The Echo Week 9 by The Val Echo

ISSUE 1409 | JAN 18, 2019

THE

ECHO

FREE WEEKLY GUIDE TO VAL Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ISERE

M A G A Z I N E

IRKS OF A CLUB PHOTOGRAPHER

AVALANCHE SCIENCE 101

TAKE TO THE SKIES

COVER ART By Suzy Dunsford 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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www.valecho.co.uk contact@valecho.co.uk 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

Tips from the experts at Snowberry

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

SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTIST

AVALANCHE 101

What causes an avalanche to release? All the science you never listened to at school.

PHOTO ETIQUETTE

Learn what you are like when a few drinks in and desperate for that new profile pic.

WINGING IT

We take to the skies and try out parapenting with Stephan @ Val d’Isere Parapente

34 06

PRO GEAR TIPS

EVENT GUIDE

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

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

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

LEGENDS OF VAL A deadly serious interview with our Seasonaire of the Week. This week, Jasmine Westwood takes to the limelight.

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SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTIST Artist: Suzy Dunsford

closely, the detail is really fine. What did you use?

I have artist pens and the smallest tip is 0.05mm. I didn’t do it in pencil first, I just went for it with the pen so look out for the mistakes! Stop it, its perfect! We noticed that none of your art is on your instagram, do you put it up anywhere for the world to see? This is my first published work but I’ll be taking commissions from now on (Contact Suzy’s lawyer: Soph from Blue Note). You should make a psuedonym insta if you’re nervous! What would your psuedonym be? Cool Suz. No-one would think I would have the audacity to label myself Cool Suz but really, I am Cool Suz. On a scale of 1 to cut your own ear off, how much of an artist are you?

Tell us about your cover. Well immediately I asked myself, what is cool in Val D’Isere? Obviously eagles. So I thought I’d draw the eagle and the river Isère but I can’t draw faces so I put a Storm Trooper helmet on the bird. Storm Troopers are cool.

A 1.5? No, definitely a 3. I had an art scholarship but I haven’t really done much since then, although I did a bit in Val last summer. I should definitely draw more as I find it really relaxing. It’s hard to think about anything else once you’re in the zone. What do you like to draw?

How long did it take?

I’d like to do more mountain related drawings but I also like drawing things that are out of proportion and absurdist. I think my brain is bit weird: I once drew an octopus in an old school vintage diving helmet, holding a bunch of balloons, one of which is a balloon-dog. And another time I drew a frog with native American headwear but super out of proportion.

About an hour and a half, finished it on the plane here!

This is unrelated to anything but top three Dicaprio films?

It looks like biro but when you look

That is such a good question. Shutter Island,

Do you like Starwars? Yeah; actually my old housemates Al & Pat got me into it. We watched it in the cinema here last year and I think I was the only girl in the whole place. I like geeky nerdy films.

11 Closely followed by The Beach and then Everyone is invited. itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not out yet, but the new Tarantino one about the Manson Family. I know it will be good. And Catch Me If You Can! I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like Inception but I do like Michael Cane. What is your favourite Dinosaur? A velociraptor. Actually wait, is a Megladon a dinosaur? No its a massive shark. Yeah a shark dinosaur! What are you proud of? Since I have become a punter, I ski more. (It should be mentioned that Suzy & Soph have done a single run before coming to Folie and plan to ski down to get beers after.) Do you have anything to add? Me and John Cooper are getting married.

PLANKS PHOTO COMPETITION

Each week the winner of the Planks Photo Competition wins themselves a Planks beanie from the flagship store in town. Prize must be collected within a week of winning. This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winner: Chuck Oliver Enter at www.valecho.co.uk/competitions

OUT OF THE BUBBLE By Ben Pryor The bell finally tolled for Theresa gonebyMay’s partial circumcision of a Brexit deal, voted down in the Commons by a record margin of 230. There’s an almost admirable skill in being able to produce something which is equally repellent to both ends of the spectrum, the political equivalent of serving ham sandwiches at a Middle East peace conference. 118 of her own MPs rebelled, leaving her looking about as popular a leader as John Terry. The Jeremy tabled a no confidence motion in the government which she survived; MPs may be rebellious but they’re not suicidal.

