The skiing has been good and the weather unpredictable as ever. For those who noticed, yes we did forget to change the weather last week but it probably ended up being more correct than most weeks and what we were going to write in the first place.

A few more parties this week and the last quieter week before the chaos that is February hits in a big way. However with it brings the warmer weather.

Our main article is on beeper training, which we feel is one of the smartest things you can do while in town. There’s no point in thinking you should of done it when it’s too late. We can speak from experience on this and our friends were well trained, hence why we’re still here writing.

Have a good one.

MB HD

Snow Quality and Stability
Over the past week, the snowpack has been stabilizing in much of the Northern French Alps. Météo France moved the danger rating from 3 to 2 on the international avalanche rating scale earlier in the week (see www.henrysavalanchetalk.com under ‘Free Information’ for definitions of these ratings). However, I’ve noticed that the top 10 to 40 cm of the snowpack, was starting to become a cocktail of cohesionless grains of snow by early/mid-week (made up of faceted/angular grains and some surface hoar created thanks to the cold temps) which gave that nice soft top layer a sort of granular feel to it rather than the light smooth feel of fresh new snow. I mention this because even though this top layer was nice to ski in earlier this past week (on most slopes except South due to a a nasty melt crust) it does become a weak unstable layer once it is buried under the new snow or snow transported by wind. I’m paying particular attention to this newer cohesionless layer above 2200 metres and so should you.There is also a persistent weak layer of cohesionless snow deeper down (approx 60-75cm or more down) in the snowpack that dates from the cold snap of early/mid December. This layer is still an issue above 2500 metres or so because these slopes/altitude didn’t get the rain in late December that ultimately had a stabilizing effect on the snowpack from 2500 metres and lower. Large increases in weight, like groups of skiers together on a steep slope can trigger a very large/deep slab avalanche due to this deep weak layer.
Météo France is warning people to still be careful on steep East to North to West slopes above 2200-2400 that could be susceptible to the weight of a group of skiers – and if there’s more snow (as is predicted!), these slopes could become more and more sensitive e.g. the weight of even a single skier could trigger a slab avalanche.

Tips for this coming week
Remember that most of the time an unstable slope will not avalanche.., but they do on occasion; sometimes taking peoples lives as we have seen this season already. SO, look bove
and below you – don’t stop in groups in exposed areas! Even when things get ‘stabler’ and the danger rating comes down, you can still set slopes off especially if you are grouped up in the middle of steep slopes. Stick to going one at a time on steep slopes (or below steep slopes) and stop in places that aren’t exposed to slopes above and aren’t exposing you to cliffs, holes, lakes and other nasty stuff below you.

Have Fun and Be Safe!

So how long have you been in Val d’Isere?
I arrived here about 25 years ago and started out just skiing all day every day, but after 6 months I needed a job and started as a ski technician in a shop here, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

What do you do in the summer?
I’m still here in the summer working for Killy, but at that time of year it’s a different kind of customer, less skis and more walking and climbing equipment, a few skis go in and out for glacier skiing, but not many. My wife and children are out here so this is our full time home with our cat that is named after Harry Potter thanks to my son.

So what do you do?
I’m the tech here at Killy so I service all the skis that come into us, including all the rental skis. It can be really busy sometimes, but it’s great and it’s a very different job now to when I started.

Why?
Well now we have all these big machines that can do a lot of the servicing for us, of course some people still want service by hand if they have a particular request, but usually we send them through the machine, which does just as good a job, they aren’t cheap though, it costs about €200,000 for a basic machine to prepare skis.

What do the machines do?
The machines can edge and wax the skis by themselves, but it’s all done by programming, so depending on the problem the skis or board can go through a number of times before they are in good shape. It all depends on what you want and what was the problem in the first place.

Done the skis of anyone famous?
I was employed years ago as the technician for some of the French ski team, but that’s about as famous as they get for me. I went with them to the world championships and to the Olympics in Calgary so it was a pretty amazing job.

Did you race?
I used to race for fun but never seriously or for money, but now I find it difficult to ski because I’ve had lots of operations on my knee and don’t have any cartilage left. The price I’ve paid for years of great skiing.

