The Val Echo Issue 1503

ISSUE 1503 | DEC 13, 2019

THE

ECHO

FREE WEEKLY GUIDE TO VAL D’ISÈRE

M A G A Z I N E

TRANSCEIVER TRAINING

CRITERIUM DE LA PREMIER NEIGE

KOOKS ONLY

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THE FOLIE DOUCE ART PROJECT COVER ART: QUENTIN Last year, we launched the Folie Douce Art Project, with the aim of adorning the front cover of the Echo with local artists’ creations. It worked! We ended up with 21 stunning magazines and got to meet some thoroughly fascinating individuals over a spot of lunch at La Folie Douce. The infamous mountain restaurant, bar and cabaret extravaganza generously support this project and we’re thrilled to announce their continuing sponsorship this winter.

We’re now on the hunt for more creative talent. If you would like to see your work on the front of Val d’Isère’s finest English language publication, and featured on the screens at La Folie Douce, get in touch with us now. Whatever your medium, we can almost certainly accommodate it.

To find out more about how to be involved, email contact@valecho. co.uk.

Also you can check out last year’s covers and buy prints of your favourite at www.valecho.co.uk/ folie-douce-art-project We can’t wait to see what the Echo will look like this year.

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22 EVENT LISTINGS

CONT ENTS The Val Echo CCK Intergalactic Ltd www.valecho.co.uk contact@valecho.co.uk

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

26 TRANSCEIVER TRAINING WITH TDC What was covered on our day recapping avalanche safety with TDC

28 HENRY’S AVALANCHE TALK An in depth look at the snow conditions and up-coming weather for off piste skiers/ boarders

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

Contributors: Sam Box, Ben Pryor, Caitlin Kennedy, Millie Shredder

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35 KOOKS ONLY Millie Shredder delves into the subject of being a local.

RESORT GUIDE

The down-low on everything from the best restaurants to the numbers to call in an emergency

NEW STYLE

10 SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTIST We chat to Quentin, the designer of this week’s cover art. The Echo’s cover is generously sponsored by La Folie Douce

A potted-history of ski racing and the World Cup event taking place (hopefully!) over the next week.

Sur rendez-vous à partir de 14h

design www.athoms.fr

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Coiffure & Massage Hairdresser & Massage By appointment From 2PM

18 OUT OF THE BUBBLE A satirical spin on the week’s events from further afield than the Espace Killy

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

Remise Carte Vie Val d’Is

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTIST Artist: Quentin

I have that, it all flows quite quickly from there. But the hardest part is creating a realistic pose. That and drawing the skis.

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Really? That’s interesting; from an outsider’s perspective, that would seem like the easy bit to draw. Do you work from photos at all?

No, just from my head.

The perspective of the drawing is really interesting. Do you tend to draw from the same perspective?

At the moment I tend to draw from head on but generally I stick with one perspective for a while then change it up.

You mentioned the military before- what’s your connection there?

Well my brother is in the army but even before he was, I was always drawing action figures and cartoons since I was a kid.

What do you tend to draw?

Usually monsters, imagined characters and skiers.

Does where you are, influence what you’re drawing?

No not really. Most of the time I do a series of drawings, so for a while I’ll draw a lot of one thing and then I move on to something else. I’m working on a comic book at the moment about monsters and military stuff.

We’re starting to see a theme here! Is your cover how you look sliding a rail?

No, I usually ski alone so I don’t really know how I look whilst skiing.

I suppose from being in the park a lot you probably know the way the body moves on skis in the air though?

Yeah, it actually takes a lot of time to find the right position of the body in space and once

Do you have a favourite monster?

No, I can’t say that I do. But last summer I did a series of drawings on pagan costumes of Europe and made them into mythological characters. I like drawing masks a lot too.

So most of the time, I’m creating human monsters in which things are not as they seem or features are exaggerated.

Is there an artist you particularly admire the work of?

Yes Bom.K. He’s a French street artist. I used to do a lot of graffiti and so I found him quite inspiring.

Have you got any projects coming up?

No not really. Hopefully if I can sell some of my drawings, I will make some more, but I really need my space to work and I don’t have much of that here.

Head to Precision Ski on the Snowfront or in Squaw Valley to buy art by Quentin.

And check out his Instagram for more of his work on Instagram @onereuz.

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WHERE: La Galise Hotel, above Bar Alex WHEN: 17h45 on 18th December. Meet in the bar at 17h15. The team will be available to chat afterwards.