14 She then proposed cross-party talks to try squaring the circle in which all parties except Labour have so far participated. Corbyn either knows he’s the only less desirable PM than the incumbent, secretly wants us to crash out or, most likely, wants no part in trying to solve the parliamentary arithmetic to get a deal done, which resembles a hurricane full of drunken, bee-stung wolverines; then again, maths isn’t his cabinet’s strong suit. Talking of people who assumed they wouldn’t end up in power, the Donald hosted the Clemson Tigers football team at the White House this week. With the government still in lockdown and the White House kitchen out of order, he personally paid for McDonalds, BK, Wendy’s and Domino’s to be served at the reception, calling the spread ‘great American food’

(at least one oxymoron in there) at a cost of $3000; so he likes them about one tenth as much as Stormy Daniels’s silence, and not nearly enough to ship in the catering team from the Trump Hotel three blocks away. Kylie Jenner lost her record for the most liked picture on Instagram to a photo of an egg; she’ll be 0/2 if the two of them take an IQ test. A doctor has warned not to use Lush aubergine-shaped bath bombs, released for Valentine’s Day, as a sex toy; a company which markets a ‘big banana massage bar’ you rub over your skin to release cocoa and shea butter deserves all the negative publicity it receives. 97-yearold Prince Phillip was pulled unharmed from the wreckage of his Range Rover near Sandringham after being t-boned by a Kia;

do you think it’s riskier getting in a car with him or trying to tell him to stop driving. A Dublin man who injected his semen into his arm for 18 months to treat back pain was admitted to hospital with cellulitis; confused by the term deep tissue massage? A Florida man is behind bars after threatening to kill his neighbour with kindness; kindness being the name of his machete. And finally, Victoria Beckham is giving Angelina Jolie a run for her money in the crazy stakes, spending £1200 on a new moisturiser made from her own blood which she claims is used to create healing factors. The treatment is known as a vampire facial; guessing the person who coined that phrase didn’t check urban dictionary beforehand. Until next week, I’m off for a White House banquet.

LEGENDS OF VAL

So this Irish kid once told me his dad’s willy was thick and big in a very strong Irish accent. That was hilarious.

Jasmine Westwood is an ex-nanny who now (wom)mans the bar at Blue Note

Funniest thing you’ve seen in the bar this year? Probably my reflection in the mirror when I pretend to be a competent barmaid. Biggest misconception about nannies? The biggest misconception is the rumour about their enthusiasm for the two Cs, one of which is cake. I personally don’t have a sweet tooth. Everyone wants to work at Blue Notewhat advice do you have for people that want your job next year? Anyone with actual experience, back off! I didn’t have any and still don’t, but I still need employment next season.

How long have you been here and what do your summers look like? This is my fifth season and I usually spend my summers nannying in Mallorca/UK, but this summer I’ll be based here! How does bar life compare to nannying? Working in a bar is definitely making me question my morals and self-respect. What’s your least favourite thing people do when ordering? I hate people that don’t say please- your beer may be 7 euros but manners are free. Funniest thing a kid has done whilst you were looking after them?

Do you have a hidden talent? I’m pretty bland- I can touch my nose with my tongue? Apart from that I’m sorely lacking in talents. Can’t ski, can’t drive... What couldn’t you live without out here? Couldn’t live without Vin d’Espagne wine from Bourg- cheap and delicious! That’s a classy lady right there. Have you ever made it into the Echo and what for? Yes I have made it into the Echo. What for? That’s for me to know and you to find out! Good luck, as I wasn’t named. And as the age old adage goes, it’s not what you know it’s who you know.

