A Challenging Day

We met Gordon at the Chamois lift at 8.45 and then went straight over to Mont D'Arbois.   It was a lovely clear morning but when we got out of the lift at the top we were hit by the wind.  We looked at Mont Joux with the snow blowing over the top of the Folie Douce and decided on Plan B.   We skied down to the Etudiant drag, up that and through the trees to ski down to Planellet, where we caught the bus to take us to Jaillet.  Everyone else had had the same idea.  There was a huge queue.  We went up Christomet and went off to the right, walked up the knoll and skied down to Le Giettaz.   The snow was wind crust and very difficult and, as far as I was concerned, I went into "get down it any way you can" mode. 
At Giettaz we went up the first lift to discover the second chair was closed because of the high winds.  So no way back to Megeve!   We were intending to ski down to Praz and Carol was waiting for us there, so Gordon called her to drive round and pick us up from Giettaz.   We had a beer while we waited and who should turn up but Alex Perrinet, the mountain guide.   He had done something similar to us so had also missed the sign that the chair was closed.  He had one client with him.  So we ended up with five of us crammed into Carol's car, with me sitting on John's knee.  It is quite a long way round and I was so cramped that my leg went to sleep.   After we dropped Alex and his client off we went up again and skied back down off piste to the Chattaz bus.  The snow was not the best and was hard work.  Rather a shame as it looked so promising.  So all in all,  not one of the best day's skiing.