseptic, wound healer and perhaps most importantly, as a treatment for altitude sickness. Shepherds in the region of Savoie would traditionally mix Génépi with coffee and drink it out of a wooden shoe – the point at which two traditions started! This evolved for the shepherds into the concept of the grolle, a carved bowl with a number of spouts, known as a coupe de l’amitie (cup of friendship) which is passed around the room and not put down until the bowl is empty. Many different varieties of Artemisia are native to the mountainous areas of Europe and have been used to make the liqueur. Each requires slightly different conditions, but the one that is mentioned most by the more prominent Génépi producers is Artemisia umbelliformis. Each variety will be selected based on personal taste, tradition and availability. The important part is the flower sprig, which when picked were traditionally dried on open racks. In order to protect the mountain flora and ensure continuous flavor, you will find that almost all sprigs used by distilleries these days come from cultivated plants. The end of the 18th century marked the spread of traditional maceration techniques (infusing the flower with alcohol) throughout the region by local inhabitants.

Each distiller, to this day, has their own process of production, but generally, distillation uses a still. This gently imparts the liqueur’s unique and traditional taste by selective boiling and condensation of alcohol, water, sugar and very gentle treatment of the plants to concentrate selected components of the liqueur. Maceration is a much easier process; the plants are infused in a mixture of neutral alcohol (100% vol) and water (to bring it back down to drinkable levels) for two to three months. Depending on the ingredients and method of manufacture, Génépi will vary in colour from a pale-gold to green or brown, but should be a clear liquid. It is generally agreed that the greener a Génépi is, the lower the quality, as colouring may have been added. Some Génépi producers actually

preserve the flowers by leaving them in the bottle, believing this to enhance the flavour over time. Making your own Génépi: Although it won’t be exactly the same as the Génépi that is produced down the valley, you can make your own quite simply. Dried Artemisia flower stems can easily be found online – but remember there are over 400 varieties of Artemisia! Add 40 strands of Artemisia to 1L of alcohol (unflavoured 40% vodka will do) and leave to stand for a 2-3 months or more. Filter out the flower stems and add 40g of sugar. Refrain from drinking for another week, but turn the bottle each day to help dissolve the sugar. You can leave a stem of Artemisia in for decoration.

SAM’S KITCHEN pleaser. Put Aubergine in everything. 34 Never put pizza boxes in the oven. NIGHTMARES Have an egg basket (but obviously don’t put Tips to take you from starving seasonaire to kitchen extraordinaire. Cooking is hard. Cooking in a foreign country in a kitchen the size of a small gondola is really hard. Surely I am not the only person to feel this way. I have taken it upon myself to learn to cook over the season, three weeks in and I am really begging to hone my craft. Here are the most helpful points I have picked up. Patience is key. Cooking something hotter for a shorter period of time is not equal to cooking at the correct temperature for longer, apparently it just doesn’t work like that. When cutting carrots etc, although you may be tempted to saw them with one of those serrated knives, it is actually way quicker to get a large chopping type knife and slice them up. I won’t lie, this one should be obvious.

all of your eggs in it). We have one in our kitchen and it really adds a touch of class to the gaff.

Finally, never play around with raw meat, it can kill you if you get it wrong - terrifying. Actually that goes for knives too, they can also kill you, as can the oven and the toaster. In fact, how many other things do you voluntarily do every day that pose such an overtly high risk to your life? Very few. So my final piece of advice is: just don’t bother. Cooking takes sooo long, is really expensive and rarely goes to plan. I eat fried eggs on toast twice a day and am perfectly healthy with a resting heart rate of 105bpm. Bon Apènfltité Sam xxx

NEW STYLE

Put salt in the water when you cook pasta and tell everyone you know to do the same. Not really sure what this does but people think you know what you are doing if you make a big point about it.

Sur rendez-vous à partir de 14h

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On the topic of salt, never try to be ‘salt bae’, I can’t tell you how many meals I have over salted attempting this ostentatious manoeuvre.