19 What’s on your season bucket list? 15 Elysées wearing ‘gilets jaunes’ in Always to comment, go paragliding. I say I’m protest.wanted Macron’s ‘You cannot going to do it every year. be pro-environment on Monday and when

cause it ‘promotes cruelty’; same could be said of their abuse of the English language. US Coast Guard reported a giant turtle, enTuesday comes be against rising fuel prices’ meshed in a rope holding 800Kg of cocaine is thedefinitelu kind of irrefutable logic whichIdeal goes You should, it’s great. worth £41m; bet it was Donatello. A former down like a fish milkshake with opponents, après music that gets you up on a table? but should be deployed against those deMiss Moscow, 25, has married Malaysia’s crying Amazon and Google for tax evasion King Muhammad V, 49, after converting to Anyone that knows can internet tell you it’s who wouldn’t foregome a free search Islam and taking the name Rihana; better for theMary! cheapest online dealgrabbed in a month Proud I once actually theof hope that heresy app doesn’t get rolled out Sundays. mic from the DJ in Café Face and sang across the region. along. They were trying to take the mic Indonesia has launched a ‘heresy app’ to off me anyone but I kept running ‘unorthodox around shouting report practicing interAnd finally, Poundland’s Christmas advert “Rolling” therecognised mic. Not my finest hour! pretations’into of its religions; well, pass my lover a bacon sandwich. A teenag- has come under fire for mocking Elton er matched with his sister Tinder; John’s advert for John Lewis, depicting one We definitely wish we’d on seen that.yes, that does mean they both swiped right and elf orally relieving another sat on top of his Thanks Jasmine. yes they do live in the US. PETA has depiano; wonder if he was singing ‘Can you manded the village of Wool, derived from Feel the Love Tonight’. Until next week, I’m the Anglo-Saxon ‘welle’ meaning a water spring, change its name to Vegan Wool be- off to drink from a woolly spring.

OFF PISTE SNOW REPORT Brought to you by Henry’s Avalanche Talk www.henrysavalanchetalk.com With some fresh topups of snow (anything between 5 to 40 cm) we’ve been finding some fantastic off-piste conditions over the last few days. There’s some lovely cold powder snow still to be found, particularly on high North facing slopes. And it looks as if we’re due some more smallish amounts of fresh snow in the days to come. In high exposed areas the surface has often been wind-hardened and crusted (sometimes blown off altogether). In other places it’s been densified by the wind, although quite skiable. A persistently fragile snowpack developed with the very cold temperatures, particularly overnight. Henry warned about the likelihood of avalanche accidents last Tuesday, which was a bluebird day sunny day following Monday’s snowstorms. However, we did not get as much snow as was forecast in the Savoie and the Isère. There was more snow in Haute Savoie and that led to some avalanche accidents. This is because a thicker layer of new snow on the weak layer creates more instability and that, in turn leads to more danger. Given the relatively small amounts of snow forecast in the next few days, this probably won’t create generalised instability everywhere. However, when combined

20 with wind, even just 5 to 15 cm of snow can be blown into an extra 40 cm or so in some places. That is enough to catch you out. Especially when it lands on a persistently fragile snowpack, such as we have at the moment. That’s based on the fact that over decades many accidents have happened in similar conditions to the current ones. At times they’ve even occurred when the avalanche danger rating has been low. Remember, maybe nothing happened today, but that doesn’t mean that things are safe and that the right decisions were made. When nothing happens, and we don’t get any negative feedback, we let our minds coax us into very dangerous places on the off-piste slopes. That’s when ’risky behaviour’ becomes a habit, without us even knowing it! Avalanche bulletin 17th Jan Danger rating is 3 above 2200m and 2 below that. The risks are greatest on Northerly facing slopes from NE to NW due to the weak layer being worse on those aspects. The calm weather since Tuesday allowed the recent snow to settle but some instabilities persist certainly in places (Italian ridges, shaded slopes). Spontaneous departures: some releases may still occur during any period of bad weather. Some windslab certainly persists above 2200/2400 m (skier triggered releases were observed on Tuesday in North to East

Touring by Wayne Watson

exhibitions). The faceted grains are not sufficiently buried (angular grains) can promote a break in case of overload by one or more skiers, especially in North (North-West to Northeast). Also there are places where 50cm deep slab can release.

