Vive les rosbifs

Mrs M and I have just returned from a spot of high altitude training in the French Alps. OK, so there were some skis involved, a lot more snow than we'll see on Kili and the alcohol intake will be banned next February....but it still qualifies as training, right?

Anyway, it confirmed our continuing love affair with mountains, regardless of condition or season. We were in Les Arcs, based at 1,950m but skiing as high as 3,200m. There was more snow than you could shake a ski pole at before we arrived, and then there were huge additional dumps while we were out there.

Beautiful? You decide....

We covered loads of ground, experienced extremes of bright warm sunshine and perfect blue skies one day and intense blizzards with minimal visibility the next; guzzled vin chaud, rouge, rose et blanc, chocolat chaud, genepi and cafe au lait; noshed poulet frites, foie gras and freshly baked bread from the aromatic boulangerie in the village; represented les rosbifs in defeating the Ernst & Young France darts team in the local pub.

A great week at altitude but somewhat more luxurious and refined than the rigorous effort and deprivation we'll have to suffer going up Kili. Oh well, c'est la vie, as we say in England.