Why do you do your job?
I’m passionate about my job because it can make the difference to someone’s skiing. I always try and do a great service for kids skis, because most of them are learning, so if it’s easier then I want to help them out. Every ski is important to me, but I’ve had to stop looking for perfection, because it takes too long!

How many skis do you service?
We do between 500 and 700 pairs a week, which seems a lot, but once you get going it’s fine. We all enjoy our jobs and our work so we don’t complain.

Any strange requests?
A boarder once asked me to fit a pole to his board so he could attach a sail, a bit like a windsurfing board. I did it and apparently it worked, but it was very odd at the time!

I suspect many of you have heard of HAT, or Henry’s Avalanche Talks to use their full name, and I bet some of you have said that you’d like to go to a talk, or do some training but you never have, and then sadly there is the minority of people who haven’t been, and don’t really care too much as long as there is lots of snow involved.

Far from being dull, HAT talks are informative and more importantly useful, there are a lot of things that are common sense, but there are also other bits of info that you might never have thought of if you hadn’t gone and had a chat to the guys who run HAT out here in Val.

But enough of my soapbox, I’ve recently been on one of the ‘beeper’ training days, which is where you spend a few hours learning how to be safe, the procedure of trying to find someone if they get buried and all the little things that you weren’t taught by your ski teacher.

The majority of us do off piste just because it’s there, only few do only off piste and most people go off the pisted slopes without any training or in depth knowledge of the risks involved. Many avalanches happen just to the side of the slope, so these hints and tips are useful, even if you won’t be skiing the Tour de Charvet any time soon.

Back to beeper training, I was booked on and to be honest I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, was it going to be like school or something completely casual, and how the hell was I going to remember everything that had been said. But my fears were quickly placated when I met the guys who run the on the hill training for HAT. They were both friendly and reassuring, so my fears of running into my year 11 Maths teacher in some kind of ski form were completely unfounded.

There is a lot to take in, and there is an extensive talk at the beginning to get you started. This is definitely not a time to be staring at the clouds or at the riders in the park, it’s serious stuff and you won’t really get another chance to hear it. We were told about the 3 phases of the search and how important it is to think about the little things as well as the big things. For example the fact that putting your glove down might mislead a scent if dogs need to be brought in and that if there are a few of you, dividing tasks means you can work quickly and more effectively.

During the talk you go in depth into what the phases of a search are should one of your group get stuck in an avalanche, as well as looking at how to put a probe together quickly and properly, and of course how to use it. Probing as it turns out is not a needle in a haystack game, but a sequence of coordinated movements designed to maximise your chances of finding someone under the snow.

The statistics don’t lie, the chances of you finding someone alive severely decrease after 15 minutes, so it’s important to get going and start working towards finding whoever is buried. The training is as much about getting you practising with a transceiver as it is about giving you new information.

The guys from HAT set you out a course where there are transceivers buried at various points in the off piste sections between the blue runs 3J and Diebold. Each stopping point has a different place to start, and some require you to start from phase one, zig-zagging across the piste, whereas others require a starting point at phase two. Everything is designed to get you using your transceiver properly and effectively.

I felt a bit nervous as I went to try and find my first buried object, and I confess to getting a bit wound up over it and panicking ever so slightly, but it’s good to remember this is practice, and the panic will be ten times as worse if it’s your friend under there, so I calmed my nerves and got on with the job while trying to remember everything I’d been told at the top. When I found it, and found it by using all the information I’d been given I felt pretty damn chuffed so I hopped on the lift and then did it all over again somewhere else. Every area was different, some were steep and others weren’t. Some required you to get out of your skis or off your snowboard and pace it around, and others had large areas you needed to cover, but they all gave you vital practice and a satisfied glow when you found your prize.

After four or five goes I was thinking that I was getting pretty good, and naturally a bit of ego comes in. That’s when Jamie cracks out a stopwatch and times you trying to find the buried transceiver. Pressure is on, and of course a bit of a competitive streak with the people I was doing it with. You’d be surprised how just that little added component muddles you up and all of a sudden you’re going up when you should be going down and your transceiver doesn’t seem to be making sense anymore, but then one calming breath later transporting you back to what you’ve absorbed in the day and you’re on your way to saving an imaginary buried person.