Off-piste weather forecast for 19 to 24 Jan A weak area of unsettled weather is currently crossing Savoie and Haute Savoie. This will be followed by much colder weather and an uncertain weather situation for the weekend. Next week we will have high-pressure north of the alps and low pressure over the Mediterranean This means we will see a mixture of cold sunshine and clouds with a possible weak Retour dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Est on Wednesday.

Weak west wind and still very low temperatures (-6 and then 2/4 degrees to 1000 m and -8 / -12 then -4 degrees to 2000 m). MONDAY 21 and TUESDAY 22 Monday, the clouds prevail, with a small risk of snow to the valley floor. Colder with temperatures below averages ranging from -2 / -4 to 2/3 degrees in plain and -7 / -8 to 0 degrees to 1000 m. Tuesday, probable return of cold sunny weather with some banks of high clouds. Wind still weak. WEDNESDAY 23 and THURSDAY 24 Low pressure system coming from the south and east with wind, clouds, clearings and possible snow on the Italian border. Temperatures without much change. FRIDAY 25 and SATURDAY 26 The Mediterranean depression moves away, allowing beautiful clear weather. Temperatures still very low (-8 then 0 degrees to 1000 m). To confirm. Tip of the week

SATURDAY 19 Expect sun despite some high clouds and perhaps some Cumulus on the slopes. The wind is weak from west to northwest at altitude. Temperatures remain low, moving from -6 to 0/2 degrees to 1000 m and -10 / -14 to -4 / -6 degrees to 2000 m (isotherm 0 degree around 1200 m).

The biggest risk come from deeper slabs sitting on the weak layer. So watch out for accumulations of snow and fresh snow on any part of the mountain, even in just small localised areas. When these sit on top of a persistently fragile snowpack, like we have at the moment, an avalanche can easily be triggered by a skier passing by.

SUNDAY 20 The sun appears among some clouds, which cling to the summits, and probably more numerous in the afternoon or in the evening Maybe some light snowflakes.

With cold temperatures forecast for the next few days this new snow will turn into faceted grains and create another weak layer. So if we get significant new snowfall the snowpack will still be unstable.

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PRO GEAR TIPS Cold Feet? In the last few days it’s been really cold up the mountain and a lot of people have been complaining of freezing feet. Cold feet can be a misery and are usually a bigger problem for ladies, for those with poor circulation and for anyone suffering from circulatory conditions such as Reynaud’s Syndrome. When it gets down to minus 30, there’s not much you can do but here are a few tips to keep your feet warmer in most conditions: Start off by making sure your whole body is warm – if the rest of your body is cold, it reacts by shutting off the supply of warm blood to your extremities to protect your core. Wrapping up well and wearing a hat/ neckwarmer will keep your feet toasty too. Don’t be tempted to wear more, or thicker, socks. More bulk inside your boots reduces circulation. Make sure your socks are warm and dry when you put them on, damp socks will soon freeze so you might as well put your feet in a fridge! Dry your shells and liners every evening and warm your boots

before you put them on (you can use a hairdryer on a low setting if you don’t have boot-warmers). And it goes without saying that you shouldn’t leave your boots on the balcony overnight! As well as improving your skiing, skier orthotics can also help keep your feet warm. An unsupported foot tends to collapse as you flex, so most people overtighten their boots to hold the foot more solidly, but this constricts the arteries that supply blood to your toes. A proper skier orthotic supports and stabilises the foot, meaning you can ski comfortably in a boot that’s the right size. It also releases the flow of blood to your toes. Make sure your boots fit properly – too small a fit and your circulation is restricted and there’s no room for warm air to circulate around your feet. But boots that are too big or the wrong shape can mean you lose circulation as you clamp the buckles tighter to gain control. Make sure you don’t over-tighten the power strap or the clips over the forefoot – they should be finger-tight only. Overtightening the third clip from the top is one of the most common reasons for freezing feet. Once you’re on the mountain, start gently and tighten your boots after a couple of runs. And give your feet a break every now and then – releasing the clips while you’re on a lift or having a coffee eases the circulation to your toes and warms your feet up before you start again. If you’re really suffering, treat yourself to the ultimate solution with heated socks or footbeds. They’re certainly not cheap but they do make a difference – you can even go all out for the ones you can control from your phone!

