The Ski Bunny Philosophy

Look up the term 'Ski Bunny' on Urban Dictionary, I dare you... we're reclaiming the sexiest term in ski towns.

The un-glamour of ski town life

There’s this strange glamour to living in a ski resort, amongst those who spend a week or two a year in the mountains. It’s one of the only two responses you will ever get from people back home. If it’s not crushing disappointment, then it’s definitely the wistful ‘oh, I wish I had been able …

In Celebration of Summer’s Impending End

So, summer is almost over, the temperature has plummeted, and we’re so close to seeing a return to the peace and quiet of inter season. Just as soon, that is, as the last stragglers have finished the 171km slogathon that is UTMB. Yes, this week has seen the arrival of long distance runners and masochists …

The End of Winter Blues

It's been a while since I last posted anything, and there's a good reason for that, I promise. The ski season in Chamonix is over (excuse me while I take a minute to process...), and all the departures and closing day events have me avoiding my computer. I'm normally a fairly early departure by end-of-season …

The End of Season Blues

Well it had to happen eventually. Even the best seasons in the Alps start to wind up at around this time, and with the arrival of spring comes the onset of hay fever, warm weather and slush. Not that slush is really a bad thing; spring skiing is its' own kind of fun, after all. It's …

Slope to slope: the joys of a road trip

The start of a road trip is kind of exciting; loading your equipment into the car, packing the snacks and striking out for ski slopes new is great fun. The promise of fresh new slopes to explore, the possibility of a softer, lighter type of snow than you might get back home, it all gets …

Lift Accessed off-piste wonderland

I know I've been living in Chamonix long enough now that I should've already done this, but this week I managed to get to the Vallee Blanche for the first time. I'll admit, before I actually went up there, the idea of skiing from the Aguille du Midi was a bit on the off putting …

The Tactics of a Bluebird Day

Bluebird days. The holy grail of skiing. The heavens opened yesterday, bringing fresh snow and perfect, untouched backcountry routes to explore now that the sun is out. In Chamonix, it's pretty easy to snooze and lose when it comes to the perfect bluebird conditions.  Literally. Chamonix is full of early birds, and most places, the …

5 things that’ll piss off the bar staff at après ski

When you're skiing, the chances are that you're also spending rather a lot of time in your local bar(s). After all, après ski is part of the culture in many mountains, and to give it a miss is practically sacrilege. Let's face it, if you're single in a ski town, and you're not nursing a growing problem …

How to avoid the Winter Olympics (when you live in a ski town)

Look, before we get into this, I'd like it to be known that I'm very proud of the incredible Athletes representing their countries at the Olympics. I know that for everyone at Pyeongchang this week, this is the payoff for years and years of hard work and dedication. I'm just not all that keen on …

Val d’Isere: Ten years on

This week, I went to Val d'Isere for the first time since I was a teenager. Well, not quite the first time. I did go there on a work trip, back when I was working for a London based ski company, but that time was three days, and doesn't count. So, I know what you're …