Backs&Blacks@ChaletMargaritka

I promised Ian we would make it to the ‘Cafe des Sports’ this year having got my ‘Portes du Soleil’ route and timings wrong last Winter. The only question was with the snow conditions would we be able to get down there – I knew the PDS links through Chatel were closed. We had nothing to worry about; skiing in beautiful sunshine on a deserted piste surrounded by GREEN, GREEN grass! It was amazing the Swiss had kept the route open. Then at the top of the ‘Pointe De L’Au’ I sent Ian down the steep, very BLACK top section of the new Didier Defago run (named after Morgins current Olympic champion). Mark decided to go and have a peep at the gradient, somehow tripped over a blade of grass and YES, you’ve guessed it; his ski came off and down the steep gradient it went. Ian stopped it and there was no option Mark was going to have to walk down to get it. I decided I could coax Mark down the rest of the steep, top section having sent the others around the easier path. Alas, it was not to be and having put both his skis on; at the first turn they both came off and down the ‘Didier Defago’ Mark went on his backside not stopping until he reached the bottom. There were a few worried faces including mine, but up he got, dusted himself down; he was fine. The lunch at the Cafe was magnificent, a table had been reserved for 7 of us outside in the beautiful sunshine. Did we care the service was a little slow (always is, but worth it)? Well, Helen did because it meant I had to keep the pressure on all the way back and we couldn’t go the easier route through Chatel. Ian also had to smoke the special cigar he had brought because he thought the restaurant was going to be a bit special on the lift which took us back up above Morgins! It was a wonderful day though.