AVALANCHE SCIENCE 101 With the heavy dump of snow we had on Monday, there has been much talk of avalanches and many resorts this season in the Western Alps have had deadly slides. In some places in Austria, 3.5m of snow are reported to have fallen in the space of a week. Although Val d’Isere might not have been hit by nearly as much snow, we thought we would take a look at what actually happens when an avalanche occurs. So what causes a slope to slide or not? Essentially the stability of the snowpack and a trigger. The snowpack is made up of different layers, each of which represents an individual snowfall. Each of these layers has different properties due to the conditions present when the snow fell. Things like the structure of the ice crystals and the surrounding temperature and humidity when they fell impact how well the layer bonds to the one above or below. If the individual snow molecules are 6 branched crystals, i.e what we envisage when we think of a snowflake, they interlock well, creating a more stable layer. On the other hand, when needles form, they don’t gel so well. Similarly, if supercooled water comes into contact with snow crystals in the air, it creates what is known as rime. Heavy rime deposits can cause pellet-like snow called graupel, which creates a very unstable layer.

6 point snowflake

Depth hoar

Rime on ice crystal

Once the snow is on the ground, other changes can take place which decrease the

layer’s stability: • If the top of the snowpack melts and re-freezes, it can form a layer of slick ice, which is obviously not going to hold onto any future snow that falls very well. • If air just above the snowpack is dewy, the snowpack can develop hoar, which is a light, feathery crystal that does not bond well to snow. • Big differences in temperature between the layers also contributes to instability.

An avalanche can either be triggered naturally, for instance by a sudden change in the weather, a falling tree or a collapsing cornice, or by an external load, like a skier. 90% of fatal avalanches are caused by the latter. Wind is the most common natural cause of avalanches. Wind can deposit snow 10 times faster than snow falling from storms. Wind erodes snow from the upwind side of obstacles and deposits snow on the downwind. This is called wind loading. Of course massive snowstorms can also cause avalanches. If the weight of new snow is added faster than the buried weak-layer can adjust to its load, then it fractures and forms an avalanche. If a weak layer in the snowpack gives way, the type of avalanche that occurs will depend on how close to the surface the “failure” layer was. If it was near the top, a sluff avalanche occurs. This is a cascade of loose, powdery snow in an inverted “V” shape down the mountain and usually causes minimal damage to people and property. The dangerous ones are slab avalanches, which happen when the failure layer is deep down. In a slab avalanche, a strong, cohesive layer of the snowpack slides down over a bed layer of snow. These can carry up to a million tonnes of snow and travel at speeds of over 320 km/h. When they eventually come to a halt, the snow sets like concrete, which is what makes them so dangerous. It is impossible to move if you are under the snow once it comes to a standstill.

SLUFF

SLAB

This article simply covers the basics of how and why avalanches occur. To learn how to avoid getting caught in a slide, and what to do if you or someone in your group is caught, head to Henry’s Avalanche Talk online where you can find detailed Off-Piste safety information. The ESF also run free weekly talks on a Monday evening and this week, the Vie Val d’Is has an Avalanche prevention talk also on Monday, which is free for Vie Val d’Is card holders.

FRUSTRATIONS OF A CLUB PHOTOGRAPHER Being sober in a club is weird. Add hundreds of people wanting something from you and things can get hectic. There are numerous ways people ask for a photo. Sometimes, people are super polite with lots of pleases and thankyous. Great. Sometimes, people tap me on the shoulder and gesture to them and their mates. Fine. Sometimes, people literally kick me to get my attention. No. If you are a kicker - who raised you? In what world would I now try and get a flattering photo of you? If you kick me and I get an unfortunate snap where you look like Shrek, you’d better believe that’s going to be the album cover.

