Thursday 31 January 2013

Winter landscape above Abondance, Haute-Savoie


Not always is the sky so blue 
above the mountain's snows...
Sometimes, the weather changes and southerly winds blow
bringing the clouds dark with rain
to make the snow dangerous to ski.

That happened Tuesday last
as I went for a randonnée a ski
up from Abondance;
 towards the Pic de Corne.

This was only an exercise in exercise 
but tiring and hugely enjoyable nevertheless.
A good climb of about 470m rewarded 
with a bol de soupe à l'oignon, 
and a few glasses of 
spring water.

A good ski down as the clouds let go their snow
was as much as I needed.
That and a promise to return when skies
above the snows are blue.


Wednesday 16 January 2013

What peace in the snow.





A soft delicate day full of snow 
falling constantly; 
the quiet in the woods as I walked uphill,
 my skinned skis sliding silently 
through the powder.

Later, having reached the plateau, 
and fortified by coffee;
I unpeeled the skins, packed them away,
and started skiing down
fast and quietly,
passing no one but seeing only tracks.

What had taken me an hour and a half
to climb up, had taken a matter only,
of minutes to descend.

But what bliss. What blood;
pouring through my heated veins.
What air; clean and 
deep in my cooled lungs.

What exhilaration; 
rushing through my brain.
What peace !