Our two editorial titans of the slopes pit their opinions against each
other again on the latest big issue - lunch or dinner? Mark Frary is a lunch
traditionalist while Sean Newsom prefers to pack a sandwich... Let us know
what you think on the comment form
Mark Frary, wintersports editor of The Times:
Ski holidays are not just about the physical activity of skiing. A holiday in
the snow is just as much about all the extras, such as spending time with
friends, gasping at the awesome scenery and, naturally, the booze. Above all
these comes lunch.
In the depths of mid-winter, I like nothing more than clicking out of my
bindings, heading into a rustic mountain hut and sharing a steamy back room
with fellow skiers over a bowl of hot broth and a chunk of crusty bread. In
balmier times, I love sitting out on the terrace – soaking up some sunshine
while polishing off a plate of fortifying pasta, preferably handmade by some
grizzled Italian grandmother and slopped in a drizzle of special sauce.
OK, so lunch can take a significant chunk out of your skiing day – especially
given the queues in peak holiday time – but it’s just the sort of fortifying
boost you need if you only had the chance to grab half a croissant and a
slurp of coffee at breakfast.
By contrast, dinner is the inconvenient interlude between après-ski and a
night on the town. On top of that, you’re usually tied into some ridiculous
half-board deal at a hotel or the meagre offerings of a chalet host on a
tight budget.
And before Sean uses the line, it used to be said that lunch was for wimps.
That’s too old school - dinner is the new lunch as far as I’m concerned.....
Sean Newsom, wintersports editor of The Sunday Times:
Nice try, Mark. But I’m afraid real skiers don’t do lunch. After all, what
exactly have you paid all that money for? A skiing holiday, wasn’t it? And
with barely seven hours a day to enjoy the slopes, is it really a good idea
to waste at least two of those sitting around in an overcrowded hut trying
to catch the waiter’s eye?
C’mon! You can do that every day you’re back in Blighty, nailed down to your
normal life. Pack a rucksack with a flask and few sandwiches, instead, and
set yourself free.
You’ll also find the second-best time of the day to ski – after the dawn
patrol, when the lifts open – is when everyone else is stuck indoors,
spending £20pp on chicken and chips and a glass of paint-stripper wine.
Suddenly the slopes open up, and you can really go for it.
If you need a breather, then stop for coffee at 11.30am and again at 2.30pm,
on either side of the midday rush to get a table. Then you can come down the
mountain with a proper appetite for dinner – which, if you’re staying in a
hotel of chalet, you’ll have already paid for. You’ll be saving money twice
over – firstly by avoiding those hideously overpriced mountain meals, and
secondly be getting maximum value for money from your lift pass.
I admit, seven hours is a long time to be skiing hard: but there’s a simple
answer to that. Get fit before you go! Or failing that, think about
investing in a Ski Mojo….
Got an issue you want our snow bosses to debate? Email us at yoursay@timesonline.co.uk
