Riding this past week

Soooo. After it dumped down about 30cm of new snow 4 days ago I've ridden pretty heavily during the day and worked in the afternoons and evenings. It's a pretty good combination and it looks like the computers that were sent over have arrived and need to be picked up meaning the work level can be stepped up another notch. The new business team sat down the other day and started working out the plan for the immediate future and it looks mint. We do compliment each other and there's some really good ideas bouncing around to problems that have arisen. It feels confident and good and to have the confidence in the other guys is a great thing and a huge support. Everything is moulding together nd I'd guess that in a weeks time there's going to be a busy office humming with business being done. Awesome.

Luckily I've managed to squeeze in a fair bit of riding the fresh snow that's fallen and met up with a load of really good lads and ladies who all coexist in our communal chalet very well It's centrally placed with easy access to the ski buses and the supermarket and the office. It's a beauiful old chalet and as chance would have it, I've already ridden with one of the guys who lives here as well - it's great to know someone here and we've hit it off nicely forming a solid friendship and riding relationship.

I'm stoked to have hit the ground running with the riding too. Already have started spinning, something that I nearly always have to work up to. It's become more natural and easier the older I've gotten and have started to lay down a few floated backside 180's and even squeezed out a little 360. We've built a rail to session in our driveway and even got a little kicker there as well. Heaven.

So yesterday went up to Le Tour at the top of the Chamonix valley and rode a load of the gullies and chutes there with a few of the boys. We cut some fresh tracks after climbing the Tete de Balme dropping into the face there before funneling down into the large chute below using the windlip to huck a few nice jumps off. One of the lads took his camera so I'll post up photos soon.

So it's all looking good. The guys I'm working with are very good. The guys I'm riding with are very good. The sun is shining and everything's looking smooth and positive for the future. The only blip has been one of the boys in the chalet I rode the Grands Montets mountain with on Tuesday had a bit of a sketch at Brevant and got choppered off one of the faces there after breaking 3 bones in his back hitting a rock band. Still they're only minor bones and he should be back up and running in a month or so. I hope he heals up well and it's a timely reminder not to piss about here, keep your senses and not make any silly decisions.

Sunday's a day of rest so tomorrow am going back up to Le Tour and going to shape a few kickers in the backcountry with some of the boys and session them. Pics to follow. Am missing a load of guys from the UK, I really wish they could be here and see all this and it would be great to see them all. I've talked to a few about coming out and lots seem very keen. I look forward to riding with them and catching up with them and hope they're all doing well. Take it easy guys, Narg sends love to you all.

x

Wanaka and Queenstown

Backdated 2nd - 4th Jan

Made the return dash over the Crown Range road from Wanaka to Queenstown after going out for dinner and doing some general relaxing. Took the day off in Queenstown to soak up some sun, eat ice cream, get on the smokey treats and generally just chill out with the imminent cruise around Milford Sound coming up.

If Wanaka was the quiet energy - beautiful and serene, then Queenstown is it's rock n roll big brother. Nearly twice the size but stretched out over the eastern edge by the bend in Lake Wakatipu. It's again amazingly hot here and there's relatively a lot of people. It's weird, I mean Queenstown has a population of 10k or so but stretched out over an area the size of Central London - everyone has their own space. It's just total poles apart from cramped London with everyone literally jostling each other for space. The lake and the mountain range called The Remarkables dominate the view. And it's so beautiful. During the journey you could see these great gouges from the rocky peaks, like a giant dragon had slashed a talon into the living rock and ripped it out with vicious force. Cleared spaces in the forest and higher on the rocky plain showed where landslides and rockfalls had tumbled down during an earthquake, they looked like teeth marks from some astral monster biting into the giant ridges streaching skywards. By the same token, there's this beauty in the ruggedness that draws you and dares you to reach the summit of those peaks and look down, like you've conquered this land.


Queenstown by Lake Wakatipu

Needed to loosen up the other night so I went in a sauna with ass, pubic topiary and piercing on display, bowed my head and shuffled towards an elevated seating position. When I glanced at the thermometer it read 40°C (we were just heating the beggar up). I remembered the last time it was 40°C indoors - the frigging central line on the tube this summer! Admittedly, I ALWAYS wanted to do a tube run nude. Oh! The freedom! Imagine the space you'd get around you in rush hour =) Awesome. Anyways, I digress. Yeah so I kind of closed my eyes and made myself think about all the guys back in the city, wished each one a happy new year in my mind and hoped they all were well and cheerful. Weird then to find a couple had posted comments on the blog! Cheers Duffman and Welsh Chris! The ESP connection obviously still works - and I hope that you guys, and the others, are still chirpy =)

And if it makes you feel any comfier, then realise that I was wishing you all well when i was NAKED. Yeah, how does THAT make you feel? Hehehe.