Chamonix Apres Ski Report: 28th January 2010
Here we are again, another week of après ski parties has sped by and now it's nearly February!! Scary! I'm always a little sad to see the end of January as it's such a great month to be out on the hill after the crowds of Christmas/New Year have gone and before the school holidays start. We've also had some fantastic snow conditions this month and the sun has been very generous with its time here too making us feel very fortunate to be living in Cham full time.
Well, even if you've only got a week to spare there is an awful lot of stuff to squeeze in during your stay, especially once the slopes have closed for the day. I started off this week as I ended my last report, down Chambre 9 for the much anticipated return of Rangan and the Blind Poets. The line up of this band varies a slightly from time to time depending on individual commitments, but it will always be Rangan on guitar and lead vocals and Caron on bass. Drumming this week was Freddie from the Balboas (now to be found at the Savoy Bar in Argentiere) but when they return again in March (20th), it'll be Graham once more in charge of the drumsticks.
Considering these guys never really see each other between gigs, their performance is incredibly well polished and never fails to please the crowd. Whilst it was perhaps a bit more chilled last weekend than some of their previous sets, they were still playing to a packed bar and no doubt the Savoy bar has been equally rammed during the week for their subsequent après ski gigs. And it's not over yet, they will be playing the Savoy Bar again tomorrow at après and then one final gig for this trip, back in Chambre on Saturday at 5pm. Word on the street is that there might be a little surprise guest playing with them on Saturday as well – Jerry Haglund – also of Balboas fame (the guitarist with the big ‘fro) …..you remember?? He is flying in on Saturday to play après in South Bar for the whole of Feb and hopes to be here in time to get a couple of songs in with the Poets. If you don't catch him then, don't worry, just make sure you swing by South Bar for après from Sunday and Jerry and the Rollers will be there to please!
This week also saw a few Australia Day celebrations around town as Bar'd Up shipped in 3 tonnes of sand for the occasion and held one mahoosive fancy dress beach party on rue des moulins; and Le Vert somehow managed to top last years efforts and had their most successful night on record as half the town flocked down to Gaillands in all sorts of shorts, bikinis and flip flop combos, oblivious to the sub-zero temperatures and the snow on the ground! I had the dubious honour of seeing two boys weeing their names in the snow after the Vert party which gives you an idea of the state people were in. I can only say it's far more legible with a sparkler.....
I opted out of all Ozzie celebrations in favour of going to see ALBenAza at the Jekyll in Cham Sud. This is a band that I have been dying to see since my fellow après reporters in Meribel and Alpe d'Huez were RAVING about them last year and I was certainly not disappointed. AlBenAza is an acoustic trio that has taken the Alps by storm for the last 2 years. Back again for the 3rd year running, these guys from Plymouth play a cool mix of acoustic melodies and floor stomping classics, interspersed with bursts of rap and some awesome beat boxing. My only regret about the evening was that the bar was full of around 100 accountants or bankers on some sort of seminar thing and they just didn't join in with the spirit of things at all. So whilst the majority of the bar was busy discussing their bonuses or something, the poor band absolutely played their socks off for the appreciation of around 20 of us! Such a shame because these guys are seriously talented. All I can say is, remember the name – AlBenAza – because if you see them playing anywhere, make sure you go along. Their Alpine Tour is continuing for the next couple of weeks so you can still see them play this winter in Meribel, La Tania, Alpe d'Huez and Lyon. I'm going to try and make it to Alpe d'Huez to see them again in Smithy's Tavern – there will be no such dullards in the crowd there, that's for sure!
Anyway, onto this coming week…… much of the excitement is actually going to be going on on the hill for the next 7 days, but not in an exclusively ski capacity so you can still enjoy these events on foot.
The big event is the Freeride World Tour which will take place from Friday to Tuesday on the “Pentes de l'Hotel” face on Brevent. This event brings together the very best freeriders from around the world and this is the first year that Chamonix has been one of the main official stops on the tour. It's only fitting though, considering that the current freeride champion is our very own Chamonix boy – Aurelien Ducroz – so there's going to be a lot of local support out for him this week. As the first leg in Sochi, Russia was cancelled due to bad weather, Chamonix, by default, is now going to host 2 legs of the tour! Easily accessible for both skiers and pedestrians, this is definitely an event to go and watch for some spectacular freeriding action. Keep an eye on the weather forecast though because it will not go ahead if conditions are unfavourable. Thankfully though, the Official Tour Party is not weather dependent and will be held in La Terrasse from 10pm til 4am.
Also on the hill this weekend is the 3rd Fly & Ski Paragliding Challenge on the La Balme ski area at Le Tour. This unusual event is a great spectator sport as the pilots have to complete a precision course consisting of touch points, both on the ground and in the air, in the fastest time possible. The competition is reserved for traditional paragliders only and not the smaller,nippier speed riding wings. It won't close any of the slopes either so you can appreciate the skill of these pilots from a deckchair or from the piste.
Check out the What's On Calendar below for a full list of all the fun and games going on in the bars this week and I'll bring you more news and gossip from the gutter next Thursday. Have a great week!
Don't forget to keep an eye on the What's On Calendar for a full list of events over the winter season. You can also find full Bar and Restaurant listings in the Dining and Going Out section of the site.