What’s great about getting out on the piste is the practice. The talks are fantastic, but there isn’t anything like getting out there and just using your transceiver in a situation on the mountain, even if it’s a buried bag you’re after, not a person. It’s also a great thing to do with your friends, especially if they are friends that you go off piste with. Nothing makes you feel secure like the knowledge your pal might be able to save you if things went wrong.

So what have I learnt? Well the fact that panicking although a common reaction isn’t really going to get you anywhere. Counting to ten and just getting in touch with your common sense will stand you in good stead for what’s to come.

I’ve learnt that going one by one and making frequent stops will make life much easier should anyone get caught, and that watching them for a ‘point last seen’ is vital. This is always going to be where you start from, and the chances of them being above it are incredibly slim.

Getting to know your transceiver is something that everyone should do, there isn’t much point in buying one then leaving it brand spanking new in a drawer until you go off into unknown territory. Practice makes perfect, and yours might not work like the one you’ve borrowed before, so don’t think you know everything about them, because one day you might get a nasty surprise.

But most of all don’t neglect the need to learn new things. Yes we all think we’re right, and that we are the best skiers of the hill, but learning this kind of stuff is very worthwhile and can actually be a fun morning, and you’ll feel better knowing that should the worst happen, you’re in a position to do something about it.

The knee is much more complicated than a simple hinge joint. In addition to two ligaments either side (the medial and lateral collateral ligaments), there are also two internal ligaments (the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments) that act as central stabilisers. There are also two menisci made of cartilage, that act like shock absorbers to prevent the femur from impacting directly against the tibia.

The most common skiing injury involves the medial collateral ligament being overstretched during a fall. This accounts for about 15% of all skiing injuries. The ligament’s fibres tear, which causes swelling and pain around the inside of the knee. It is relatively rare for the ligament to snap completely. Fortunately the more minor tears heal up without the need for an operation. The menisci can also tear (usually the medial meniscus) to varying degrees. In minor tears the meniscus bleeds into the joint, causing pain and stiffness. In severe tears a fragment ofcartilage can prevent the joint from flexing or extending, locking the knee. Meniscal injuries usually settle down with time, but may require an arthroscopy if they do not fully resolve.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is often injured when skiers fall, especially if the ski binding does not release. The mechanism of injury involves flexing and twisting the knee. Patients sometimes experience a popping sensation, and may describe that the knee feels as if it is about to give way when they try to put weight on it. Minor ACL tears can heal without an operation. Complete ACL tears
can cause the knee to become unstable, and do not heal on their own. An operation is then usually required. Unfortunately, stitching the two ends of the torn ligament together is not successful. Instead a piece of the patient’s hamstring or patellar tendon is grafted between the femur and tibia in place of the snapped ligament. The operation is not usually performed until at least a couple of months after the injury, in order to allow the inflammation to settle down. The rehabilitation afterwards takes several months, so it is certainly not a minor injury.

The initial treatment of these knee injuries revolves around the Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (R.I.C.E.) principle to reduce swelling. Rest means restricting knee movements, usually with a knee brace. The type of brace required depends on the type and severity of injury. Crutches may also be needed to take the weight off the knee. Icing the knee in the acute phase can reduce the amount of swelling by resticting blood flow to damaged structures. Many people instinctively jump straight into a hot bath to soothe an injured knee, and then wonder why it swells up afterwards. Compression can be achieved with a simple crepe bandage, and elevating the knee is also effective at reducing swelling. If the knee does swell up you may require an X-ray to rule out an avulsion fracture. These occur when a ligament snaps off one of its attachments to a piece of bone, and may require specific treatment.

Because the knee is such a complicated joint, it is worth getting a professional opinion rather than a self-diagnosis. Obviously, the sooner you start the right treatment, the sooner it will get better.

