On our way for a short-ski to Les Houches in the Chamonix valley in the French Alps

It were other parents that pointed out to us back in September that the school would be closed on some ideal days end of September to go for a short ski trip.   While I'm not a terribly ski-fan and I have a huge irrational fear to drive/get to popular ski destinations (snow, busy traffic, curves, ...) and Jan is and wants to give the children at a young age the opportunity to learn how to ski, it's been 12 years since we went skiing. I've been blocking most suggestions in previous years to go on a ski vacation, vigorously. 

During the conversation my brain calculates quickly the odds and figures that on a Wednesday evening in January driving and skiing to a nearby lower ski area wouldn't be too bad, and before I know it I blur out loud "well if we ever go to ski again, this might be the idea that I want to do".   Kabouter reacts enthusiastically and Jan reacts quickly "we must now arrange this quickly before she changes her mind."

Strangely enough, it was the other parents who backed out of the idea rather quickly when we started investigating and I got stress from our indecisiveness in doubt of whether there would be snow in the lower ski-area's. And then Jan all of a sudden found very cheap flights to Geneva and found ourselves a little appartment in Les Houches where we only needed to drive for 1 hour with a rental car.  Surely he couldn't have found me the best scenario.  

I must admit, in the weeks before our trip, fear did conquer me again.  There is no rational explanation, fear is irrational.   But at the same time I was looking forward to the family time together and seeing the boys learn skiing. Nothing more cute than little children on skis.



And so on the last Wednesday in January, we closed our laptops just before noon, stuffed our car full of luggage and skis and went to pick up the boys at school to drive straight to the airport.   Our vacation had started.  A few hours later and a small traffic jam at the Swiss-French border, we were on the road to the Alps.  The sunset over the mountains ahead of us was pretty cool. 

Our destination was Les Houches,  small town near Chamonix under the Mont Blanc where we had actually spent a ski vacation 20 years earlier with some friends.   It was in Les Houches that I had my first European ski experience and frankly the trip memories were rather unimpressive.  But oh irony, our appartment was in the same chalet complex as 20 years ago with view to the previous chalet balcony that we were before.  What are the odds.  

We stayed now in the lowest chalet and 20 years ago in the chalet above

Upon our arrival this time when we rushed to the supermarket to fill our car with plenty of food for the comign days, I realised I have just seen our street before, but the town is much bigger and long stretched in the curvy valley.  And I had no memory whatsoever on the Mont Blanc towering above us all the time.  Strange, because I think this mountain peak surely was the highlight of our short vacation this time. Wow. 

Just as last time the village valley was snow free and we had to take one of the ski cabin lifts to take us to. higher heights where on the other hand there was sufficient snow levels to ski almost all slopes.  The black valley descent however was closed in preparation of the world championship that would take place on this "Kandahar" slope the week after. 

The Kandahar for the world championship on Feb 3

Then we settled in our little appartment and got ready for some days of snow fun combined with some enjoyment of the Savoyarde lifestyle. 

We had a lovely family time together and enjoyed the mountains and the snow together...although it was more eventful than hoped.  But let's not let our full 4,5 days overshadow with my ski accident.  

On Sunday we drove back to Geneva with mixed feelings and a lot of nostalgia nevertheless when we spotted from a far distance (20' drive away?) in the rear mirror the blue slopes that we had conquered together.