30 are one of the GENIUSES who think it is hilarious to put your hand in front of the lens while I am taking a picture of someone else: I wish you a short time on this earth. I bet you ride a snowscooter, wear moonboots and have very few friends that actually come to your birthday party. Yeah this really annoys me, please don’t ever do this. If you ask a photographer for a photograph, at least be ready for it. More than once, a girl has asked me for a photo then got a brush out of her bag and proceeded to style her barnet. Guys are even worse for fixing their hair before I can get the shot and it always looks just as shit as it did before they ran their fingers though it for 2 minutes. This sounds like a ridiculous thing to be annoyed about but when I am surrounded by people who want photographs, I don’t have time for you to get a little off the sides and maybe a perm.

Ok, now that you know what not to do, go People often ask to see the photo I just took of out there and get some great shots. We them. This would be fine but nine times out of are excited to announce a new, weekly ten after seeing it they insist on having another competition. Out of the photographs that are photo then do EXACTLY the same pose. To taken every week for The Echo, we will choose avoid this situation, telling people I have to a winner judged on amusement, originality get the photos developed at Boots before I and ridiculousness. More info on prizes etc can see them works surprisingly well. coming soon but here is this weeks winner from Bananas. Most nights, I’ll meet the person who asks (very nicely) if they can take a photo of me which is sometimes followed by “I actually did photography A-Level”. This is often a light hearted and pleasant encounter and so I always feel bad saying “absof*ckinglutely not”. I don’t get why people are so surprised when I wont pass them my expensive piece of kit after they have dropped their phone four times since they started talking to me. I am flattered that you asked though, really. Photobombers - you are a gift and a curse. If you are discreet and doing something amusing in the back of someone else’s photo: you If you are looking at a picture of yourself, email are doing gods work and I salute you. If you contact@valecho.co.uk to claim your prize!

SUNDAY TOSS THE BOSS (22:00 - 12:00)

Monday (2 for 1 burgers) MAX WHITTAL (Apres) MARIVOUX (Evening)

tequilia Tuesday DAISY B & TOM (Apres) Queens of the Snow stage (Evening)

Wednesday The MARDY JOHNNY DEPPS (8 onwards) THE MAPS

toffee ThursdayS bloc off the wall (EVENING)

fIzz FRIDAY (€20 Prosecco) Pink Miami (EVENING)

SATURDAY 2 FOR 1 1080’s 1/2 Price Chicken wings Open 16:00 - 02:00 Food SERVED 17:00 - 22:00 The Moris Pub Val D’Isere

@themorisval

19TH Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: The Blazin’ Strings

20TH

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

Victors - Seasonaire Saturdays. Tacos & Tequila.

Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: Hobo Chic

Dick’s Tea Bar- Industry Night B2B Resident DJ Megan (Glitter Box)

Fall Line - Seasonaire Party

Le Lodge - DJ K2 11:30pm-1:30am

Dick’s Tea Bar - Dirty Sunday w Lucius Brave and Alex Marshall (Hip Hop and RnB)

Petit Danois - Live Music - Joe & Will 5pm

Petit Danois - Live Music - Marivaux Duo 5pm

Moris - Two for one 1080s

Moris - Toss the Boss. 22h-00h

23RD Planks - Shred Together. Meet at 10.30 0 @ Planks

La Folie Douce - WTF with Too Many

Lefthands

Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: Les Lunettes Le Hibou - Wings Wednesday IN TOWN - Free Cross Country Relay Ski Race 18.30. Prizes for winners. Vin chaud for all. Bananas - Garage & Bassline Night - B2B DJs. Happy Hour 22.30-23.30

Petit Danois - Live music - Gallie 5pm Moris - Live Music: 8PM onwards - The Mardy Johnny Depps. Evening- MAPS Dick’s Tea Bar - After Dinner Club w/ Pocket Size Dave, Sophia and Alex (Violin and Sax)

Cocorico - Après Live M La Folie Douce -La Fo - Find 1 of 5 tokens to w Le Hibou - Quiz Night - €50 bar tab, 2nd Prize -

