Gliding up mountains

The luxury of ski lifts. 

To be gliding up a mountain on a chair rather than hiking.  Using the up to cool off rather than the coming down. 

Thighs burning from downhill rather than uphill.  Nothing is quite the right way round.  How can it be so enjoyable?

Perhaps it has something to do with the clear blue background with the jagged edged mountain tops set against it.  Val d’Isere is a little different from my usual stomping ground.  Instead of walking over the softer rounded moorland, there is the exhilaration of ski ing down the bowls and valleys from the crags.

As I have no wish to fall on my camera, my back would suffer more than the camera I think.  I have to be satisfied with Blakberry and compact fuji, which will fit in my pocket and not cause so many bruises if they come between me and the snow.  Not that I have any intention of falling very often, twice in the three days I have been here is not too bad.