Punter, if there was a dictionary term it would probably read; obviously has minimal ski experience, or looks like they have no idea what they are doing. To be a punter you don’t have to be a holiday maker, anyone can be a victim, and when this syndrome hits, it can hit hard.

You don’t want your reputation being smeared, or people giggling at you when you arrive at après. So what behaviour could class you as a punter? Well there are a number of obvious signs that you might
not be aware of, but someone you know will be.

The impressive punter gap is one of the foremost signs. This occurs when there is a space between your goggles and your hat and there is forehead showing. This is usually a classic sign of not trying
your goggles on with any headgear prior to purchase, but is easily fixed. In the mirror play with the arrangement between the goggles and the hat or helmet or perhaps grab a buff and add in a headband
to your repertoire. No one wants to see forehead on the slopes, and think of the awful goggle tan you’re going to end up with. Tragic.Carrying skis can also give you a good indication of punter status. If you are clutching them to your chest as they split with poles all over the shop, then you need to rework your style my friend. Over the shoulder with the front of the bindings just behind your shoulder should leave them secure, and it’ll probably make it far easier to walk/get on the bus/get through the lift barriers.

Skiing or boarding down a road will also give you punter status, and probably completely ruin your base. I would not suggest it and the Gendarme certainly aren’t massive fans. Even if it’s rental and you couldn’t care less, the road is for cars and the pavement is for pedestrians. When you’re walking up to Bananas and suddenly you are confronted by an out of control boarder, well it’s really not a good start to a night.

According to bar staff, they spot the punter as the person who asks what the cheapest drink is before they’ve even said “Hello” and then gasp in surprise at it’s cost. Welcome to Val d’Isere my friend, you’re not in the rural village anymore.

Punters also have a tendency to talk about how epic their days have been, or reel off the number of black runs they have done/are going to do this holiday VERY LOUDLY. Yes everyone in the bar understands that you are God’s gift to snowsports, but really we don’t care that you lapped Le Face twenty times this morning and then did it with your eyes closed, it’s not going to make us drop to our knees and worship in your presence.

Back to the slopes, where matching ski outfits set you out as a clear target for punter status. We aren’t saying that it isn’t a very nice jacket/trouser combo but was it necessary to buy it twice and then wear it as a couple on the same day. Wouldn’t you have saved some money by just buying it once and alternating? We’re just putting it out there, y’know because we like style, not the feeling that we’ve got double vision. Hangovers are bad enough as it is thank you please.

The onesie. Need we say anymore? Ironic statement, yes we are all for it, take a photo and send us a picture or crack it out for monoski world champs, but don’t wear it and think you’re making a fashion statement. Certainly there are some onesies out there that we can condone, the ones that are baggy and usually seen on the park rat of your choice, but please put away the one from the 80s that gives you awful camel toe and leaves nothing to the imagination as well as blinding you because it’s so damn shiny. Seriously, go and get yourself a nice tasteful outfit and maybe people will stop taking comedy photos with you.

In the same theme as the onesie, please leave your bumbag at home. Yes it’s conveniently smaller than a backpack and probably very practical, but it makes everyone look like they have a backside the size of a large continent, and that’s not hot.

Gators and Jeans? Think again my friend, neither of those items have Gore Tex on their label and you’re going to get mighty cold, God forbid you should fall over in jeans. That would make après a very damp affair indeed, and not for the right reasons. Remember all clothing should be on the outside of your boots. Tucking in those ski pants into the cuff is not only a bit uncomfortable but it makes you look a little thick round the ankle if you get our drift.

So punter or pro, which will it be? Certainly I hope the days of jeans on the mountain are over, and who knows there might be a trend we’re missing out on, just remember that being pro comes with responsibility, especially when you need to show the pro-hos a good time.

First thing to mention is that the Danois has no hangups as a restaurant. You aren’t going to be turned away because you haven’t got shoes on or if you’re still wearing ski gear. They are a relaxed bunch and that’s the way they like their restaurant.

