’twas the annual weekend pilgrimage to Klosters for my pre race ‘training’.

Training consisted of a first night of 2001 Girardin, Puligny Combettes – a wine of gunflint and latent savoury oak, lean yet still balanced. The oak means that it’s not my favourite style but it pleased many around the table. It was, though, rather put in the shade by the 2006 Nicolas Potel, Criots-Bâtard Montrachet – this a replacement for the last bottle that was corked. Only in its last 20 minutes did it show any aromatic depth (it was decanted 2 hours before serving), but its supple, brooding approach and achingly long finish were enough to convince. We finished with David Clark’s 2006 Morey St.Denis Les Porroux – which was a wine of elegance and balance – very, very charming – certainly not the masculinity often seen from Morey. I think there was a St.Emilion from 2003 also… 😉

Saturday was a day of sun and also some queues at the lifts – apparently the blue-skies of the web-cams enticing the fog-bound people of Zürich from their lairs. More training in the evening – a wine tasting in a beautiful location. Sunday – no queues, but by lunchtime its snowing – only a nutter (or a good skier!) goes out in this, so by 12:00 I’m already tucking into rösti and ‘house-sausage’. A toss of the coin comes down in favour of apple küchen and cream – meringue and cream the loser. Afterwards I feign motivation and do another hour-or-so, at least managing a good ‘burn’…

For the technicians I’m on Core Downforce 184cm GS skis – admirably stable with a numpty on-board, and just as easy to turn as my older 178cm carvers – impressed!