23 - Les Johnzés font du ski - Bagnères-de-Bigorre
Lundi, 19 Decembre, 2023 - La Mongie ski resort
It's time to ski! I'd packed some thermal layers in my suitcase for just such an occasion so it's good that I'll get to use them 😂. I put on quite a few layers and will use a rain jacket as my outer shell on top; however, I needed to stop by a place selling clothing to get some snow proof pants. It's been years since I've skied so I'm under no illusion that I won't fall. The lady at the store was very helpful in finding my right size - I bought yellow Columbia brand (marque en français) pants and a black belt (faite en france). My next stop was up to the ski equipment store by the hotel (the concierge had recommended it to me and apparently I'm getting a 10% discount back to the hotel to grab the last of my gear (and test out the ski gear locker that came with my room), then finally to the billeterie for my lift ticket. I'm sure there was a better order of operations but I was ski ready before 10AM.
Since it's been years, I wanted to take it very, very slow and avoid my experience during spring break in 2014 of getting to know all the trees along the edge of the green trail a little too intimately. So my first stop was to the carpet lift for children and the associated bunny slope; it was a good chance to remember my basics: a bit of pizza, some french fries, and a little bit of turning. I then spent the next two hours taking carpet and ski lifts to do les pistes vertes multiple times; I found it kinda funny that the green trail labeled "Baby" was scary to me for its steepness despite being a very straight shot on a wide slope. I finished out the morning with a chairlift to my first blue trail of the day: I figured it'd be good to try it before I get too tired and I felt like I'd relearned by basics enough to tackle the Sapins trail. If I'd thought Baby was steep, the start of Sapins gave me a much needed reminder of the reality of mountains 😅. I made it down Sapins without falling, though my thighs were screaming from trying to slough off all my speed; I suppose going faster is much easier but I was just too wary.
After Sapins, I took a lunch break. The busy place last night was actually taking a break on Tuesdays so I opted for the next most popular location. They seated me outdoors and that's when I realized that I had donned just way too many layers for my day of skiing - there was sweat all over the inside of my rain jacket. I peeled off two layers for lunch and basked in the sun, but ended up putting one back on once the sun slipped behind a mountain peak and we were all plunged into shadow. I had a variation of the popular tartiflette: la tartibrébis, which is basically a tartiflette but with brébis sheep cheese instead of the usual cheese blend. With potatoes, cheese, smoked ham, and cream, it really hit the spot for me.
After lunch, I made a stop by the hotel to peel off several layers and went back to a couple of the green trails. I gave the Sapins trail another try in the afternoon but didn't make a clean run: I was just too tired. So I packed it in for the day despite the lifts still being open for another 2 hours. I gotta do more squats...
A shower and a mug of vin chaud while watching the sunlight wane and the lifts shutting down was a relaxing way to spend the rest of the afternoon. Rather than simply throw myself back onto the slopes (I don't have much hope for improving overnight and tackling more blue trails tomorrow), I asked the concierge about maybe doing a snow shoe trail tomorrow and he called a mountain guide he knew; unfortunately, the guide said le météo tomorrow is looking to be foggy and with precipitation, two conditions that don't make for great snowshoeing. Alas, peut-être le prochain fois 🤷♂️. We'll have to see how the day goes tomorrow, maybe I won't be too sore for more skiing.
The concierge, qui s'appelle Enzo, was also able to make a reservation for me for dinner at a restaurant just down the hill. I said I was interested in fondue or raclette tonight and he pointed me to the same restaurant I went to for lunch.
While fondue and raclette are on the menu, malheureusement, those orders are for 2 people minimum. I suppose a case could be made that I could definitely eat enough molten cheese for two people but I don't know if I want to pay for two plates of potatoes and bread too (but maybe playing with a raclette lamp is worth it the premium). So I opted for their option that was "close to a personal fondue", a roasted 400 g wheel of Mont D'Or fromage. I also felt like a drink and opted to try the cider; when asked if I wanted the 10 cL or 75 cL, I figured 75 cL was like a pint and ordered that. Only when the bottle arrived did I realize that 75 cL = 750 mL = a literal bottle of wine = just a little more than a pint. Fortunately, the cider was only 5.5% abv 😅
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