I took advantage of one of their set menus for €19 and got a starter, a main and a dessert, my apprehension on being able to eat all of the food was soon quashed as I tucked into my Caesar salad. I’m not really a salad type, but this one held my attention, until the pie showed up. The beef pie (made with Danois’ Red Erik beer) was great, and definitely hit the mark. It’s probably at this point I should have stopped eating, but then people offered me bites of their food and I can highly recommend the duck stir fry and the curry as alternatives if you want something different.

But the best thing about the Danois? Well for me it has to be that going as a big group, they aren’t scared of you, and two bottles of wine in, the service was still great with not a hint of resentment from the staff when we got a bit rowdy and started getting into the toffee vodka and bid our farewells feeling very very full.

Chemical Ali has been hanged in Iraq. One of Saddam Husseins chief aids, Ali Hassad al-Majid, was responsible for the chemical weapons programme and the alleged gas attack on Halabja in 1988, which decimated the Kurdish population more than Winston Churchill and the Royal Flying Corps ever managed. Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has been cleared of trying to smear President Pepe le Pew when the two were jostling for power back in 2004. Given he resembles his own Spitting Image puppet I’m sure the court ruled that most things werefair game. France has caused controversy this week by making preparations to ban the Burqa in public. Muslim women worldwide are outraged that a fundamental symbol of their symbolic fundamentalism might force them to stop shopping at Primark. In other news, shares in Maybelline, Rimmel and Max Factor have soared. The Southern Sky Column in Zhangjiajie, Hunan province in China will now be known as the Avatar Hallelujah Mountain due to its similarity to the imaginary world Pandora in the movie. Dances with Smurfs Mountain had already been taken. Economy beds on Air NZ are to be offered with a raised footrest installed for people prepared to buy three seats together. Known as the Skycouch, is it just me or are they just admitting anyone to the Mile High Club these days. Novelist JD Salinger has died. A recluse for the forty years since he published his most famous work, Catcher in the Rye, otherwise known as the scourge of GCSE English students, why couldn’t Michael Jackson have followed his example.

And finally, there’s a Facebook campaign against an AQA Biology paper for having unfair questions. It’s not enough that they’re giving away A grades these days, but to find the equivalent of the captain of
rugby and his mates doltishly protesting when they couldn’t get past the name section ofthe paper is probably taking it too far. Until next week I’m off to… what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas

Treasure Hunt
Lost your wallet? Then you better hope Si and Teddy (Saloon) don’t find it. Cryptic text messages in English and Danish as well as outright refusing to pick up the phone make for a very frustrating evening don’t they Tom?

See it Off
Never one to hide away from a dare James (Saloon) was bet that he couldn’t down a bottle of toffee vodka. So to prove them wrong he did just that, shame he can’t remember who it was who laid down the bet and that he wasn’t able to drink for 5 days afterwards.

Missing, one ball
Alex (Saloon) had the pleasure of meeting a young man with a prosthetic testicle last week; she had a look, had a feel, and then had a bite! Apparently the texture is a lot like a bouncy ball, soft but firm. Good to know, we’ll remember that if it ever appears on a pub quiz.

Staff Discount
Nikolas (Doudoune) was spotted this week making a play on some lovely brunettes in the club he works at. We assume part of the deal was drinks at staff prices all night.

Pizza Topping
The new La Foret glass collector was lucky enough to take home a friend of Holly (warm up) last week. Sadly she was feeling a bit worse for wear and whilst holding his slice of pizza added some slightly less appetizing toppings of her own. But as he says, you’d rather it was on your pizza than in your bed.

For €10
Tom (Bananas) downed a glass of the spicy mustard dressing in Bananas for the measly cost of €10. We think Henry got himself a bargain for that one, but what else will he do for that amount? We dread to think.

Triangle
Fraser we hear it was three in one day. You have been busy haven’t you!

She’s got skills
Danyeo (Chardon) got herself in an arm wrestling competition with Benno and Jay (La Foret). Ater losing to Benno she claimed victory over Jay who should really get to the gym some time soon to save face.

Doctor Doctor
Michaela (Moris) has been told to lay off the peanuts and beer following her medical after the diagnosis for her not being able to touch her toes was that her belly was in the way. Becky J got the same remark, but her ability to touch her toes saved her from any more witty additions to her medical file.

