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Author Archives: Chris Tomlinson
My 214 Wainwright Journey Ends on Bowfell
Last Saturday I completed the Wainwright challenge. In my case, this involved eating 214 pork pies at altitude – my mountain snack of choice. For others, it is a simpler task of climbing every hill/mountain Alfred Wainwright described in his … Continue reading
WHY WE NEED 10% OF BRITS TO ALWAYS BE ABROAD – WALKING WITH DEMONS
Thanks to the pandemic, it’s been 18 months since my last tartiflette! My taste buds can barely remember that gooey tangy loveliness. I still have vague recollections of the activity that usually preceded its consumption – ‘skiing’. Although I’m a … Continue reading
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Tagged Lakeland Fells, ski demons, skiing holiday, staycation
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C-19 DEMONS – SKIING IN ENGLAND ANYONE?
THE LAST RESORT ? What is the future for skiing next winter? Avoiding covidiots on the piste? Why even go to resorts with no apres? So will it be ski touring in the Alps? Or maybe skiing in England as … Continue reading
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Tagged Lakeland Fells, mountains, ski touriing, skiing books
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FRIDGE OF LIFE
The ever-chilled Skiing With Demons, Chris Tomlinson on lockdown in the UK is now facing the Fridge of Life and assessing his own sell-by date during his mid-to-late life coronavirus crisis… Are you spending too much time in front of … Continue reading
To sleep with my wife, or not sleep with my wife?
Life at the moment is a puzzle for Skiing With Demons author, Chris Tomlinson facing the real demons of Covid-19. When his ICU consultant wife becomes unwell he goes to pieces… To sleep with my wife, or not sleep with … Continue reading
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Tagged Agents of Entropy, Covid-19, drinking, Lake District, mountains, Wainwright bagging
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Return to Labrador Island – The Covid Demons
Having married a doctor in December, I was all set to live a hypochondriac’s dream. My medical needs, real or imaginary, were further served by the GP surgery conveniently located next door to our home. Now, thanks to Covid-19, that … Continue reading
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Tagged Labrador Island, Married to the NHS, Morzine, Saas Fee, skiing books
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Farewell to the Hurt Locker – Ski Boot Nirvana
Having suffered for years, Chris Tomlinson has discovered the Holy Grail of ski kit, comfortable ski boots turning him into Dale Man… Continue reading
SWD3: missing vampire creates collector’s edition
Just before Xmas, I hastily printed and posted hundreds of copies SWD3 to my loyal readers, but unbeknown to me, a vampire had gone missing from page 203 ! Poor communication between author and typographer meant that paragraph 3 was … Continue reading
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Life, Limbs & Land Rovers – Finally goes to print!
Good things come in threes. Things that come in threes are inherently more humorous, satisfying and effective than any other number of things, according to Confucius and his modern day equivalent, Wikipedia. It therefore seemed logical for me to produce … Continue reading
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Tagged Agents of Entropy, chairlift philosophy, Chalet Project, ski demons, skiing injury, Wainwright bagging
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Monster Moguls in Meribel – “just ignore your inner chimp”
I’ve always disliked having skiing lessons. They seem to serve only one purpose – to destroy the self-image I manage to restore after my last lesson. That image is one of a ‘good skier’ who can ski down most things … Continue reading
Extreme Apres Skiing in Morzine
After surviving the powder bowls of Tignes and the glaciers of Saas Fee, I headed to the Portes du Soleil for possibly the biggest challenge of the season – a weeks skiing with my Morzine Crew. This would involve very … Continue reading
The Espace Killy & Me – Leader’s Refresher course
Five years, that’s all we’ve got. Five years, what a surprise. Five years – stuck on my eyes’. I sang along to the track that my iPhone had randomly selected. The Bowie lyrics seemed poignant; it was five years since … Continue reading
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Ski Resort Top Trumps
We all have a favourite ski resort. Call me partisan, but mine is Morzine. Since my retirement as a chalet host there, I no longer feel the need to justify why. I’ve always avoided getting into what I call a … Continue reading
The Morzine Chalet Project Ends
There will be no bacon run, no Land Rover angst, no food allergies to dance around and no living with 24-hour party people. But most of all the author of Skiing With Demons is looking forward to skiing without cooking … Continue reading
Sexism raises its ugly head – again
Having heard a Podcast reviewing my first book, I’m forced to respond (again) to the accusation that I’m a sexist. Worse still, that I think ALL women can’t ski! I normally take bad reviews on the chin(s). I’ll admit, SWDI … Continue reading
Neuf is Enough
It’s that difficult time of year again. August always means a dilemma for me. Do I steel myself, hold my nerve and stick to my post-season decision to make it my last – or will I panic and frantically start … Continue reading
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Tagged Chalet Project, Landrover Defender, Morzine, ski chalet
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An Expensive Day in the Alps
It had to happen eventually – every skier’s luck runs out. After seven straight injury free seasons, mine ran out two weeks ago in the Swiss resort of Les Croset. In an innocuous collision with a Swiss snowboard instructor, my … Continue reading
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Tagged Chalet Project, skiing accident, skiing books, Sutton Coldfield
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Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen go Skiing in the Rain
I like it when it rains in Morzine – not least because, when it rains, the bookshop sells more of my books! Even though rain turns into money for me, I do feel sorry for my guests who’ve been looking … Continue reading
Snow – Love it or hate it?
It’s snowing this morning in Sutton Coldfield! I shouldn’t be surprised. I’m pretty sure it has snowed here before, but since the royal town adopted me, it’s the first time I’ve seen her draped in white. England is a damp … Continue reading
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Tagged Agents of Entropy, Landrover Defender, morzine chalet, ski chalet, Sutton Coldfield
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What did this ski bum do with his summer? – shocker.
I hope that some of you will be disappointed to hear that Skiing With Demons III (SWD3) will not be published in time for Christmas – mostly because I haven’t written it. Amongst the ambivalent, there is someone who is … Continue reading
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Tagged Agents of Entropy, Apres Aliens, ski bum summer, ski demons
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Defender of the Fells
Historically, I have never liked being on my own. So it was with great trepidation that I set off on my solo camping trip to the Lake District. I say, “camping”, but no tents were to be involved. I’d “pimped … Continue reading
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Tagged Agents of Entropy, Lakeland Fells, Landrover Defender, ski demons, Wainwright bagging
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I love Cox – but not time travel
Thanks to Brian Cox I did a bit of time traveling in Birmingham last Friday. Well, it was really thanks to my girlfriend’s love of the television presenter and his ability to make astrophysics sexy. I don’t remember the appearance … Continue reading
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Tagged Chalet Project, geriatric ski bum, midlife crisis, ski chalet
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2017 – The Best and Worst of Ski Seasons
It had been the best and worst of seasons, as Dickens might have described it – one lacking in snow and beset with Land Rover problems from its outset. Morzine had seen a brutally cold January and tropical temperatures in … Continue reading
Style Altitude – interviews a “geezonaire”
Being asked for an interview by Elaine Deed, Style Altitude’s editor in chief and former fashion editor at Tatlor, was flattering. Being called a “geezonaire” – not so much. Not really being known for my dress or indeed skiing style, … Continue reading
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Tagged Apres Aliens, midlife crisis, Morzine, ski demons, skiing books
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