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Buy a really good scourer, if you have cooked a successful meal then the bottom of the pan should be black. Aubergine isn’t just a fun emoji, it is also really easy to fry and something of a crowd

+33(0)4 79 06 02 00 info@avancher.com Arrêt de navette UCPA / www.avancher.com

Remise Carte Vie Val d’Is

15TH

16TH

Cocorico Après Ski Live Music: Tenacious Ski

Hibou Curry Night - Curry & A Pint/Glass of wine for only €15. Served 14.30 - 21.30

Fall Line x Planks Yard Sale from 5pm. Bring, Buy and Sell Ski Gear. Cash Only

Cocorico Après Ski Live Music: Hobo Chic

Dick’s Tea Bar- Maggie’s Takeover 80s Party

Fall Line - Prosecco Night

Victors - Seasonaire Saturdays. Chicken thai & a beer, €20 for all seasonaires.

Next Bar - Techno with DJ ASREL+guest Dick’s Tea Bar - Dirty Sundays with Alex Marshall

19TH La Folie Douce - Superhero WTF Party

Cocorico Après Ski Liv

Vie Val d’Is Seasonaire P food and info on the se

Cocorico Après Ski Live Music: Les Lunettes

Next Bar Seasonaire pa

Hibou- Wing Wednesday

Vie Val d’Is Free Boxin at the CCAS with Rom

Next Bar - Electro/Techno Party

Le Hibou Quiz Night 21 €50 bar tab, 2nd Prize -

Saloon - Bass Station w Dick’s Tea Bar After Dinner Club - Live Saxophone from 22h30-01h30

Victors - Hip Hop Thurs

Dick’s Tea Bar - LUNA: B

COCORICO - 2-4pm Happy H BLUE NOTE - Happy Hour with H FALL LINE - Hap PETIT DANOIS - Happy Hour 2 for 1 on Beers a UNDERGROUND - Apr LE PETIT CUISINE - Daily 12 VICTORS - Hap

17TH

Weekly Market stalls, selling regional produce, clothing and something to do with baby goats La Folie Douce - Discopolis

Petit Danois Live Music 17:00 – 18:00: Mullit & The Machine Cocorico Après Ski Live Music: Paddy James Band Vie Val d’Is- Free French lesson 19:00 – 20:00 Maison de Val

Saloon: DnB night with DJ Pocket Sized Dave

20TH

Party - Live music, free eason

arty with UZUL

Cocorico Après Ski Live Music: Elie & The Misfits Hibou: Tuesday Boozeday. Jugs of Peroni €15, 2 Mojitos for €12 TDC Seasonaire Programme Sign up at Blue Note. Drinks, chat and sign up from 8-11pm Vie Val d’Is Jam session. Maison de Val 8pm Fall Line - Live DJ

Next Bar:Reggae Party

ve Music: Wingmen

18TH

Victors - Funky Tuesday with DJ Joblime

21ST Cocorico Après Ski Live Music: De La Funk Dick’s Tea Bar After Dinner Club - Live Violin and Saxophone from 22h30-01h30

ng for Beginners. 8pm main.

1.30 Kick off! 1st Prize Bottle of wine

with DJ Kommissar

sdays with DJ Wanne

Brent Anthony

Hour, Live Music every day from Hot Gin and Nibbles from 3 to 6pm ppy Hour 3-5pm and Drinks 4-5pm & 9-10pm. Food served all day. rès Ski Tapas from 17.00 - 3pm - Seasonaire Meal Deal ppy Hour 9-11pm

AN ODE TO GENEPI

Val d’Isere’s fountains of knowledge on the subject of Génépi proffered this wit and wisdom on our regional tipple. Jono Christer, Fall Line. Hasn’t been ill since 1986. Can also lift more than you: “If you drink 5 a day you won’t get man flu.” Anonymous Flasher: ”Makes you get your tits out”. It doesn’t take much though Soph, does it? James Roberton, Snowberry. Monoskier extraordinaire. But only after a healthy dose of the green goodness: “There is no such thing as free genepi, if somebody is kind enough to shout a round for you, know only that you’re going to pay for it later when you’re passed out on the toilet at said bar or throwing up on yourself in bed and inevitably end up in the Echo. Bless the flowery intoxicant!”