Saloon - DJ So Acclaime

Petit Danois- Live Music

Next Bar - LYRICSON (r entry. Open 22h

IN TOWN - Airstar Nig

entertainment and free v Dick’s Tea Bar - LUNA Anthony Moris - Toffee Thursday Mullit & The Machine. E

COCORICO - 2-4pm Happy Hour, Live Music every day from BLUE NOTE - Happy Hour with Hot Gin and Nibbles from 3 to 6pm FALL LINE - Happy Hour 3-5pm PETIT DANOIS - Happy Hour 2 for 1 on Beers and Drinks 4-5pm & 9-10pm. Food served all day. DJ Jack Igglesden every day from 10pm. BANANAS - Seasonaire Menu: 3 Courses and a beer/wine/soft drink for €20

21ST

22ND

La Folie Douce - Discopolis

Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: Wingmen

Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: The Trends

CATEX visit (3pm) - Discover how avalanche detonation works with a free 1 hour guided tour. Sign up at the Tourist Office. Vie Val d’Is - Jam session from 8pm at the

IN TOWN - Free Avalanche talk with the ESF in English at 6pm at snowfront kindergarten chalet

Vie Val d’Is - Weekly Language Exchange.

Free French lesson for VVD card holders at 8pm Petit Danois - Live Music - Mullit & The Machine 5pm

Moris - 2 for 1 Burgers. Live Music: ApresMax Whittal. Evening- The Marivaux Next Bar - LYRICSON (reggae, dance hall) Saloon - Bass station with DJ Kommissar Dick’s Tea Bar - Resident DJ’s Megan and Alex Marshall (Deep House)

24TH

Music: Tenacious Ski olie Douce Treasure Hunt win a prize 21.30 Kick off! 1st Prize - Bottle of wine

c Marivaux Duo 5pm

reggae, dance hall). 10€

ght. Light show, street vin chaud on main street A Thursday with Brent

CCAS. Open & free for musicians with VVD card Petit Danois - Live music - The Revolverlites 5pm

Dicks Tea Bar - Techno Tuesday w Resident DJ’s Megan and Alex Marshall (Techno) IN TOWN - Ski Mountaineering Night Race.

6.30pm start with Dynastar Touring skis to win and buffet +vin chaud on the finish line Moris-Tequila Tuesday. Live Music: Après-Daisy B & Tom. Evening- Queens of the Snow Stage

25TH Cocorico - Après Ski Live Music: Bloc off the Wall Le Hibou - Prosecco Fridays with Prosecco Cocktails for €5.50 Petit Danois - Live Music - Karen & Andreas 5pm Dicks Tea Bar - After Dinner Club with Pocket

Sized Dave accompanied by Sax and Violin

Moris - Fizz Friday €20 Prosecco. Live Music: Evening- Les Lunettes

ys! Live Music: Après Evening- The Trends

UNDERGROUND - Après Ski Tapas from 5pm LE PETIT CUISINE - Daily 12 - 3pm - Seasonaire Meal Deal VICTORS - Cocktail Hour 9-11pm LE LODGE - Happy Hour 4:30-7:30pm €4 large beer SALOON - 3-6pm Happy Hour 2 for 1 on beer wine and more. CLASSICAVAL - 4 Day Classical Music Festival from 21st-24th with nighly concerts. Tickets available at the Tourist Office.

UP, UP AND AWAY To paraphrase the lyrical genius of Robbie Williams, I always believed I could fly. As a child, it was a dead cert in my mind that when I grew up I would be able to soar through the air; the thing was just a matter of time and enough practice leaping off my bed. This is probably why it broke. When the dreadful truth finally dawned on me and it became apparent it was not my lifelong destiny to fly, I started looking for ways around this conundrum. Although skiing makes for a pretty good substitute, this week I finally found my wings in the form of a man called Stephan and his paragliding canopy. After years of looking up to the skies with wishful longing at the graceful gliders that float above Val d’Isere, it was finally my turn to take to the air. My Dad is out this week and he was the kind benefactor of the gift of flight. We arrived at the top of the Solaise where we met the two men who would be in charge of our lives for the next 10 minutes. Stephan, who runs Val d’Isere Parapente, has been flying for 35 years and offering tandem flights for 20 of those. By night, he becomes a pistebasher driver, so he is a seriously cool person who has made excellent life decisions. He also has an exceptionally good knowledge of the mountains and you really couldn’t feel in safer hands. We were swiftly positioned at the edge of a lip and attached to the paraglider, looking out over a beautiful, late afternoon