Double Trouble
A poor Crystal manager suffered a cruel fate when it emerged two chalet hosts had the same problem downstairs and that the missing link was him.

A Night to Forget
There are some nights that just don’t go your way, especially when they involve a girl and a car crash. A Snowberry driver managed just that when trying to impress a girl by driving her home from Dicks, except it all when wrong when the roundabout got involved and then the Gendarme arrived at the crash and cracked out a breath test. It’s all good, you’re free to go home, except you get the car stuck in a car park barrier and by this point you’ve lost the girl. That’s the most you’ll pay to impress a girl this side of a private concert by the Rolling Stones, happy job-hunting!

Swapsies
There has been more swapping this week at the Moris where Sophie and Becky T (Moris) exchanged Jacks for one night only. But Jack (Moris) and Sophie didn’t stick to each other as they both made other conquests during the evening, with Sophie even managing to spoon Phil (Moris) at the end of the night. BT though says the deal has been sealed and would like to be awarded pro-ho status.

Hello Sir
Jonny, when will you learn that greeting parents in your underwear won’t get you any bonus points, even if you aren’t seeing the girl in question.

Turncoat
Liam, if you will ask us to put your photo in the echo, don’t moan when you get your wish!

Octogirl
Anna (Victors) is currently in hot competition with some other girls to see who can win in the numbers game of men. 8 seems to be a popular number in resort these days, but we aren’t sure whether she’s winning the race or not.

Sexual Learning
Tom says that ‘70% of people don’t know how to have sex, or are having sex for the wrong reasons” to which a Dicks staff member or two asked him if he would show them what the 70% are doing wrong. That’s if he can get into his apartment after locking himself out and saying he had “too big a frame” to fit through his window and was wandering round Dicks trying to pick up a skinny boy to take home to his apartment.

I do
Kenny (Danois) claims that he is officially ordained and can marry you. Danois is the new Las Vegas with marriage packages available on request.

I’m just a child
Vicky (VIP) has been having some age issues this week after a Russian suitor said if she were twenty years younger, he’d marry her. Well that would make her 3, so it might not be a match made in heaven.

Party Time
The Dicks staff seem to have some issue with keeping it in their pants until they get home, last week it was a vestiere this week it’s all out in the open. Nav a cardigan is no substitute for a bed.

Take it away
Tom (Danois) made a small error when someone tried to put some posters up on the wall of the bar. After saying there was no space he gave them permission to take down the Switch posters only then to find out that the people were putting up posters for Switch. People need to get name tags or something….

A Final Note
Some people are taking drastic measures to stay out of the Insider. Please guys, we don’t take sexual favours as currency.

Dear Daddy,

Having been on family ski holidays since the age of six I think we can all agree that I can be regarded an expert on all things snow. Amazingly though, even in my second month as a seasonnaire I am still learning. I mean, I used to think that snow was always soft and fluffy…it turns out itʼs not and like so many discoveries and revelations this one smacked me in the face when I wasnʼt expecting it.

The very hard and unfluffy snowball didnʼt just hit me in the face, it hit me in the relatively new nose you bought me for my 16th birthday!! And then, due probably to a combination of the facts that Iʼd had a few vin chauds and was wearing my ski boots, all be it unbuckled at 10pm, I fell over. It took me a while to regain my senses and as I burst into tears I realised Iʼd been caught in the crossfire of a snowball fight! I had bruised my bottom on the -another example- hard snow and shouted for them to jolly well hold their fi re and give me safe passage. I also told them about my sore bottom. Well they were foreign revellers celebrating some made up French holiday called Australia Day (…an excuse for a day off these people), and thus entirely unsympathetic to my plight. It was as if Iʼd incensed them further and I was duly pelted with another volley of snowballs. Ouch, ouch and double ouch!!

Eventually I crawled to safety and back to the chalet cold, wet and with only one ski boot. Iʼve no shame in telling you that I cried as much as when Tim Henman announced his retirement. I was far too cold to go looking for ski boot so will have to go shopping for another one when Iʼve fully recovered.

Lots of love, Tiz X