Celyn Owen, trainee ski instructor. Drinks Génépi for breakfast: “Delicious (and Nutritious)”

Christophe Hassel, a French man who takes the occasional Génépi bath: “I don’t know much about genepy, I just know how to make it and how to drink it” Kene Ezeji-Okoyé, so committed to the Génépi cause, he buys wrongly spelt bottles and hand corrects them. : “First of all anyone who spells Genepy with a ‘y’ deserves a round of the hot slaps. Génépi. It’s Génépi. Some people that make and bottle génépi make this mistake. It’s far too common. Some would say acceptable. I am not one who would agree. Other than that I would compare it to the sweetest ambrosia. A gift of the gods.” Suzy Dunsford, reigning Miss Seasonaire. Now living in London. Tells people at the office she’s drinking lime cordial, when in fact it’s a secret stash of the G juice: “It’s seriously good for getting rid of colds, coughs, nausea, it heals broken bones, beer fear, migraines, headaches, broken nails, broken hearts, diarrhoea, vomiting, STDs, and bad vision.” Suzy is definitely not an alcoholic. Valentin Dizier, head of Radio Val d’Isère. Probably skis in jeans: “Génépi is not as good as Chartreuse” We were loath to print this one, but we want it on record that we provide balanced journalism with differences of opinion, even when those opinions are blatantly and completely wrong. Finally, here is the Echo’s poetic take on the drink that gets us through printing day: Genepi, thou art so green To sip from you is but a dream. Whether downed too fast or sipped so slow A good night awaits, that much we know. Some drink to Cyril, some to God, Some slam down a fist, whilst others nod. But whence it passes through the lips, Make no mistake, that herbal kiss, Will sweep away a day of stress; You’ll soon forget your life’s a mess. For surely no pleasure can surpass, The joy one feels when passed a glass Of finest, purest Genepi, Life’s “joie de vivre”, its remedy.

TALK OF THE TOWN The Centurian

An anonymous chap who shall hence fourth be referred to as ‘Chalet Boy’ recently divulged to us that he had achieved a long term goal. Did he hit a new PB in the gym? No. Did he learn a different language? No bueno. Did he sleep with 100 girls? Yes he did, and he has a classy list on his phone to keep track. We asked him a couple of questions regarding his escapades. I mean we don’t know if this is really something to be proud of but...umm congratulations? How do you feel about having reached 100? So I was inspired to use ‘the list’ by some boys I met travelling to remember all the good times. I guess I could say I feel like I’ve accomplished something, it’s a milestone in a man’s life some say.

over the globe and have made some great friendships, especially as in this day and age it’s so easy to keep in touch! Thanks Chalet Boy, please consider getting tested.

You Snooze You Loose

Serial Echo-ist, Will, was having a fantastic night at Fall Line earlier in the week. Everyone saw him smiling, dancing, and then smiling some more. Towards the end of the night he asked his room mate to find a bed elsewhere as he was very confident in taking a particular lady home. After kindly obliging and seeking refuge at the other end of the resort, the roommate received this photo of Will asleep in the Fall Line loos.

I don’t know anyone that says that but ok. What is your new target, 1000? Marriage? 100 dudes? No new target, still waiting to meet that perfect girl but in the meantime I’m here for a fun ride! ‘A fun ride’ - sounds like the story of number 101 but sadly you won’t let us report on that incident. How would you rate the encounter? I would describe the whole encounter as an At least he was still smiling. emotional rollercoaster. It’s ok, I would probably cry too. Have you gained any valuable insights from this journey? I have met some awesome girls from all

Riddle of the Week

There are two seasonaires. One chunders on the other. Which one is your mum?

SPORT Le Petit Danois:

Saturday 15th: Man City vs Everton 1.30pm Fulham vs West Ham 6.30pm

Live Sport also shown at The Fall Line, Blue Note and Le Hibou on the weekend

Sunday 16th: Southampton vs Arsenal 2.30pm Liverpool vs Man Utd 5pm Tuesday 18th: Leicester vs Man City 8.45pm Wednesday 19th: Arsenal vs Spurs 8.45pm Friday 21st: Wolves vs Liverpool 9pm

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

Ariel - The Little Mermaid

Pat - Blue Note