10 things I love about skiing

1.  Corduroy 

Nothing beats skiing down a freshly groomed piste when no one else has been down it.   You can try carving your turns knowing there are no nasty bumps to throw you off balance

2.  Powder

The real McCoy.  The feeling of skiing through light, fluffy powder is like skiing through silk or caster sugar.  It's magic.   Not to be confused with

3.  Fresh Snow

This tends to be heavier than powder and harder work but still huge fun.   The best is when you get several inches of fresh snow on a groomed slope.  But you have to be first down it.

4.  Untracked Snow

The thrill of finding some untracked fields of snow several days after a snow fall can't be beaten.  

5.  Spring Snow

This is when snow has melted and frozen several times.  If you get it right you ski on the top layer which is just softening.  It's like skiing on velvet.  Sadly, it's difficult to find untracked snow which has gone through the process of melt and freeze.

6.  Mountain Restaurants

Our favourites:  Radaz at Cote 2000, L'Alpage at Communailles,  Le Gouet at Croix de Christ, Auberge du Bonjournal at Jaillet.  But as you know there are a lot of little restaurants, which used to be farms or barns, on the slopes.

7.  Sunshine

Skiing in the sunshine down the pistes or sitting outside and having a hot chocolate or meal at one of the mountain restaurants.   And of course the views:  Mont Blanc looming over the valley.

8.  Skiing with the grandchildren

For now I am still faster but give them a year or two and I shall be the one saying "wait for me".

9.  Megeve

I think the resort offers a bit of everything: lovely runs through the trees, steep off piste on Mont Joli, relaxed skiing at Jaillet.   And best of all, outside the French holidays, deserted pistes.

10.  Taking off one's ski boots

What a relief at the end of the day taking off one's boots.  Or is that just me?