After almost three weeks at Bourg-Saint-Maurice, our longest ever stop, we finally moved on this morning. It was beginning to feel like home at Camping Huttopia, there are certainly quite a few Brits who spend the whole season there. However, we decided to get some more skiing in now Kev’s leg is a little better and there has even been a whole 4cm of snow yesterday, the first since 17th Jan.
We made use of all the services at the campsite for the last time before moving on to Super U for a an emotional goodbye to our favourite ever supermarket and a big shop including more fresh sushi, a freezer full of Savoie sausages and a box full of local wine.
We then drove a massive 30km along the valley and up the mountain to the neighbouring resort of La Plagne, counting down the numbered 21 hairpin bends on the way. We watched the altitude increase and the snow start to appear on the roadsides. We passed the Olympic Bobsleigh run (which we will certainly not be attempting!!), and some of the lower resorts before we arrived at 2050m our highest ever park up. The local authority have kindly installed a motorhome Aire with 16A electric, literally at the side of the ski slope for ski-in, ski-out access.
We had not pre-booked, as we had not been sure of our plans and were relieved we saw a green light on the sign as we approached… there was one space left! We took the last space and admired the view with ski lifts and slopes all round us. We are so excited to get another week skiing together straight from the van.
After our fresh sushi lunch we headed out to explore La Plagne. We sorted ski passes, got our skis hired and are all ready to ski straight out from the van tomorrow 😁😎⛷
We decided to take the dogs for a late afternoon walk on the dedicated footpath that the tourist information office had told us about, from right behind the Aire. The usual craziness ensued, the girls looove the snow. Much barking and play fighting ensued. They had both produced their business and we decided to head back so we could explore the Aprés-ski. We had just crossed over the piste that runs alongside the van when we heard barking behind us. We had seen huskie sleds when we were walking earlier but had not anticipated them passing by quite so close when we had the dogs with us 😬😱
I dashed down the side of the ski run as they stopped just above us and urged me to go even further away. Obviously it was dinner time for the huskies 😳 Thankfully we could get back to the van at the side of the piste as four sleds of dogs came by above us and stopped at the other side of the valley. They seemed to be licking their lips at our two walking snacks!
It took about as long as the walk to remove the ice / snow balls from the long hair of the dogs legs. They have some pretty impressive coats now and this powdery snow doesn’t half stick to their leg warmers!
We have headed out to Plagne Soleil tonight to test out the Aprés-ski. It is weird to hear so many English voices after so long on the road, but good too. Watching some crazy free skiing competition in Canada on the big screens, with the communal groans and gasps as they wipe out with an Aperol Spritz in the other hand. It’s a good life 😁😎⛷
In for a Penney 