Alpe d'Huez Apres Ski Report: 10th December 2009
Welcome to the first Aprés Report of Winter 09/10. During the winter seasons, alpedhueznet's written reports focus strongly on the snow, the weather and the conditions on and off the piste. The Aprés Report is my chance to let you know what's happening off the mountain. Although, today, as it's the first report of the season I'm going to use a little artistic licence to tell you about my parapente experience this week... strictly, it's not cheating... I was flying through the air so technically off the mountain.
My alpedhueznet duties do keep me busy, but for the past year I've found that a part-time job helps pay the bills and gives me a place to go at least a few mornings a week. This winter – new resort, new opportunities – I'll be working with Jean Claude of the Ecole du Parapente Français. Based at the bottom of the Signal chairlift it's my job to liaise with Tour Operators, sell flights to tourists and organise the bookings. In order to be able to sell the flights correctly, I had to have a quick taster session, so on Sunday morning JC strapped me to his parachute and off we flew.
The flights, which start at the top of the Signal and end behind the ESF hut at the base of the chairlift take from ten to fifteen minutes. Longer flights are available but the wind was picking up on Sunday morning so we opted for the short route. For those who've never parapented before, I'll explain a little about the experience. Your guide straps you into a harness which he then connects to his own, which in turn is connected to the parachute. It's a soft structure that folds down into a backpack, rather than a fixed-wing, like a hanglider. Once all the safety checks are complete you ski off the mountain.
I know that sounds crazy but it's exactly what you do. With any luck there's a little wind, and this picks the chute off the ground. You simply slide into the wind, down the hill and the chute takes hold of the wind, supporting your weight. Before you know it, your skis are off the ground and you're flying. Strangely, it doesn't feel at all precarious. The harness is good and solid, so when the wind catches your 'wing' you feel very secure. I was also surprised by how quiet it is to fly. I did expect the wind to rush around my ears but we floated gently and you could hear the children below playing in the snow.
After gliding above the ground for ten minutes, we started to drift down to earth for our landing. Again, I was surprised how easy this was on skis. You simply keep your tips up and let gravity do the rest. Hooked, I begged for another flight and am now probably the most enthusiastic parapente salesperson ever! So when you're in town and fancy something different, come and find me. Flights cost 40€ from the Signal and are available to children over the age of three, skiers and advanced snowboarders.
My second off-mountain highlight of the week was the opening party of Lounge 21. As possibly the only bar to save it's opening party until the official opening day of the resort, Lounge was packed with an international crowd of Brits, French and Scandis. The cocktail menu was much in demand and it was great to relax somewhere elegant and classy, which is pretty rare even in the bourgeois resort of Alpe d'Huez.
Tonight I'm off out on a little tour of town in an effort to become more familiar with the nightlife of my new home. Having been a part-timer in Alpe d'Huez for the past year or so, I already have my list of regular haunts but journalistic integrity demands I extend my range. So, wish me luck and I'll let you know how I get on next week.
For a full list of this week's events, check out our What's On Calendar. You can also find full Bar and Restaurant listings in the Dining and Going Out section of the site.
