Skip to main content
SeeLaplagne

La Plagne Apres Ski Report: 20th December 2012

And We're Off!

featured in Nightlife reviews Author Anita Gait, La Plagne Reporter Updated

And the lifts are open! The first day finally came and the resort came to life on Saturday 15th December for the winter season of 2012/2013.

Unfortunately I had taken myself over to Bellecote the night before for the opening of Spitting Feathers and had partaken rather freely of the impressive range of beers on offer. The booze was poured slowly and carefully by the rookie barstaff who were finding their feet behind the bar whilst also churning out plates of great looking food. I did take myself home not too late managing to avoid the temptation of Le Cosy Bar's opening party -  which by all accounts was rum fuelled fun until very late, rounded off by kebabs from the exceptionally convenient in-house takeaway.

Even getting to bed reasonably early wasn’t enough to make the alarm going off at 08:00 any easier and I was halfway to the snooze button before I remembered what day it was. At this point I was up and dressed in a jiffy and out into an absolute shocker of a day! The snow was belting down and visibility was just plain dangerous. Standing at the bottom of the Becoin lift I couldn’t see much passed the fifth chair but I wasn't going to let a little thing like not being able to see where you’re going stop me.

We hopped on the lift the second it opened and after a swift five minute ride (compared to the old Becoin's twelve minute journey) we disembarked at the top and headed off down untouched trails, the groomers work being completely obliterated by several hours of solid snowfall turning the piste to powder. It was an absolutely beautiful run down the Stade, the flat light meaning the occasional tumble when the ground came upon you suddenly or dropped away entirely, but we were feeling the snow beneath our feet again for the first day of the season and there wasn’t a single one of us who reached the bottom of the run without a massive smile. We headed off to ride the rest of the day in good spirits, and to be fair the sun occasionally made an appearance and while it didn’t stay long it never failed to transform the mountain in glorious fashion when it did burn through the cloud.

In true mountian style there was a hot chocolate break at mid morning taken at Le Chaudron (where the chocolate is so sweet and so thick that it almost requires chewing), then back out to the slopes for some more runs until the summer-atrophied thigh muscles could take no more and we took a break again mid afternoon at Le Grolle in Plagne Centre for sustenance. We ordered a round of the best Vin Chaud I’ve had the pleasure of tasting and then stayed on for some great food. Several of us ordered the spaghetti carbonara which came in a steaming bowl with an egg yolk sat in its shell in the middle which you stir in at the table, it looked and tasted beautiful. Perfectly sated, we all headed back out - some for some more runs, others reluctantly back to work, and yet more homeward bound to soak aching muscles and feet. Having such a great first day has left everyone massively psyched for the coming season, Whoop the ski season of 2012/13! Whoop I say!

Ahem, anyway..... In other news, Scotty’s Bar opening party went down well with live band JayBeez playing all the crowd pleasers and not shying away from the mosh pit that erupted at the front. Later the crowd made its way to Mouth Bar to continue the party in serious jagerbomb style and since Mouth wasn’t actually supposed to be open, they did a stellar job of accommodating and entertaining everyone. I also found myself this week at Le Switch Bar, a place I actually didn’t know existed until I wound up there drinking shots that the barman had created and passed out consisting of mint tea with vodka which went down very well indeed!

Oxygene Ski & Snowboard School hosted their first “Breathe” party on Tuesday with live music by Electric Mayhem and a raffle to win a pair of Dynastar 6th Sense skis. Quite unbelievably the raffle was free, (you simply received a ticket as you walked through the door) and is the first of several such raffles to be held throughout the season.I was unsuccessful this week but I'll be back to win those skis don’t you worry. 

With less than one week now until Christmas, we're really up and running in the wintery wonderland of La Plagne. With this much snow in resort and fun going on off the slopes, you're really in for a treat if you're coming over here next week. If not, get yourself booked pronto and come and join the fun!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas from our snowy home - until the next time....