Took some photos whilst on a short walk in the Hertfordshire countryside. The photos were taken with the camera in RAW mode, so had a play with the various options for processing them in Linux. The wheat (?) fields were processed using RawTherapee installed in to Ubuntu from this PPA: https://launchpad.net/~rawtherapee/+archive/ppa. The fungus was “exposed” in F-Spot with the UFRaw plugin. Think the results are reasonable given I don’t know exactly what I’m doing!
Not quite the Pyranees…
Brought my saddle closer to the handlebars to reduce how far I was reaching. Seems to have worked somewhat because neck not quite as sore as last week.
A map showing my latest bicycle ride recorded using Google MyTracks on my Android phone:
via David Sudjiman:
1. Install tftpd and related packages.
$ sudo apt-get install xinetd tftpd tftp
2. Create /etc/xinetd.d/tftp and put this entry:
service tftp
{
protocol = udp
port = 69
socket_type = dgram
wait = yes
user = nobody
server = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
server_args = /tftpboot
disable = no
}
3. Make /tftpboot directory
$ sudo mkdir /tftpboot $ sudo chmod -R 777 /tftpboot $ sudo chown -R nobody /tftpboot
4. Start tftpd through xinetd
$ sudo /etc/init.d/xinetd start
… smooth!
Up at 0510 for transfer back to Grenoble. Slept all the way, took about 2.5 hours. Grenoble check-in queueing a complete mess again, place seems unable to organise that amount of people turning up for flights. At least got bags away in reasonable time. Security was seemingly going very well until some stupid Frenchman decided to ask everyone in the queue if they were on one of the next flights, which they obviously were and so a complete bundle to get through ensued. Ridiculous.
Notes: used 170 skis all week even though looking back at last years notes I thought 175s may not have been long enough. Didn’t really have any problems though. Tooks some cereal bars in the case which was good given the weak pound meant food was very expensive.
Crystal seemed to have been skimping on the amounts of food available to hosts for cooking, again possibly due to weak exchange rate.
Given runs were quite hard this year wondered whether how conditions might be earlier in the season.
Home time :'(
TC, JW and I up reasonably early and out on piste by 0930 to make the most of the last day. Some nice runs around Colorado, from Les Verdons and La Grande Rochette in the morning. Met the others at Bellecote at 1300 to get some lunch. Took the Colosses draglift to Le Dou Du Praz restaurant, HE quite literally dragged most of the way up before bailing out in to snowdrift! Lunch took a while but was very nice. Finished off the skiing on our favourite runs round Colorado and Les Verdons. TC and I stayed out as late as we dared before heading back and dropping skis off at Boudu Sport.
Final couple of drinks in Le Mine after dinner to cap off great holiday.
Plagne Villages from nr. Le Dou Du Praz Restaurant
Action shot
TC, Plagne 1800
Plagne 1800
Made it all in one piece
Decided to use the day available on our Discovery ski pass to head over to Les Arcs. Everyone managed to get up early (with help from a fire alarm going off) given the need to get over to the Vanoise Express. Were in Plan Peisey by 1020. Traversed across the resort to the Transarc Gondola at Arc 1800. This took us up to the Aiguille Grive from where we could drop down to Arc 2000 at the far end of area. Did some nice runs down around the Varet lift before in lunch at Arc 2000. TC and JA took on a black run first thing in the afternoon. Runs down Arc 1800 side fast and wide. Nice red and black run below Derby chair. Back to Vanoise at about 1530. Needed to take Montchavin chairs to get back up over L’Arpette. Final run in Plagne Centre. Back to Chalet at about 1720 – huge day of skiing!
JA, JB, HE, JW felt the need for a beer or five in Le Mine – others too tired.
Lovely lunch spot, Les Arcs 2000
Everyone actually made it on...
The Vanoise Express lines from Les Arcs side
Decided to all head down to the Montchavin side of the area. Took long track called Route Des Bauches down to the Vanoise Express station. Bit narrow and flat for quite a while meant skating practice. Made a couple of trips up the three chairs to Dos Rond as the runs down were nice and had some artificial snow in places, a change from the hard runs elsewhere. Failed to get all six of us on the second chair! Tucked in to packed lunch at Monchavin. Few more runs including L’Esselet red in the afternoon. Back home via Colorado (surprise). Host’s night off so went up to Plagne Centre for dinner. Meal at La Grolle very nice. Went up to Scotty’s to watch Champions League.
Lunch at Montchavin
Vaniose Express station
Team photo
Up late after debauchery of night before. Me, TC, and JW managed to get on slopes by 10 and headed for 1800 lift and Plagne centre via Golf lift. After few runs on and around Colorado met others for some dirty nosh at Croque le grille (croque le noir per JW). Made mistake of going to nearest restaurant off piste as coke 6 EURO a pop (no pun intended) and meagre portions. After lunch took telecabin to La Grande Rochette and, at JA’s request, went down Kamikazi and long red into Champagny. Clouded over, and came back via colorado. Grilled chicken and dauphinoise spuds for dinner. Superb lemon cheesecake to finish. Played articulate in evening. Highlights were Robyn (acupuncture as ‘that thing women have done’), JB (“what a drum person does”), me (“grows on tress and thrives in clean air”), JA (faced with ‘despite’ and have already passed, giving up with a minute left).
From Aime La Plagne to Belle Plagne
From Aime La Plagne towards Mont Blanc
Yeah, I look good.... no one realises I am hungover and just left a present under a chairlift
Listening
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