Learning to Monoski / Sit Ski in St Jean D'Aulps France (2) - (DSUK Member - CFS / ME Sufferer)

Here I am, week 2 on my monoski at St Jean D'Aulps, near Lake Geneva in France. I have had CFS / ME for over 5 years now which put a halt on my snowboarding or standard skiing. However after a few lessons at the Milton Keynes Snowdome in England with Disability Snowsports UK I really took to the monoski. Being seated the energy and strength demands otherwise placed on your legs are removed allowing access to snow-time once again. However, on steeper slopes the monoski is physically demanding on the upper body reducing me to just one run a day or every few days, so the life rule of pacing still applies but it is better to play a little on the snow than never again! As you will see it is really cool kit and a blast. Our chosen resort of St Jean is a great friendly place to ski with the family and represents great value for money compared to larger resorts.......take a look www.valledaulps.com

[@garethbishop]

Great to see your progress. I've just started sit skiing and am headed to St Jean d'Aulps at Christmas as my parents live there - I just wondered, how do you go up in the gondola? Doesn't seem like those things are too well suited to sit skis.

[@MrMonoski69]

Hi Gareth, great to hear from you, both as a sit skier and fellow of St Jean - it really is a beautiful and friendly ski area. The sit ski goes in the main gondola doors ok with the ski off and the staff are really helpful loading and unloading for you. Otherwise if you want to keep the ski on there is a service / flat bed attachment on the gondola system which is used by the lift staff and restaurants, and the staff will happily load the complete sit ski and ski on that for you - you just have to wait for it to come round once every 10 mins! Once at the top you will benefit from a great run down the Grande Terche and also the new chairlift which links you to the top and Graydon runs over the back. I must say that they no longer allow sit skis being towed up the drag lifts as per my video - I think I escaped unnoticed for a couple of years but on my last visit they informed me only to use the chairs and gondola for insurance purposes. It would be good to hear more about your progress in the UK and whether or not you have your own mono - regretfully I will now likely have to sell my one now due to my ill-health.

[@garethbishop]

Hi Steve,
Firstly sorry your health is suffering and you've had to give up sit skiing. Is that permanent?
That's great if the sit ski goes in the gondola doors - I will always be with people as well so they can help with taking the ski off etc. I had already thought about the service/flat bed attachment (I have been on it once in a blood wagon! and my sister owns one of the restaurants up there - la licorne in case you've been in). I can walk with crutches which I can take up with me, so can get up the stairs and hopefully into the gondola ok - can you walk?
Shame you can't use sit skis on the drag lifts, you kind of need those to learn, and would be a bit stuck if they hadn't put the new chairlift in. You must have been there fairly recently as that was only put in at the beginning of last season.
I have just booked sit ski lessons with ESF Morzine, but it would be great to ski at St Jean. Did you have lessons with ESF at St Jean?
I actually live in Australia (although am from the UK) so we've just had our winter here and I went on a disabled snowsports camp, so had 4 days of learning to sit ski. Made quite good progress in the 4 days and am keen to get back to it in the alps.
So did you learn at snow domes? I don't have my own sit ski, but could be in the market for buying one. I don't think you'll have any problem getting rid of it though.

[@MrMonoski69]

Wow, it's great isn't it being able to make similar connections when you the other side of the world. Yes I went to St Jean this summer and had a coffee in the restaurant as I showed my parents the new lift and the views....we have a small apartment in La Grande Terche at the foot of the gondola, so we are regular visitors and big fans of the resort ;-). I learned to sit ski with disability snowsports uk at my local slope which is Milton Keynes having previously been a voluntary snowboard instructor for the charity. I took 4 lessons and then self developed on st jean nursery slopes and at the MK snowdome on our club nights - progress can be pretty quick if you listen to your sense of feeling through that one ski. It really is great fun, almost like nothing else! We must chat some more offline...email me [e-mail] and we can take it from there for useful information and we might even be out there at the same time this winter. Steve