HOW TO BOOK: Book on the HAT website. Vie Val d’Is card holders get a discounted price of £10 with promo code “vievaldis”.

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CRITERIUM DE LA NEIGE The Criterium de la Premier Neige is one of the biggest events of the season, with the World’s top ski racers descending on the slopes of Val d’Isere for a key stage of the World Cup circuit. We decided to delve back into the history of the event before the main events taking place over the next two weekends. But first, a brief look at the history of ski racing as we know it today.

Pocket History of Ski Racing Back at the beginning of the 1900s, Alpine skiing was the bad boy of the ski World, looked down at as “not a real sport” by the Nordic Ski big guns. As is evident from their names, Nordic skiing (or cross country skiing today) developed in Scandanavia, whilst Alpine skiing developed in the Alps, which generally had steeper slopes on which to let gravity do its thing. Eventually, the speed disciplines of Alpine skiing were allowed into the cool kid’s club in 1930 when Norway, Sweden, and Finland finally withdrew their resistance.

Once fully sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) the path was paved for today’s modern Alpine events; slalom, giant slalom, supergiant slalom (super-G), and downhill—each of which is progressively faster and has fewer turns.

The Super-G and downhill are known as speed events, which are contested in single runs down long, steep, fast courses featuring few and widely spaced turns.

The slalom and giant slalom are known as technical events, which challenge the

skier’s ability to maneuver over courses 14 marked by closely spaced gates through which both skis must pass; winners of these events are determined by the lowest combined time in two runs on two different courses. The Alpine combined event consists of a downhill and a slalom race, with the winner having the lowest combined time.

Key moments in the History of the Criterium de la Premier Neige 1955 - With the first competitions of the season not until January, Charles Diebold and Louis Erny saw a gap and decided to introduce a new First Snow Race, three years after organising the World Championships on the Face de Bellevarde.

55 skiers took part in the first edition, with Jean Bourdaleix named as the Critérium’s first winner and local skier, Firmin Mattis, taking the lead in slalom and combined.

1960 onwards - The first events were mostly attended by French skiers. Due to the monopoly the French ski team was having on the international scene, other skiers adopted French methods of training and included the Criterium in their program.

1967-1968 - There was a snow shortage this year but the tenacious President of the Club des Sports Louis Erny, was undeterred and moved the races onto the Pissaillas Glacier. Marc Holder, then President of the FIS, attended the races which weren’t part of the World Cup at the time. Impressed by what he saw, he granted the Criterium World Cup status the following year.

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1979 - This year saw a Herculean effort from Parisian-born Caroline Attia. At the start of the downhill, she dislocated her shoulder, but injury didn’t stop her from crossing the finishing line of the OK slope – at around 100km/hour with her arm hanging down – 3 seconds behind the winner.

1981-1982 - During the Critérium of December 1981, the former triple Olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy and the president of the General Council of Savoie, Michel Barnier (now chief Brexit negotiator!), proposed holding the Winter Olympic Games in Savoie. A year later, during the 1982 Criterium, Henri Dujol, the Mayor of Albertville, officially announced the candidacy of the city and Savoyard Department for the Games of 1992.

1988 - At the beginning of the season, snow was sorely lacking and the organisation of the Critérium looked like it would be compromised. For the first time on the World Cup Circuit, snow was transported by helicopter to the slope in order to pass the FIS snow inspection.

1995 - For its 40th anniversary, the Critérium celebrated the return of a women’s event, once again on the “OK” (short for OreillerKilly named after two Olympic Chamionships who hailed from Val d’Isere, Henri Oreiller and Jean-Claude Killy), after a 6-year hiatus.

1998 - This year marked the return of Austrian Hermann “Herminator” Maier who had been disqualified the previous year for claiming victory too soon, having removed his skis before the finish line. Safe to say he did not repeat the mistake and

he came back feroucious and determined to take home the top prize. This he did, finishing first in the super G, more than a second ahead of fellow Austrian, Stephan Eberharter.

2012 - Although used to dealing with a lack of snow, the Organisers were faced with a different challenge (more akin to this year) in 2012 when heavy snow falls forced a change of the program at the last minute, reversing the Men’s Giant and Slalom, which for the first time saw its second round held at night. This proved advantageous for Tignes boy, Alexis Pinturault who exploded down the floodlit course to take home an historic victory.

We also asked Radio Val’s Benoit Launay, spectator of the Criterium for over 30 years, about his experiences watching and reporting on the event...

How has the Criterium de la Premier Neige changed over the years?

Well it was born in 1955. To begin with, it was just a small race held on the Solaise. Then in 1967, the competition was added to the World Cup Calendar as the first event of the season, and the Criterium de la Premier Neige was born.

Why are the Men’s Downhill and Super G events no longer held in Val d’Isere?

In the women’s races, the Super G and Downhill are still in the programme, using the OK piste. But for the boys, it’s more difficult. In the 2009 World Championship and the 1992 Winter Olympics, which were partially held here in Val, both the downhill and Super G were held on Le Face de Bellevarde. In other years, the men have participated in Downhill/Super G on the OK piste. But with the level of competition

these days, only the Face is suitable for the men’s speed events and it is hard to organise that kind of competition on the Face this early in the season. At the end of the day it is the FIS who decide the program of events in Val d’Isere.

16 The Slalom. Even though the Giant requires a demonstration of speed, technical prowess and exceptional endurance, the Slalom is shorter, with an amazing rhythm and of course we can watch the entire course.

Which skier left the greatest impression on you in all the years you have watched the Criterium?

Denis Rey. He was in the “top gun” ski team with all the best French ski racers of the 90s. He was never in the medals, but was a true athlete and a fearless skier. He fell several times on the OK piste above La Daille and never won anything because he was too erratic. But he was the most gifted skier of his generation in my opinion. After his career came to an end, during winter he came to live in Val d’Isere in a hut in the La Daille forest, without running water or electricity. He was a real character!

Who are your favourites to win this year?

Clement Nöel, of course in the men’s and Mikaela Shiffrin for the women.

The biggest crash you’ve seen during the races?

It was indisputably Silvano Beltrametti, an Italian racer, who crashed into the nets during the downhill competition on the OK piste back in 2001. Very sadly, he became paraplegic as a consequence of this accident. He returned to Val d’Isère 3 years ago and was met and honoured by the Mayor.

Men’s Race Programme Saturday 14th: Slalom Men Sunday 15th : Giant Slalom Men Women’s Race Programme Friday 20th : Opening ceremony on the Main Street in Val d’Isère, with a procession of the competitors, DJ and vin chaud.

Saturday 21st: Women’s Downhill Sunday 22nd: Women’s Alpine Combined (Super G and Slalom)

What’s been the most dramatic moment of your reporting on the competition?

35 years ago, I had just arrived in Val d’Isère and was tasked with doing the commentary on the sound system at the finish line. At the time, I knew nothing about skiing but I had to pretend like I was a connoisseur. Save to say it did not go well. It was impossible to pronounce the names of the Russian competitors. I didn’t get offered the job again!

Where to watch: Watch from the bottom of the Face for the men’s races and the OK for the women’s races. There will be Savoie Specialities on offer, music and general merriment during the races. Bring a flag.

Timetable of events:

Editor’s Note: This article was written before the biblical level storm hit Val. The dates, times and actual running of all the races are very liable to change. The Men’s events have been switched and at time of print (5pm Friday night), the Slalom course inspection should be at 7am tomorrow. We decided to remove the provisional timings because, really, who knows what’s going to happen! Tune in to Radio Val d’Isère for the most up to date info.

Who to look out for: Clement Noel, young home-grown Olympian. Frequently places top 3 in Slalom.

Dave Ryding, Britain’s top ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin, American skier, practically Which discipline do you prefer to watch? unbeatable in Super G at the moment.

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OUT OF THE BUBBLE

By Ben Pryor I felt like the Game of Thrones Season 8 writers this week, penning two potential endings both of which are sh*t. That said, consigning the other paragraph to the dustbin this morning allowed relief to wash over me in an awesome wave, like Patrick Bateman getting a decent table at Espace.

The neitherLibnorDems surrendered all their floor crossers and Shapewear Jo lost her seat; Diane Abbott turned up to vote in two left shoes; SpareChangeUK have the same number of seats as the Brexit Party, the Gaukeward squad and the BNP. Whether the moderate Left can somehow regain control of Labour is both to be

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determined and hoped for. If you viewed the current incarnation as a viable governing force, Phones4U owner John Caudwell’s discussion with John McDonnell is a succinct summation why we’ve just avoided the most pointless exodus of wealth since Gordon Brown sold the gold reserves back in 2002. The Fixed Term Parliaments Act, together with John Berk Ow, responsible for the zombie parliament can be consigned to the scrap heap; the Withdrawal Agreement passed like the release of a particularly obstinate kidney stone, and a free trade agreement with the minimum possible friction targeted.

Chances are you either see that as the best option, next best option to staying in, don’t respect democracy or think Nigel Farage is your spirit animal.

In the US, the Democrats continue to take aim at their own feet with their

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impeachment proceedings against the Donald. Without an outright Senate majority, it’s only going into endless New York Times column inches. Trying to shame someone who is bereft of the capacity to feel it is futile. Doing it by shining a light on the dodgy nepotistic business dealings of your likely candidate in next year’s election, together with his admission to touching women in a way which made them uncomfortable, runs the risk of offering voters the choice between Trump and Trump-Lite next year; as a general rule, America doesn’t tend to go for the lowcalorie option.

Kentucky police discovered 20 pounds of meth shipped inside an air fryer; maybe there aren’t eleven herbs and spices in the Colonel’s secret recipe after all. The EU has given Mauritania 250 camels to boost border security; surprised they got that

many for her, but hopefully Angela Merkel will be happy in the hareem. A transgender woman says she’s a victim of ‘transphobic’ discrimination after being snubbed for a job as a female porn star… because she still has a penis. Texting the photographer, she said, ‘I think it’s disgusting how your judging someone on there sex’; lack of the key body part for the job, but her English also leaves a lot to be desired.

And finally, Walmart Canada pulled a sweater from its online website depicting Santa brandishing a straw with three neat white lines on the table in front of him; guess that’s why his days are always merry and bright. Until next week I’m off for some Kentucky Fried Chicken.

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SATURDAY 14 THE FALL LINE Super Seasonaire Saturday with Live DJ SALOON Beer pong specials CRITERIUM de la 1er NEIGE World Cup Racing with festivities at the bottom of Le Face (see page 14) PETIT DANOIS DJ James French 22h VIE VAL D’IS Brand new Pole Dancing Class 7.30pm at Leisure Centre. Free for Vie Val d’Is card holders

EVENTS LISTINGS

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SUNDAY 15 PETIT DANOIS DJ Jack Igglesden 22h THE FALL LINE Super Seasonaire Sunday with Live DJ SALOON Beer pong specials BANANAS DJ BigKez’s DnB night HIBOU Sunday Funday! Live singing from Max Wittle

WEDNESDAY 18

CRITERIUM de la 1er NEIGE World Cup Racing with festivities at the bottom of Le Face (see page 14)

BONNE SANTÉ Power Flow Yoga with Rose 10.30am at Le Hibou LA FOLIE DOUCE Folie of Thrones THE BIG WTF!! 12-5pm

THURSDAY 19

VIE VAL D’IS Free Boxing lesson at the Leisure Centre 7.30-9.45pm

VIE VAL D’IS Free French class at the Maison de Val 7.30-8.30pm

SALOON Joss Wednesday! 3€ JOSS all night

SALOON Long island iced tea jugs 15€

HIBOU Wings Wednesday! 50c a wing PETIT DANOIS DJ James French 22h HENRY’S AVALANCHE TALK Essential’s Off Piste Talk 5.45pm, Galise Hotel

PETIT DANOIS DJ Jack Igglesden 22h

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MONDAY 16 BONNE SANTÉ Mountain Flow Yoga with Rose 10.30am at Le Hibou VIE VAL D’IS Free Kung-Fu lesson at the CCAS 7.30-9pm SALOON Messy Monday 15€ Headfucker LA FOLIE DOUCE Back to the 90s.

THE FALL LINE Beer Pong competition PETIT DANOIS Live Music 5pm with Mullit and the Machine. DJ Jack Igglesden 22h AVALANCHE SAFETY TALK Free talk at 5.30pm in English on the Snowfront.

TUESDAY 17 THE FALL LINE Seasoniare Party SALOON Triangle Tuesday: 10 shooters 15€ VIE VAL D’IS Weekly Jam session at the CCAS from 8pm TDC Seasonaires Program Sign up evening at Blue Note 8pm - 11.30pm HIBOU 2nd BIRTHDAY PARTY! With Live Music from Ed Mullit and Jamie PETIT DANOIS DJ Jack Igglesden 22h

FRIDAY 20 PETIT DANOIS Live music with Karen & Andreas 5pm. DJ Jack Igglesden 22h SALOON J-bomb Friday 3€ a pop THE FALL LINE Big Live DJ Night CRITERIUM DE LA 1er NEIGE Opening of the World Cup Women’s Ski Racing events with celebration in high street from 5.30pm

ALL WEEK BANANAS Happy Hour 6.30-7.30pm and 10.30-11.30pm HIBOU Happy Hour 4-7pm. Kitchen open from 12pm for lunch SALOON Happy Hour 8-10pm. 2-4-1 at après (4-5pm) Resident DJ LA FOLIE DOUCE Seasonaire Meal Deal 12€ @ Petite Cuisine VICTOR’S Cocktail Hour 10-11pm. Any cocktail 6€ THE FALL LINE Happy hour everyday 3-5pm- 4.50€ pints. Beer Pong every day 12€ a jug.

