La Plagne, France

Finally! A white Christmas! In the French Alps! Yayyyyy!



Arriving at our chalet in La Plagne on the Christmas eve, we began a week of snowboarding on Christmas day. How's that for a Christmas present? :D

The snow wasn't fantastic, but things were going fairly well at the beginning of the week. The mornings tended to be better than the afternoons. Somehow I think those hot lunches weren't doing us any favours, plus it got cold and icy in the afternoon which didn't help our confidence or (lack of) ability levels.

Our chalet was cosy and comfortable, and with cooked breakfasts, afternoon teas, and dinners, we were all very happy campers. We were also given unlimited(!) wine over dinner, but we were suprisingly well behaved. :)

By Wednesday, confidence levels were up, but unfortunately the slopes were getting icier and icier. Shane took particularly bad tumble into a patch of ice, and unfortunately his collarbone and a couple of ribs came out a little worse for wear. Ouch! He was stretchered down the mountain, into the medical centre, and then ambulanced down to a hospital in Albertville, some 60km away!

X-rays revealed a broken collarbone and one, maybe two, fractured ribs. :( Luckily for us, the health system in France treated him well and he was able to go back to the chalet the day after, with his upper body wrapped up in some kind of brace contraption. Better than a plaster body cast with one arm hanging out sideways!

Shane and I spent a couple of days bumming around the resort, but by all reports, the snow conditions were pretty bad anyway. But then, on the final night, it absolutely DUMPED down about a foot of snow. Typical hey? If only we had arrived a week later!!