Chamonix Apres-Ski Report: 1st January 2013

My celebrations took place mainly around the Chamonix Sud end of town, where there was a great party atmosphere and plenty of revelry going on with people milling about in the square and popping in and out of the three bars that make up this little enclave. None of them were charging an entry fee, drinks prices were the same as any other night and they all had live music and DJs playing - what more could you ask for?

Although they were certainly busier than on a normal night, they were not as crazy-busy as many of the town centre bars so getting a drink wasn't quite on a par with the quest for the Golden Fleece. South Bar kicked off proceedings with a banging performance from James "Juggernaut of Rock" Dolan and Kevin "Forse" Forde - two men who not only know how to rrrrrock but also how to sport leather trousers and long hair like it's still 1985. Those wooden floorboards were in danger of giving up the good fight and landing everyone in the cellar at one point.

Over at Munster Bar, the Pistey Boys had everyone dancing on the bar until midnight when DJ Kes took over until the small hours, with some live percussion and trumpet thrown in for good measure; Monkey Bar had their very own Pistol Shrimps playing until 9:30 when DJs Delf and Sammy Senior spent the rest of the night laying down some bad ass beats to see us into 2013.

At some point just before midnight we made the customary pilgrimage into the centre of town where we dodged missiles and counted in the New Year by the clock tower while fireworks were let off, some as part of the official display, many whizzing willy-nilly through the night sky from the surrounding balconies. Then it was back to some serious partying until dawn, a quick kip then out for a recovery lunch.

Everywhere was busy today with people attempting to fend off a hangover with food; we managed to get a table at La Poele, one of the little "omeletteries" on the bridge near the Aiguille du Midi. My friend tucked into a MASSIVE ham and mushroom omelette with chips and green salad while I acquainted myself with a vegetarian pizza. Although they sell themselves on their omelettes and crepes, their pizzas are very good indeed. This row of restaurants is a good option if you're trying to find somewhere small and cosy that serves hearty food without spending a fortune. As well as our omelette and pizza we also had a blueberry pancake, an ice cream sundae and two soft drinks for a grand total of 38€ - the New Year diet starts tomorrow.

As well as having been a fine old week for celebrating, the last few days of 2012 have also seen some beautiful weather - clear blue skies, bright sunshine, cold sharp winter air... we've even had a bit of fresh snow! As penance for all the festive overindulgence I've dragged out my running shoes and been enjoying a few frosty runs along the lower trails. Running along the pavement isn't much fun at this time of year as there are too many people about (most of them wielding skis at head-bashing level) and the road traffic will have turned much of the snow to muddy slush. The trails are in great condition though, hard white snow that has been compacted underfoot and isn't too slippery, especially if you get yourself some shoe grips from one of the sports shops in town. An easy trail to find is the one that leaves from the Promenade du Fori opposite the central bus stop in town, just follow it along to the end and cross over the little bridge where you will find two paths heading in the direction of Les Praz. Take the second one all the way to the end then turn right into the village of Les Praz, you'll see a very pretty little church on a roundabout in the centre, keep bearing right and follow the road for about 5-10 minutes until you see another little trail (Promenade des Bourses) leading back into the woods, this will take you round in a circle back to where you started. The whole run takes about 45 minutes and is mostly off-road alongside the river with beautiful views of the mountains in all directions. You can extend the circuit by carrying on to the Les Praz golf course and following the trails that go as far as Argentiere, if you are feeling particularly sprightly! All these trails can, of course, be walked as well and are dog-friendly so take advantage of this crisp bright weather and burn off a few mince pies at the same time...

Just because the New Year parties are out of the way does not mean that we get chance to have a rest, there is no such thing as "a quiet night in" here. Coming up this week we have the return of the Pop & Skred Sunday Show in their new venue at South Bar on the 6th followed by the Swedish singing sensation Jerry Haglund playing a week-long residency at MOO Bar from the 7th. All this and much much more... you can sleep in May once the winter season has finished.

Wishing you all a great start to 2013 - see you next week!