36 Val d’Isere. But if the view from here was good, it was about to become phenomenal. Once ready to go, we were told to ski in a straight line towards a rather large cliff. Never one to be put off by a large drop, I happily obliged and before I knew it, we had left the ground and were smoothly lifting up, up into the sky. Stephan quickly ascertained that extreme things are right up my street, so we swooped low over some cliffs just past the Solaise bubble before looping back round to the piste, practically skiing on the groundlings’ helmets. After a few royal waves to the minions below, we glided up into the air where there came into view the most spectacular vista of the Tignes Lake. Apparently in the depths of winter, flights are shorter as there are far fewer thermals, the warm air currents which lift birds and paragliders high above the ground. This meant our flight was short and thrilling, so to make the most of our time in the air, Stephan made an executive decision to go for the G force and we spun to the ground, my stomach doing backflips. Without a doubt, the flight beat an icy chock-a-block ski down Solaise any day. Paragliding should come with a health warning though as it’s hella addictive. I’m already contemplating spending all the money that I don’t have on learning how to fly solo and considering where I’ll keep the canopy that I may or may not have been eyeing up on ebay. Thank you to Stephan and Gilles, our fantastic flyers. Book direct with Val d’Isere Parapente (http://www.valdisereparapente.com/) on 06 80 48 47 96. Or go through Evolution 2, who you can find in Snowberry Streetside.

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Remise Carte Vie Val d’Is

TALK OF THE TOWN Side-splitting

Seb is back in town showing us how they get down at Après in Zermatt:

Stranger Danger

Some of SkiBro’s staff were staying the night in Morzine on a work trip. They arrived to their hotel room and had barely put their bags down before an unknown girl dashed through the door and bolted into the bathroom. Never one to be rude, Kene, politely asked through the door who on earth she was and why the hell she was in their bathroom. It became apparent she was horrifically drunk and had gotten wildly lost on the way to the toilet, 3 floors below. The icing on the cake was that, in her panic to relieve herself, she hadn’t turned the light on, which was outside the door. Clearly too embarassed to emerge, she stayed in the pitched black loo for 15 minutes. But Kene being a serious

journalist, had the GoPro set up outside to capture the glorious moment when she eventually came out. Her face was redder than Al’s when he saw the picture below.

Three’s a Crowd

Someone’s tonsil tennis was caught on camera last week, much to the chagrin of Blue Note’s barman. Snowberry decided to make a dramatic 2D representation of the ensuing feud with this shrine.

Unlucky Al!

Over and Out

When asked if he had plans for his retirement, in the not too distant future, a certain Scottish boxer proclaimed, “Ayee, I’m gonnae die”. That’s the spirit - Live long and prosper, or failing that, go out with a bang!

The Power of Advertising A chalet girl was so impressed that the writer of this ad was staying in her chalet, she chose to show her appreciation through her stunning service(ing).

SPORT Shown at Le Petit Danois: FOOTBALL Saturday 19th Jan: Wolves v Leicester 1.30pm Arsenal v Chelsea 6.30pm Sunday 20th Jan: Huddersfield v Man City 2.30pm Fulham v Spurs 5pm Wednesday 23rd Jan: Burton Albion v Man City 8.45pm

Thursday 24th Jan: Chelsea v Spurs 8.45pm Friday 25th Jan: Arsenal v Man Utd 8.55pm HANDBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - Main round matches shown live Live sport also shown at The Fall Line, Blue Note and Le Hibou.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

A naked Ken Doll

Dan after a Tan

SUNDAYS

MUSIC BY