Stanski
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Hello ALL, Merry New Year and Festivities to everyone
We are back from our 2 week adventure (and it was an adventure - starting on day 1 with leisure battery failing) around the ski slopes of the Alps, visiting Avoriaz (F), Les Contamines (F), Souze Doulx (I), Siestriere (I) and Mongenevre (F) for skiing, and many other places for general interest.
Background Story
Had little fresh snow all the first week with resorts struggling to have lower slopes open. After spending Xmas with a good ole ski friend and a couple of his mates we departed Sauze Doulx (Fri 27 Dec) at 7pm to go to Briancon (edge of Sierre Cevelier ski area) to watch a Ice Hockey game. French Champions Briancon playing local derby team from Brest. Great game ending 5 all with penalty shoot out of 13 shots.
Parked at Hockey and awoke 7am to fresh layer of snow about 6 inches deep, snow still falling. Was wanting to get to South France (Montpellier area) by evening if possible. A sensible distance one thought.
We left Briancon at 9am, told to put snow chains on by Gendarmes, then caught in very slow moving traffic as everyone was negotiating crashed/abandoned vehicles and following Snow Ploughs along main road to Gap. At one place was 75minutes moving 1 mile.
About 30 miles into journey at about 2.30pm a stop of 3 hrs to engineer a repair to a broken snow chain was endured. Sods law ensured the link that broke was the final crossover link so losing the adjustment chain of 14 loops which was susequently covered by a snow plough. Grrrrrr.
Manufacturing an emergency repair in -2 degrees, using some engineering ingenuity also hindered by my shoulder handicap (did not know the severity of injury at this time - just knew it was uncomfortable and painful at times in doing awkward movements [Double Fracture of Collar Bone we found out yesterday]) was cause for lengthy delay.
Taking over 15hrs to travel about 60 miles we reached Gap at midnight, then chose to travel onwards to a quiet location in a village some 1 hr onwards.
Traffic in opposite direction was worse. Heard from others that this was on the news. Spoke to various UK drivers trying to get into Alps and had stories of 5 to 7 hrs stuck in traffic queue, this was between 10 and 11pm. Advised them all to not bother and get their heads down if possible. One lady was quite funny (a french national she explained after) was quite incredulous that the authorities could not hurry the traffic along as it was only snow.
With all this delay, plus not famiiar with the surrounding area, the snow and utter chaos of traffic we found in the morning that we had taken the wrong road out of Gap. Not a problem on reviewing the map we could adjust our route to accommodate this error and see how time alllowed us to achieve our intended plan of getting across to Montpellier to get to Andorra.
Eventually was able to remove the snow chains and drive on tarmac, which was a big relief. Using a mixture of Cable Ties, Hose Clips and Available Metal concoctions the snow chain repair survived. Concluded over a cuppa that with the snow chain issue, shoulder ache and occasional pain, also lost time, that the trip to Andorra was not going to be a sensible target so decided to change direction heading North to get to Paris for New Year celebrations - anticipating a celebration like no other as they always competed for glorious end of year fireworks (Another long story for another time).
So now heading North, after seeking the South and West needed to find some water. A sensible route along a B - Road seemed a good idea and off we journeyed to continue the adventure.
PROBABILILITY QUESTION
Along this B-road which went over a few Cols, through small villages with lying snow on the hills, as we descended one of the mountains we spotted another MH filling up with water in the distance Aha - we also needed water, and a stop for a cuppa so a sensible opportunity.
As we got closer we noticed an English registration - first one in all 11 days travelling. What was the probability of that?
UNBELIEVABLE BIGGER PROBABILITY QUESTION
We stopped and said Merry Xmas invitations, hello I said, offered hand of welcome to man filling water, "my name is Stan". Hi Stan - would you be Stanski?" was the reply. He had spotted the Wildcamping sticker.
"Well - stutter -yes - gobsmacked - hello - bewilderment - who - amazed - are - still gobsmacked - you?"
He laughed "Tezz33" was the reply.
A fine cuppa, chat and help with water replenishment for an hour and off we went, Tezza neading S, we heading N. A very very nice couple and we wish them the best of journeys and travels wherever they may go.
SO - WHATS THE PROBABILITY OF THAT HAPPENING FOLKS ?
