A Series of Unfortunate Events.

"Australia has witnessed it's greatest natural disaster. Worse then Black Friday. Worse the Ash Wednesday. Only in wartime has the toll of dead and wounded been greater." (www.newsbreak.com.au)

I have been hearing small bits and pieces of the weather and the heat wave that has struck Victoria and Australia over the last month, mainly from the complaining words of the status updates from 'facebook friends'.

I have heard of temperatures in the high forties. Of bushfires raging the state. Yet, nobody expressed to me the extent of the natural disaster at hand.

The state of Victoria is about to be wiped out by bushfire. Marysville has gone and surrounding towns are threatened. Kinglake is gone. Phone networks have been cut. The countries relief team is stepping in.

Hundreds of people are without homes, without shelter.

We were sitting in our lounge on Wednesday night in Peisey Nancroix, France, watching 'The Castle'. One of the more classic Australian films. The Castle is a film about building a family, loving what is affordable, creating memories, building a home out of love and creating a Castle. The people who have been affected by these Victorian bushfires are in a somewhat similar position to Darryl Kerrigan and family. But rather then being able to fight the government for what is rightfully theirs, the memories of the home they had built, these civilians didn't have a choice. This natural disaster has taken what some people have spent their lives creating. No questions asked and some, not even a chance to try and defend. Their lives, their houses, their homes, their castles, all gone.

In writing this I would like to acknowledge the families that have been affected by these fires, to the heroic work of the Country Fire Authorities, to the brave who have defended their homes, and most definitely to those that have lost their lives in defending and trying to save memories, homes and castles.

We live in a country that is dominated by bush, our natural surroundings are vast. We have settled on a land that needs to revive, fertilise itself and go through these natural processes to be able to continue living. When you settle and decide to build memories on a land such as this, you have to accept what may become.

Unfortunately for us, that is the revival of bush, for the UK, it is the snow that is taking over the city and making locals house bound, the floods in Queensland. Cyclone threats in WA. Like us, Australians, the rest of the world is also experiencing natural disaster. We must adapt and accept that the land and it's weather has power over all human activity.

photos from www.theage.com.au

The Park.

I ride with some very vain people. 

Vanity may be an overstatement, but they certainly like to have their photograph taken and sport the best look on the mountain. Infact, Merlin's current theme song is 'Your so Vain', the funny thing is, that song is about him (in a round about kind of way)!

Really, they are good riders, and they provide me with something to photograph. They hate hearing that skiers make better subjects in photographs, but they still couldn't satisfy me and the camera. Soon enough I will be back in the park photographing the vain snowboarders and making them look even better then they actually are. I do give them credit for the fact that these photographs were taken while the boys were jumping over the black jumps. 

They are absolutely massive. If I had moving images, you would understand the extremities these boys were going to, to have their photograph taken, vanity? I think so. 

So on this wednesday Gemma and I took to the park to photograph Dave and Merlin attacking the Black jumps, the hardest in the park.  Dave stacked and Merlin didn't meet the last jump in the sequence, freaking hell boys, get it together.

 

We ventured to the wall, the riding got better and the angle to the sun was insane. This is where I want to be at 3pm every day!

ENJOY!

Gemma. Feelgood. K2

Dave.

Merlin.

Dave.

Merlin.

Merlin.

Merlin.

Dave.

Southern Alps, France.

Peisey Nancroix of Savoie, France

Time.

Why is time so important. The keeping of time and the watching of time. Every single part of every single day is counted up or down by time. 

Which way are we going in the world? backwards or forwards?

Are we counting down to the end? or just counting in general?

Everything, or close to everything is measured in units of time, and if it is not then I'm sure we could arrange it. 

But why do we want to measure everything in time? Is it our need to count? I started to think about this over the new year. How one ends and another begins, but yet the first of January is just the next day, another day. But it is so significant. Why do we put so many things off until the beginning of a new year? The first of January should just be the next day, we shouldn't have so many expectations for it. If we are going to, then there should be as many expectations for the first of December or August, or even the 19th of July, why isn't that day as important as the first of January?

I'm so sick of counting time. I'm so sick of everything being dominated by time. I would love to be able to live by the light of day. Have no need to know what the time is. No need to eat at breakfast time or lunch time or dinner time, but just to eat when I'm hungry. To sleep when I'm sleepy. And to play in between. As punctual as I can be, as we all can be, if we didn't have time, we would never be late. 

Do you think that people could trust us to do work, to be employed but not have set hours, just an amount of work that needs to be done? No timely deadlines, no arrival or departure times. I think the world would a calmer place if there was no time. I think there would be more trust, less people would want to break rules, as there would be less rules to break. I do realise that in the larger, wider world, time may have some importance. Public transport may need a time schedule, flights, trains, buses and trams. Beyond that...

'Time is of the essence', why?

Time is merely a way of counting to the next event, the next deadline, the next day.   

1 week...

It has been 10 days since snowfall and the slopes are hard packed, getting icy. Bliss for those that can carve, hell for those that have no idea. Me, I lie in the middle somewhere. The board will be freshly waxed for the morning for even faster smoother riding. Lets hope it goes the right way. 

After a stack and a mild concussion, balance is an issue. A few off days and a cold that decided to hit just in time for christmas, I got back and have beaten myself into shape again. Day off tomorrow should be full of boarding. 

Christmas, an interesting time of year. A day that is normally spent with your family, and I have sent myself away to the smallest village I could find. With nothing but a free ski bus for transport, being up at 800m has proved a trap. With an Aunty and Uncle in Geneva that wanted me for christmas, I instead worked. 

Mother had sent me away with a gift that was unwrapped at first light. A phone call from the grandparents which I somehow rejected mid sleep and many many from the folks which I could not answer because the emotions were overwhelming. Breakfast was charming, champagne and orange juice flew round the room. Cooking up a storm in the kitchen for our fabulous guests. 

I can't say that cleaning on christmas was ideal, but service for christmas dinner was grand. Although we didn't sit down for christmas dinner and I had no family within arms reach, I managed to spend christmas with five very thankful families that appreciated everything that was done for them. George and Charlotte, the children staying with us, made my day with a self drawn christmas card. Dancing in the kitchen and celebratory beers after service filled the room with laughter. Not the best christmas in the world but probably one I will remember, purely for the fact it was different from my normal. 

The sky was clear, well at about 1200m it was clear on this day of days. Little would you know when lazing about down in the valley, where you can't see 10m in front of you that above you, and it isn't far to the top, is crystal clear skies and deck chairs to laze about on. That is what I did for the latter part of my boxing day. Wishing that I knew results from the Sydney to Hobart but also so thankful for the snow and the ability to ride. 

I received news that night of a friends father. One Mr Arblaster sails that race and sails a boat called, of all things, Georgia. If any of you happen to follow the race or even read the newspaper in good old Aus then you would have heard that Georgia put out a mayday call mid race. All crew were rescued successfully.

There is always a story that comes from the race. A broken keel, a broken mast, ripped sails and lost spinnaker poles. There have been years of trauma and the highest seas that have been seen, lives have been grabbed and amazing rescues have been performed. The people who go out and take part in these events have an understanding. An understanding of nature. You can't beat nature, you never could.

Verchaix

This snow covered village lies at the bottom of the Grand Massif. We sit at around 800m with the summit at 2500m. That is alot of snowboarding to get to the bottom. Surrounded by villages and mountain passes.
Going driving with the snow spade in the boot, just in case. Scraping the car in the early hours of the morning so we see road rather then snow. Putting on all your clothes just to take the rubbish out. This is the life I'm going to be living for the next 5months.
Arriving in Geneva was exciting enough, driving through the night to this tiny village that only has a post office, a pub and a bakery. What more could anyone want?
It has been two days now and the second finally brought the sun and a room with a view.
From the house you look down the valley and across to the Grand Massif.
The primary school next door spirits children in the festive season.
The houses and streets are covered in christmas lights. It is very traditional . I wonder what christmas days boasts?
The slopes open on saturday and first skiing for me is going to happen on wednesday. I will let you know how that goes. Hopefully I will still be in 1 piece.

Salut!