"Requet laments that the moon isn’t bright enough tonight to pull the traditional single-blade wooden paret sleds down from the restaurant’s rafters for a hair-raising run into the village. " ~ Terry Ward

Chamonix was the site of the first winter Olympics,

back in 1924,

when the paret was one mode of transportation through the snow.

We decided to try our luck at this 'extreme' sport...

with our very own photographer...

and boy, did he capture amazing footage of 'the foodie' gracefully losing complete control while hanging on to her paret as she gave the sled a rest and slid for a bit on her backside.

Meanwhile...

I was waaaaaay behind him taking my time down the mountain learning the hard way that there is no way to steer 

and your feet are your brakes.

All that was sinking into my psyche about the time we approached the first challenging descent, 

which means...

 I was looking down a 45 degree angle run.

Did I mention there is no steering 

which means I cannot move from side to side easily...

which is how I roll when skiing.

Fortunately,

you are not far from the ground so any fall is harmless.

By the time we made it to the bottom,

 it was dark as we celebrated the fact that there were no broken bones 

and we had all managed to keep up with our paret which earned us a hot mug of soup kept warm in a huge pot over a roaring fire. 

Memories in the making.

Our welcome into the yurt...

was enchanting...

as we were seated for a traditional Savoyard meal...

always consisting of three key ingredients.

Cheese, incredible cheese...

ham, smoked or cured...

and potatoes.

Our meal began with a nice green salad, followed by scalloped potatoes with bits of ham and other delicious...

for our chilled to the bone bodies.

For the ultimate warmth in the alps...

every meal ends with génépi,

the local liqueur made from the wormwood flower.

This entire wilderness experience was envigorating and cozy...

 and something Evolution 2 can make happen for you...

 when visiting Chamonix.

Another outfit in town provides the

traditional sledging party but I can't speak to their coolness.

Happy Tuesday.