
We can all get hurt skiing. Each time a group gets down safely with everyone in one piece at the end of a trip, I’m thankful that nobody hurt themselves.
During this week I was preoccupied by my 14-year-old daughter breaking her leg in ski training; a spiral fracture of the tibia resulting in plates and 12 screws. That wasn’t the end of it as she caught a bacterial infection in hospital. She had to return there for three more weeks on intravenous antibiotics strong enough for a horse.
Other than for my daughter, all had gone well during the week. Back at the road in Vallorcine at the end of the last day I skied up to the aspirant guide and the group who were shaking hands. They turned and started thanking me when over my shoulder I heard the horrible sound of body and skis crashing on to something hard. Bill hadn’t spotted that he had skied onto a garage roof. Travelling too fast, he was then unable to stop before the drop; thankfully only three feet but onto a hard surface cleared of snow. Instead of beer and peanuts I was off to A&E. Thankfully no damage done.