Skiing with the Family Teste

From L-R - Camille (8) , Diane (12), Marie , Hubert & Louis (14)

Greetings from the Family Teste!! Hubert our landlord and his family arrived last night from Lyon. He kindly invited us to go skiing with him today. Plan A, had been to ski Flaine, the highest resort in the Grand Massif group of resorts, unfortunately the weather had other ideas. After a couple runs, the wind was gusting very strongly and most of the high chairlifts went on hold. I couldn't help but think that the French were being very cautious. Compared to the hurricane strength winds we operate lifts in NZ and Australia, the wind today appeared to be a positive zephyr! Perhaps I should show Hubert the photos we took of the crumpled chairs at Mt Hutt this winter? With the crowds building on the limited open lifts, it was Plan B - back to our home hill and the sheltered tree skiing of Les Carroz.

Hubert and all his family are excellent skiers. He grew up in Sallanches (just near Chamonix) and had race training as a young man. His speciality is slalom. Hubert still skis on narrow first generation parabolic skis (190cm). But don't challenge him to a race down the piste, he will teach you a lesson! He is also equally at home in the deep powder snow as we ventured off-piste for a run or two. Camille the youngest is totally fearless and hurtles off down the piste at lightening pace. She has perfect technique and will develop into an excellent skier if she remains interested. Apparantly she also is a Judo champion!! Watch out boys! Camille will be a handful!

Louis is quite good at English, but like all teenagers, he's not so keen to speak when Mum & Dad are near. Marie and Hubert both speak perfect English and I don't think he likes to be corrected all the time. Given that our French is atrocious, we have encouraged Louis to speak with us as much as possible in private! We certainly won't be correcting him!!

The whole of Marie's family will be coming to stay at Christmas - so it will be a full chalet indeed. We look forward to meeting the extended family. Hopefully we will have mastered a few more sentences in French by then!?

We can't say enough about the kindness of the Teste Family. They have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and show us the "French Way" What luck to have been adopted by such wonderful people!

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Hubert: an excellent guide