"Tignes - the French Alps' experience" Tignes by andrewyong

My friend, Sam, from Mexico joined 'Nusnow', the University of Nottingham's snowsports club just at the right time as the club was organising a ski/snowboarding trip to Tignes in the week before Xmas 2005. I had the opportunity to join the club as well and tagged along.

Now, I am a total beginner at snowsport. Snowboarding looks so cool and I thought I could managed it with ease. But, the package inclusive of gears that were offered to us was for skiing. Since I knew nothing about snowsports, anything will do I suppose.

So to Tignes we went... and on my first trip to what must be an easy piste next to our apartment in Val Claret, I did the humpty dumpty all the way down! On a piste which an experience skier or snowboarder would probably take about 15 seconds to get down and up on the chairlifts again, I took two and a half hours!!! hehehe... well, so much for skiing.

I really enjoyed myself, the sights and all the buzz at apres ski.

Huskies before rides

On the last day, Sam and I went Huskies sleighing... The dogs were adorable and very active. I thought the ride looked easy. And the trip was just around the frozen lake of Tignes nearby.

Boy! was I wrong. "Pepsi" my four-year old lead was super hyper, and coupled with my tattered trainers and having no sense of balance, I fell over so many times and Pepsi would not follow the trails of the other dogs, but, trying to overtake them and be the champion that she is.

It was 50 Euros well spent anyway.

View of Grand Motte Glacier

Out ski pass allowed us to take the furnicular railway from Val Claret to a mountain top restaurant, and then from there, a cable car up to the peak of Grand Motte, the highest in Tignes area, I suppose.

Once you're there, you'll be rewarded with a great 360 view of the Tignes-Grand Motte glacier and faraway snow-capped peaks, it feels like heaven at 11 degrees!!!

• Pros:Tignes provides for the beginner to the most experienced
• In a nutshell:a great ski holiday