Friday, January 20, 2006
Frozen Bozos in Europe
Dara and I have been vowing to do more getaways, but with some of the traveling I'm doing, we're trying to see how mixed business and pleasure trips work. I am focused on work when working, to the point that if I stay home and work, Dara would just as soon I be at the office instead. Even with the last trip to Florida before my business trip, the weight of the upcoming work hung over me like a cloud. So, we're trying it the other way around this time. I have a set of meetings next week in Amsterdam, followed by Copenhagen and then Geneva. Dara and I are going together to Amsterdam on Monday. I am taking off to Copenhagen on Thursday, while she continues the tourist scene there and then meets me in Geneva on Friday. At that point, work is supposed to be done for a week! It's off to the French Alps on Saturday, to the Chamonix valley and Mont Blanc, about an hour and a half away from Geneva. We'll see about some snowboarding (I can't decide if I'm up for this recommendation from a French colleague) and soaking up some of the famous apres ski atmosphere. The world cup downhill starts there on Friday, and since we are not competing and couldn't get a room anyway, we're taking the train to Paris on Thursday for a whirlwind tour. Then it's back home.
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3 comments:
This looks a little scary. You know when they suggest taking not just a harness, but also a shovel should you come upon an avalanche victim and need to dig him/her out quickly that this is a little intense. Can I request that you hold off on this run, or at least do some serious conditioning before attempting it? I'd prefer it if you made it home in one piece.
Hey, I'd only go with a guide, who'd be the one carrying the shovel :). It says: "The Vallée Blanche is not the most demanding skiing on the planet. In fact any strong intermediate can manage. Above all you need to be reliable - there are places where you need to thread your way between crevasses. ... You also need to be fairly fit - you'll be spending four hours or so on your feet."
I agree with Kyla, sounds scary, the whole idea of huge steep slopes of ice with the added hazard of exposed rock and deep crevases... sounds like the potential for more than a concussed ass, and a good way to ass up what sounds like a great trip.
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