BLUE NOTE Happy Hour everyday 3-6pm, Hot Sloe Gin & Tonic plus great complimentary nibbles during Après.

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TRANSCEIVER TRAINING Last week, TDC - The Development Centre kindly ran a free avalanche refresher for seasonaires.

This article is a brief rundown of the things covered in our session and is not to be taken as a guide for skiing off piste. We could go into far more detail on best avalanche safety practises but if you are really hoping to get a better understanding on how to stay safe, your best bet is to learn from the experts.

The very first thing to check if you want 26 to ski off piste is your gear. Realistically, at the minimum, you want a 3M probe, a metal shovel, and an up to date transceiver.

Terry, who lead our group, explained that most transceivers will have an update/service date on them, often on or under the battery cover. If the date shown is either in the past or fast approaching, that means it is time to send your transceiver off to be serviced by the manufacturer which is usually free. You also want to be sure to regularly check the battery level of your transceiver and swap it out before it hits 40 percent, although obviously, the more

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never use rechargeable batteries in your transceiver. Additionally, an ABS should definitely be considered if you are spending a lot of time off piste.

Checking the avalanche bulletin for the local area is a must before a heading out.

Terry recommended Meteo France. Short of understanding the exact local weather conditions and how it has affected the snowpack over the entirety of the season, this is your next best bet to understanding what is happening with the snow beneath your feet. The best way to avoid risky situations is to not be skiing avalanche prone areas in the first place and the bulletin will advise you on what areas are likely to be riskier than others. It is also worth having the Pisteurs number in your phone to save you precious seconds in the event of an emergency on the mountain, avalanche related or not - +33 4 79 06 02 10 Terry suggested getting into the habit of always turning your transceiver on before leaving your apartment, and not turning it off until you get back. If you aren’t already, getting into this routine saves you having to try to remember once you are on the mountain. You should also have your transceiver as far away from your phone as possible to avoid any interference, 50cm is ideal. At the start of every off piste session, TDC will be doing a two way transceiver check which is a really good idea for any groups skiing off piste. This is where one person sets their transceiver to receive and picks up each of the rest of the groups signals before changing it back to send and having each of the group check that they can pick up said person’s signal.

Once out on the mountain, you want to ski slopes one at a time. Of course, this reduces the chance of multiple people getting buried in an

avalanche but it can also mean less weight on the snow pack and so a lower chance of a slide. You also want to be careful where you ski and where you stop, being mindful of convexities, terrain traps and other skiers nearby.

In the event of a slide, and assuming you are watching it happen from relative safety, keep eyes on the victim for as long as possible.

When the slide has come to a stop, ensure all nearby transceivers are turned to receive, including those of people who are not with your group. If possible, one person should call the Pisteurs while one or two should begin the search.

Now rather than describe the stages of the search and the dig, we encourage you to go and actually practise with someone who knows what they are doing. It is the sort of thing that is very easy to put off but could save lives later in the season.

To reiterate what I said earlier, this article is absolutely not comprehensive and if you want to ski off piste, you really need to know what you are doing. The team of off piste instructors at TDC run through avalanche search procedures and snow pack awareness in all of their off-piste courses and lessons. Henry’s Avalanche Talk (on page 28 and online) is a fantastic resource for understanding the current and upcoming conditions. Vie Val D’Is run a really valuable avalanche talk, which is led by experts, the next of which is on the 9th of Jan.

OFF PISTE SNOW REPORT Brought to you by Henry’s Avalanche Talk www. henrysavalanchetalk. com

28 and surrounding area. Will we get a 5/5? That would be unusual. But the resort is saying it might happen. The Tignes piste patrol report that most PIDA bombing activity is causing the slabs to release this morning.

The outlook is unsettled. The first storm is in cold weather, but then it will warm up across the N French Alps. It will be coldest on the French /Italian border. But 0°C could rise to 2700m. This will humidify the snow lower down and damage the Big snow has started falling! This will set quality of the powder. This Friday/Saturday, us up for the season, but will bring high we may receive a metre of fresh snow avalanche danger! in cold weather. This fresh snowfall will Have woken up Friday morning to see be accompanied by high winds, causing heavy snow falling and significant snowfall accumulations of snow through drifting. since midnight.

This process is known as ‘wind loading’.

We’ve had a great week’s off-piste skiing, with regular top-ups of 10 to 20 cm fresh snow virtually every other day. We alternated between flat light conditions and snowfall one day and clear blue skies with fantastic powder the next.

On Tuesday there was a blue sky powder day and there were a few triggered avalanches triggered by skiers. This is evidence that the greatest risks are wind slab on leeward slopes. These all took place on NE, E and SE facing slopes which had wind slab on them.

What does this mean for off-piste skiers and snowboarders?

Large accumulations of snow will lead to a cycle of natural avalanche activity during and just after the storms. These are referred to as “direct action avalanches”.

The snow accumulations will also make the risk of accidental avalanches, i.e. those triggered by people, very high. The best advice during this time is to stay on and around slope less than 30° steepness.

Where is most at risk at the moment?

The areas at greatest risk are wind loaded slopes so E and NE look the Visibility has been very tricky at times. To most dangerous. However, the bulletin is make the most of our skiing on those flathighlighting high risk (danger rating 4) on light days we skied among the trees, where all slopes due to the considerable snowfall. we could see a bit better.

The dangerous slopes will become evident during and after the snowstorms that are What is the current avalanche risk in the predicted. This will be indicated in the Northern French Alps/Savoie? daily avalanche bulletins. Also look out for At the time of writing (13th Dec) the recent avalanche activity, which is likely to avalanche risk is 4/5 (High). Over the week be on those leeward slopes that have been covered in this extended forecast, however, loaded with snow drifting by the wind. the danger rating will stay high or at least Due to the wind during the storms, the considerable (3/5). A huge amount of biggest danger will be on slopes where snowfall is expected in the N French Alps the snow has drifted in and built up. These

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slopes are generally on leeward sides of the mountain and other areas that are sheltered from the wind. This is where you are more prone to trigger a slab avalanche. Be careful because it’s more tempting to ski in these places because there’s more snow!

precipitation, the summits are covered with clear spells during the afternoon.

0 ° C rising to 2000 at 2200m. Wind west to southwest remaining fairly strong in the mountains, gusts from 60 to 80 km / h.

Maximum temperatures 0 to 3 degrees around 1800 to 2000m.

MONDAY 16 DECEMBER​​ The danger is increased dramatically if Partially sunny day; some cloudy periods, there are ‘terrain traps’ below. In fact, and more cloud on French/Italian border, the clearest answer to where there is the where precipitation is possible the biggest risk is on slopes above dangerous following night. 0 ° C down to 2100m near terrain features like cliffs, trees, holes and the border, but 2700m further west. narrow valley bottoms.

Wind South-Westerly in mountain; gusts of 60 to 80 km/h.

This will be indicated in the daily avalanche TUESDAY 17 DECEMBER: bulletins. Also look out for recent avalanche More clouds and showers possible on the activity, which is likely to be on those border. Foehn wind. 0°C degree 2100 leeward slopes that have been loaded with m towards the border, 2400 to 2700m snow drifting by the wind. elsewhere.

WEDNESDAY 18 DECEMBER: What is the likely avalanche activity?

Unsettled weather from the Mediterranean There will be a lot. Both natural direct overflows the border with light action avalanches and avalanches triggered precipitation, snow above 1800m. Foehn by blasting or skiers. Look at the results of always in place. Isotherm 0°C around 2100 the piste patrol’s avalanche blasting to get then 2400m. a sense of the danger. This will show you if THURSDAY 19 DECEMBER: The weather the slopes are stable or unstable. remains temporarily cloudy with light precipitation. 0°C around 2100 to 2400m.

Weather Forecast: The wind remains to blow from the South.

SATURDAY 14 DECEMBER: WARMER and STORMY. The clouds remain in place, engulfing the summits. Snow is frequent but less than Friday with a rain/ snow limit between 1400 and 1800m. 2030 cm of additional snow is possible above 1800 to 2000m. Precipitation will cease during the night. Northwest wind remaining strong in the mountains with gusts of 60 to 100 km/h. Maximum temperatures 0 to 4 ° C around 1800 to 2000m.

SUNDAY 15 DECEMBER STRONG WIND IN THE MOUNTAINS Slow improvement, the clouds remain numerous for the day with little or no

Tip of the week Get ready for the season, know how to manage your risk. Come to one of our off piste awareness talks. There are two in Val d’Isere at the Hotel Galise at 17h45 on 18th December: The Essentials, 19th December: The In depth Talk.

Henry will deliver an easy to understand explanation of risk management in the Essentials and explain how and why avalanches are triggered in the in-depth talk. You can read more about them and prebook on the website.

There may be tickets for sale at the door, but we have limited capacity.

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SEASONAIRE OF THE WEEK Leo from Planks

Season count?

This is number three.

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Are you a Leo? Actually I am a Taurus.

Is Leo short for something?

Leonora. Also, will people please stop asking me if Leo is a boys name.

If you and Katie were in a fight, who would be victorious? (Arena: Planks store) Katie, I am weak and she is small but fierce.

She would definitely take me out with a body slam.

How many hats do you own?

Way too many. Actually there is no such thing as too many.

What is your biggest skill?

Getting lost.

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When did you last get lost?

In Les Arcs - got lost on a night out and got airlifted off the mountain with hyperthermia…at lunchtime the next day.

Crikey, this is meant to be a light-hearted interview. Let’s start again, are you a Jerry?

I think everyone has a bit of Jerry in them, don’t they?

What is your most Jerry attribute?

I really struggle to slot my skis in the gondola. I just can’t do it and it’s so embarrassing.

What are your plans for Christmas?

Champagne for breakfast, a morning ski, then see where the day takes me before hopefully making it home!

Please don’t joke about not making it home and PLEASE be more careful.

I find it funny but no one else ever does.

What happens in the upstairs of Planks and what are those weird noises?

That is top secret. The noises are definitely not annoying seasonaires that we have locked up.

Which Disney character is the most handsome?

Probably Aladdin Katie of Planks chimes in - Tarzan is well fit.

What is your dream evening?

Katie again - Spending it with me.

Katie did actually lock me in her car the other day but hmmm, I am not sure.

Katie - See she just can’t top it.

Maybe a sunrise tour, I am really keen to do that with a full moon and some beers!

Have you learnt nothing about combining night-time, alcohol and the mountain?

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THE CORNER

Restaurant COFFEE JUICE BRUNCH BEER Open 08:30 - 18:00 Everyday Next to TUFS Chairlift Tignes, Val Claret The Corner Tignes, Les Neiges D'Or, Tignes, France

Followed by thevalecho, tignesofficiel, valdisere and 105 others

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superiority. We know our economies would tank without the tourists, but we still look down our noses at them. We strive to keep the best snow stashes, biggest lines, waviest beaches, anything we consider

By Millie Shredder precious, hidden from “outsiders.” The term local seems to carry a lot of weight; it opens doors if it’s true and elicits laughter What does it mean to be a local and if it’s not. when can you finally call yourself one?

KOOKS ONLY

Being a true “local” is like being in the cool-kid club at school and not letting others into your fort. Being a local is an exclusivity that implies an us vs them mentality, prevalent in small towns that are reliant on the tourism industry; just like the town we’re living in now.

I’ve lived in these tourist-attractive towns all my life and was lucky to grow up including myself in the “locals” club. I’d be lying if counting yourself a Local didn’t come with a bit of smugness - an inherent

Ski towns confuse things by having a unique middle layer; a group of people somewhere between tourist and true local: the “seasonaire”. A seasonaire could fall into the same category as the tourist in that we may only be here for a short time, yet the town couldn’t function without us.

Are we then 6-month tourists, or part-time locals? We are interwoven into the fabric of Val d’Isère, part of its makeup, integral to the build. Evidently though, that’s not enough to use the term. So, what does it take to cross the line into local territory?

An outdated view may be that it takes a certain passage of time to qualify yourself as a local. Some may say that if your grandparents’ grandparents’ grandparents didn’t build the town with their bare hands, you’ll never be a true local. I think everyone would agree that you can’t just move to a new place and immediately call yourself a local from day one. And I agree; it does take time, but maybe not in the traditional sense of months or years. So many people in our generation are taking advantage of our world; living in countries not native to us and as such the amount of time taken to become a local becomes much more abstract. It’s the time it takes to fall in love with a place, to become involved in the community, to call a place home and feel like you belong.

The resounding commonality between people I bounced this idea off is that you must be involved in your community to call yourself a local. You may ski every day

and love the mountains with all your heart, but if you’re not contributing in some way to the community, you can’t really count yourself a local. Buy local, eat local, drink local. Get to know your neighbours and them know you. Know and be known. For us in Val d’Isère, it goes beyond drinking at your preferred local pub. (Although, I know the bar owners do appreciate it!) It means looking after each other. Help that drunk girl up out of the snow-bank and take the time to get her home safely. Spend time with that colleague who has injured themselves and help to lift their spirits mid season.

A friend of mine broke her leg last season here in Val and, despite being a firstseason seasonaire, the community rallied for her. People from local business and tour operations provided her accommodation more accessible than her own and lifts up the street to the pharmacy. I truly believe she received this amount of aid because she made an effort to be involved. Conversely, I’ve seen entire ski communities scoff at charity attempts

36 involving a seasonaire who stupidly got themselves trapped in the backcountry by ducking ropes and not having avi equipment. They were lucky to have been found, and locals were not impressed by this blatant disrespect for both the mountain and the rescue teams.

These are extreme examples and I don’t mean to imply that it takes a tragedy to solidify your place as a local in the community. But we must look out for and respect each other. It is from this mutual support, this sense of unity, that we gain a sense of home.

I believe you can call yourself a true local if you have a fierce pride for your home.

You must instinctively wish to protect its integrity and spirit. I think this last concept is why those who do qualify as locals are quick to deny the title to others. You must share in the values of the community and remember why we all choose to live where we do. Val d’Isère’s carefree, we’re-luckyto-live-here vibe is something I would fight to protect. This is such a beautiful place; be proud you get to say, “yeah, I live here,” and give back to it in whatever way you can. Defend it against those who don’t treat it like the special place it is.

These are attitudes I’ve valued across various ski towns, since I started doing seasons in ’13/14. After all of this, being a local might not be geographical related in traditional sense. After all of this, I propose we take the above characteristics and be local to the lifestyle. Be enmeshed in the seasonaire community. Contest anyone who belittles this distinctly charmed way of life. This life is unquestionably where I belong. I’m at home in the mountains, no matter which mountains they are. If you are reading this, I bet you are too. After all of this, forget being part of the locals’ club, but live like a local anyway with fierce integrity and spirit.

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TALK OF THE TOWN

Cover To Your Mother

If you have an overly concerned parent on your back, see how the professionals deal with the situation -

Bette Davis Eyes

Everyone has that song that makes them loose control. For Zac Mann, that song is Bette Davis Eyes. Like something out of a musical, Jono cracked on this 80’s banger and Zac started skipping up and down the top of the bar, becoming at one with the music. One particularly saucy dance move caused Zac to loose balance and plummet to the floor. We are told that “15 1/2 stone of Brummie meat made quite the thud”.

Trouser Discrimination

Absolutely outraged at not being let into Dicks in her skin tight white salopettes, a seasonaire demanded to see the manager.

She seemed confident that she could put an end to such ridiculousness by explaining how much better she looked than the scruffy, baggy jeaned wearing youths who had just been let in. Instead she narrowly avoided a season ban.

The Wet Bandit

‘New Lewis’ from Snowberry returned home after a night’s drinking and turned all the hobs on to cook before falling asleep. But of course, despite being really dangerous, this is not an out of the ordinary occurrence for seasonaires. The truly absurd part is that he managed to fall asleep in the shower and flooded the flat.

Jerry Of The Week

We have had multiple nominee’s this week but no matter what angle you look at it, there is one clear winner. Of course, JOTW has to be former Echo owner, Kene, for very publicly leaving his new 360 degree camera at the bus stop.

Keep ‘em Coming!

Amusing stories, lookalikes, Jerry Of The Week nominations - we want them all. Send us your best on Facebook or on Insta.

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SPORT Shown at Le Petit Danois: FOOTBALL Saturday 14th December 13:30 Liverpool v Watford 16:00 Leicester v Norwich 18:30 Southampton v West Ham Sunday 15th December 15:00 Man Utd v Everton, 15:00 Spurs v Wolves 17:30 Arsenal v Man City

Tuesday 17th December 20:45 Aston Villa v Liverpool All Football and Rugby shown at The Fall Line.

Monday 16th December 20:45 Palace v Brighton

Sport also shown at Blue Note and Le Hibou.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

Geezer in Danois

Young Tom Selleck

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WOoF OF THE WEEK Name: Sweep (Fall Line Edition) Breed: Working Cocker Age: 7 3/4 Dietary Requirements: Likes dog biscuits, fucking loves chicken.

Relationship status: Single and looking for love Habitat: Fall Line Fun Fact: Ben has previously had to help Sweep make love...