We are back from our 2 week adventure (and it was an adventure - starting on day 1 with leisure battery failing) around the ski slopes of the Alps, visiting Avoriaz (F), Les Contamines (F), Souze Doulx (I), Siestriere (I) and Mongenevre (F) for skiing, and many other places for general interest.
Background Story
Had little fresh snow all the first week with resorts struggling to have lower slopes open. After spending Xmas with a good ole ski friend and a couple of his mates we departed Sauze Doulx (Fri 27 Dec) at 7pm to go to Briancon (edge of Sierre Cevelier ski area) to watch a Ice Hockey game. French Champions Briancon playing local derby team from Brest. Great game ending 5 all with penalty shoot out of 13 shots.
Parked at Hockey and awoke 7am to fresh layer of snow about 6 inches deep, snow still falling. Was wanting to get to South France (Montpellier area) by evening if possible. A sensible distance one thought.
We left Briancon at 9am, told to put snow chains on by Gendarmes, then caught in very slow moving traffic as everyone was negotiating crashed/abandoned vehicles and following Snow Ploughs along main road to Gap. At one place was 75minutes moving 1 mile.
About 30 miles into journey at about 2.30pm a stop of 3 hrs to engineer a repair to a broken snow chain was endured. Sods law ensured the link that broke was the final crossover link so losing the adjustment chain of 14 loops which was susequently covered by a snow plough. Grrrrrr.
Manufacturing an emergency repair in -2 degrees, using some engineering ingenuity also hindered by my shoulder handicap (did not know the severity of injury at this time - just knew it was uncomfortable and painful at times in doing awkward movements [Double Fracture of Collar Bone we found out yesterday]) was cause for lengthy delay.
Taking over 15hrs to travel about 60 miles we reached Gap at midnight, then chose to travel onwards to a quiet location in a village some 1 hr onwards.
Traffic in opposite direction was worse. Heard from others that this was on the news. Spoke to various UK drivers trying to get into Alps and had stories of 5 to 7 hrs stuck in traffic queue, this was between 10 and 11pm. Advised them all to not bother and get their heads down if possible. One lady was quite funny (a french national she explained after) was quite incredulous that the authorities could not hurry the traffic along as it was only snow.
With all this delay, plus not famiiar with the surrounding area, the snow and utter chaos of traffic we found in the morning that we had taken the wrong road out of Gap. Not a problem on reviewing the map we could adjust our route to accommodate this error and see how time alllowed us to achieve our intended plan of getting across to Montpellier to get to Andorra.
Eventually was able to remove the snow chains and drive on tarmac, which was a big relief. Using a mixture of Cable Ties, Hose Clips and Available Metal concoctions the snow chain repair survived. Concluded over a cuppa that with the snow chain issue, shoulder ache and occasional pain, also lost time, that the trip to Andorra was not going to be a sensible target so decided to change direction heading North to get to Paris for New Year celebrations - anticipating a celebration like no other as they always competed for glorious end of year fireworks (Another long story for another time).
So now heading North, after seeking the South and West needed to find some water. A sensible route along a B - Road seemed a good idea and off we journeyed to continue the adventure.
PROBABILILITY QUESTION
Along this B-road which went over a few Cols, through small villages with lying snow on the hills, as we descended one of the mountains we spotted another MH filling up with water in the distance Aha - we also needed water, and a stop for a cuppa so a sensible opportunity.
As we got closer we noticed an English registration - first one in all 11 days travelling. What was the probability of that?
UNBELIEVABLE BIGGER PROBABILITY QUESTION
We stopped and said Merry Xmas invitations, hello I said, offered hand of welcome to man filling water, "my name is Stan". Hi Stan - would you be Stanski?" was the reply. He had spotted the Wildcamping sticker.
"Well - stutter -yes - gobsmacked - hello - bewilderment - who - amazed - are - still gobsmacked - you?"
He laughed "Tezz33" was the reply.
A fine cuppa, chat and help with water replenishment for an hour and off we went, Tezza neading S, we heading N. A very very nice couple and we wish them the best of journeys and travels wherever they may go.
SO - WHATS THE PROBABILITY OF THAT HAPPENING FOLKS ?
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, I walked 500mtrs along the beach today and found a free mobile hotspot so I will try my aerial out when I get back:dog:
