This week I was lucky enough to be invited on a torchlit descent with the ESF La Tania. We caught the last bubble up out of La Tania at about 5pm and headed to the Bouc Blanc restaurant to wait until it got dark enough.
The securité de pistes came in to check we were all there by invitation and sent anyone else off home. The wait was for a couple of hours and everyone got settled into beers, pastis and chips.
At about 6.45 the light had gone enough for us to set off. The first bit of the descent is fairly hairy because we did not light the torches until two thirds of the way down Folyeres, so most of the descent was done in darkness!
We all stopped to light torches and drink some home brewed damson gin (thanks to my parents!) and headed on down to La Tania. I had a wooden torch which worried me slightly, as I has just willingly set light to it. However, all the instructors shrugged and said I would be fine...
It was such a great night and it was so much fun to be part of the display! Everyone cheers and claps as you ski past. Hopefully none of them noticed the look of fear on my face as the flames licked the edge of the torch just above my hand..
After the descent we headed to the Chrome bar, just on the edge of the piste in La Tania. Here we celebrated by sharing a large 3L glass of beer; I could hardly lift it!
The Chrome bar is a great place to spend the evening, it is usually full of ski instructors unwinding after a busy day.
Torchlit descents usually happen most weeks in Courchevel (particularly during school holidays), so keep an eye out in the 3 vallees info booklet to see if there is one on while you are here.
For anyone more interested in the apres ski... The Chrome bar have live music three nights a week: Monday - Bring your sisters; Wednesday - 4Play; Friday - Subsonic.
And for those who don't think 3L of beer is big enough you can also buy your own barrel....
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