Skiing Montgenèvre

Shortly after we moved to Portsmouth, the boys realised they wouldn't be able to ski every weekend of the season, like they had been used to in Canada!  

After a bit of internet searching and researching European ski locations, we settled on a trip to Montgenèvre in France.  The small town sits about half way between Grenoble in France and Turin in Italy and is right on the border.  We flew into Grenoble Alpes-Isère Airport with EasyJet from Edinburgh, and had a private transfer with Snow Cab.

It's the oldest ski resort in France and it's possible to ski across into Italy to join up with the Milky Way resorts of Clavier and Sauze D'Oulx.  Beware that the Italian resorts open later than Montgenèvre; for our early season trip before Christmas the rest of the resorts hadn't opened.  There was still plenty for us to do though, with over 100km of runs and 38 lifts.  It's a good mix of beginners and intermediate pistes, with a few advanced runs.

The town itself is fairly small, but retains a rustic Alpine charm and has a good selection of bars and restaurants, and according to Innes all the food was 'delicious'!

We stayed at the Résidence Club MMV le Hameau des Airelles, which is a collection of self-catering apartments in a number of chalet style buildings set around an outdoor pool. The location is ski-in / ski-out, but the access lifts hadn't yet opened when we were there. It was just a short walk over to the piste though and there is also a free regular shuttle bus which stops just outside the hotel. There's also a great bakery just across the road for lovely breakfast pastries.

 

We booked the flights, hotel and transfers through Heidi, who we highly recommend.

Not sure what to pack for your ski holiday? Check out our handy guide and printable ski trip packing list.

Spring is here (hopefully)!

Well the ski season is over, at least on Vancouver Island, and it feels like Spring might actually be here.  Hopefully it isn't another false Spring this time!

For us it's time to pack away the ski gear and make the transition into camping and boating.  It's our last Spring/Summer in Canada before we head back to the UK and we've got lots of exciting adventures planned, so having our gear ready to go is important.

First up is pulling out the gear, and checking that everything still works.  Our big tent needs to go into the shop to repair a tear (naughty dogs!), the boat outboard has just gone in for a spring service, and we're thinking about updating our old camping stove (stay tuned to hear what we end up with).

Next up is packing away the ski gear.  We like to give our ski jackets and pants a wash and re-proof, and then make sure they are nice and dry before storing them until next season.  The Techwash from Nikwax works great.  Our skis will also go in for a tune up and a coat of summer wax to protect them until next season.

Spring is a transitional period for our activities, so keeping our gear organised and ready to grab is essential.  Our RUX 70l are perfect for this, we have one in storage with our ski gear, one packed with the boys skating gear, one packed with our camp kitchen, and one on standby for whatever gear we might need that day.  

The RUX App even allows you to build custom packing lists, and track the contents of each RUX with a QR code or NFC from your phone.  Check them out at the link below!

* Disclaimer this post contains affiliate links, which means we get a small referral fee if you follow the link, but it won't cost you any more. Everything on this list is actual equipment that we own and use regularly.  We will never promote equipment that we haven't fully tried and tested ourselves.

Ski Trip Packing List

We're heading off to Whistler shortly for Struan's birthday; what else would a soon to be 9 year old want to do for their birthday!

I've just been gathering all of our ski gear together for the trip, and packing it all up, so thought now would be a good time to put together a packing list.  Nothing worse than getting to the ski hill or resort and realising you've left something essential behind.

What do I Need to Pack?

Ski Equipment

Lift Pass!

Skis *

Ski Boots * - be sure to get well fitted boots, they won't feel comfortable as such but shouldn't hurt, as the boys say they are 'ski boot comfy'. Badly fitted boots won't only ruin your day they can cause injury so spend time with your shop or hire store to be sure you have the right fit. We have also had Struan's boots heat fitted as his feet have grown and slightly changed size, but not enough for a new pair of boots so if your older boots start to pinch it is definitely worth doing. It didn't even cost us anything!

Poles *

* If you are travelling by air, or new to skiing you may want to rent this equipment at the resort.

Helmet - many resorts now (quite rightly) insist on helmets for kids, but with Sarah and I having a couple of accidents over the years, I think you'd be mad not to wear a properly fitting ski helmet.  The picture below was taken shortly after an accident while wearing a helmet, it could have been so much worse without one.

Goggles - a well fitted pair of goggles makes a huge difference, skiing blind is not fun! Sarah struggles with goggles and opted for a helmet with a built-in visor but this proved problematic in very rainy or snowy conditions when the inside got wet. We are yet to hit on the ideal goggles for Sarah but if we find that elusive beast we will be sure to let you know!

Backpack - not essential, but really handy for carrying extra layers, snacks for the kids, water etc.  I'd recommend a waterproof bag if possible - we really like our Seal Line Skylake Dry Backpack (and not just for skiing).

Ski Clothing

Ski socks - a decent pair of ski socks won't wrinkle up in your boots, and will keep your feet warm and comfortable.  Avoid cotton!

Base layers - thermal base layers are one of the most important items of ski clothing.  We're massive fans of merino wool for base layers; they're warm, comfortable, and naturally odour resistant!  Icebreaker make a great range of thermals in various weights, and I'm a massive fan of my new BN3TH full length merino bottoms. (Use the link above for $15 off your first purchase.)

Mid layer - depending on where and when you are skiing, and the weather on the day, you may need more or less mid-layers.  Quite often Innes and I don't bother with a mid layer, but Struan and Sarah almost always do.  An extra thermal, fleece or hoodie, will work just fine.  Like most outdoor activities, layering is key; so that you can add or remove layers as necessary.  This is where that backpack comes in handy!

Outer Layers - Ski pants (trousers) / Salopettes / Bibs and a Ski Jacket; waterproof and breathable are the keys here.  Outer layers designed for skiing also tend to be insulated for extra warmth.  We're big Spyder fans, and although they're pretty pricey, they are really well made and long lasting.  Their kid's range even has a 'grow with me' feature, which allows the cuffs and hems to be dropped as the kids grow.

Neck Warmer / Scarf / Buff - these contribute a lot more to keeping you warm than you would think; keeping the cold air from getting down your neck and also stopping snow from entering your jacket if you do take a head plant!  We tend to use thinner Buffs on most days (which you can use in loads of different ways) and a thicker balaclava type when it's really cold.

Gloves - I recommend two pairs of gloves, a thin inner pair for warmth and a waterproof outerlayer.

Extras

There a few other bits and bobs that aren't essential, but can make life easier (or more fun), so we think they're worth adding to your ski trip packing list.

RUX - we love our RUXs, they're perfect for carrying all of this kit!

Go Pro - if you don't have video for your favourite social site did your ski trip even happen?

Radios - we find our Rocky Talkies to be invaluable for keeping in touch on the mountain without digging around in your pockets for your phone.  We generally give one to Struan, so when he bombs off without us we can find him again!

Re-usable Water Bottle - we're all about reducing unnecessary plastic waste and if you've read any of our other posts, you'll know it has to be Yeti!

Flask - the boys love a hot chocolate to warm up, but often they come in giant servings, pop any left overs in the Yeti for later!  Also handy for your morning coffee fix while waiting in the ski lift queue.

Toe / Hand Warmers - sometimes these are necessary, especially if you are 'skiing the East', like we used to when we lived in Ottawa.

Carry Straps - the boys got these straps for Christmas from Sarah's cousin, you wouldn't believe the number of arguments they have saved about the boys carrying their own skis.  Highly recommended, in fact i'm not sure why we don't have them too!

GoggleSoc - ski goggles can be expensive, protect your lenses from scratches with these great covers made from recycled bottles.  They also look cool.

Apres Ski

Canadian ski resorts are pretty relaxed, so you don't need much in the way of special clothing, you may just stay in your ski gear!  There are a few items worth adding to the list though.

Snow Boots - you probably won't want to wear your ski boots all day, so a warm pair of boots are great for heading down to the local bar or restaurant.

Toque (Hat) - a warm hat is handy for the evenings, although you can just re-purpose your Buff.

Sun Glasses (and Sunny Soc) - if you're partaking in some lunchtime or early afternoon apres, you may not want to wear your googles, but it can be bright on those patios!

Swim shorts / suit - if you're lucky enough to have a pool or hot tub for some apres ski relaxing.

Printable Ski Trip Packing List

If you'd like to print off the packing list, you can download a copy here.

Happy New Year!

Hi folks, hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year.

We spent the first few days of the school holidays up at the RV, and skiing at Mount Washington. It was extremely cold (for Vancouver Island) over those few days, about -14C, and it turned out our RV batteries couldn't cope with the cold, despite being rated to -20.  The solar panels were doing a good job of charging (once we cleared the snow off), but as soon as we put any load on the batteries, they went into safe mode and gave no output.  Unfortunately that meant a dash into Courtenay to find a portable generator, so that we could keep warm!  The furnace uses propane for heat, but needs electricity to run the fan, and won't fire up without the fan running.  

We found a Champion generator in Canadian Tire, but we hadn't brought the shore power cable with us (as we didn't expect to need it), so also had to try a number of places to get a cable with the right connections.  Eventually we got one at Arbutus RV, who very helpfully sold us one, despite their parts department being closed - Thank You! 

At the end of the next day, after some nice skiing up at the mountain, the Land Rover decided not to start!  Despite a couple of attempts to boost the battery from some kind folks, there was no way it would start.  After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to get some roadside assistance (not easy at night at the top of a mountain when there is a large snow event!), we decided to leave the car and come back the next day.  Hopping on the Mount Washington Ski bus, which took us into Courtenay, and then finding a taxi to take us back to the RV, with a quick pint at Gladstone Brewing while we waited.  

The next day a friend of ours happened to be coming up to Mount Washington for some cross country skiing, and very kindly gave me a ride back up the hill in her truck and then a tow start in the car park.  After a quick dash to the RV to pick up Sarah and the boys, we headed straight back to Victoria without daring to turn off the engine!  There's always an adventure with Team Errington...

We spent Christmas with the same great friends who rescued us, at their farm near Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island.  We had quite a bit of snow, so technically a white Christmas, but it actually rained pretty constantly on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, which put a dampner on our plans to get outdoors.  We ate lots of delicious food, played lots of games, and stayed cozy by the wood burner.

Between Christmas and New Year, we spent a few more days back up at the RV, skiing at Mount Washington, exploring Miracle Beach Provincial Park (just down the road from the trailer), and also visiting the Church Street Taphouse in Comox - highly recommended.

Sarah's parent's arrived from Edinburgh on New Year's Eve.  We had a traditional Scottish Hogmanay; much merriment, singing and dancing to Auld Lang Syne, 'First Footing' by the boys, staying up too late and waking with a hangover!  We've spent a great few days with them, including family shooting competitions with the boys' new X-shot toy guns!

They're here for a couple of weeks, and we've got a few more things planned, so stay tuned... 

Here's to a 2023 full of adventures!

Ready for Ski Season

As we mentioned in the last post, we're now well into the planning and preparing for our Winter Adventures.  Last year we had a couple of dicey trips down the hill from Mount Washington towing the trailer on very icy roads.  So this year we decided to leave the trailer up near the ski hill for the winter season.

While most people are winterising their RVs so they can put them into storage, we've winterised ours to get it ready for the ski season!  For us that involves draining all of the water so that it doesn't freeze, filling the propane tanks for the heating system, and generally stocking up on supplies.

We fitted a pretty large solar system (Renogy) on the roof last year, so we should be self-sufficient for power if we're careful with our consumption.  We take water with us (more excuses for Yeti stuff) for cooking, drinking and washing up, and the site has an outhouse so we don't need to use the onboard facilities!

We've found a lovely secluded spot down in the valley, overlooking a small pond, and we're looking forward to spending our winter weekends up there.

We took a drive up to the ski hill to see how the snow is coming on, and were a bit disappointed with the coverage so far, but it's another three weeks until the planned opening so fingers crossed the snow will build before then!