Your stories

My name is Maurice.

As you may have noticed, I’m a British short-haired cat.

Please don’t let my expression fool you. I'm enjoying the journey - I love travelling to the Alps by train. But if I stare at my owner like this, she'll give me more treats when we get to resort. This isn't my first rodeo.

This season, I met Daniel from SnowCarbon in this TGV train carriage, en route from Paris to Grenoble. A first, I ignored his attempts at conversation. But he wouldn't take meow for an answer.

Surprisingly, this turned out to be a stroke of luck because Daniel showed me something really useful: the Your Stories section on Snowcarbon.

You see, I'd told Daniel that I've been secretly researching ski resorts by train myself.

When my owner goes out of the room, I jump up onto her laptop and plug my special mouse into it so that I can surf the 'winternet'.

Its risky, though...if my owner finds out that I use her computer, she might realise whose been ordering all that extra cat food all this time. And then, if she changed the paws-word, it would be catastrophic. I'm writing to you from her computer now, but she could come back at any moment.

As a way to gain knowledge, Your Stories is a real discovery.  Skiers and boarders kindlly share their tails of trips to the Alps by train so that others can benefit from their recommendations and experience.

Photo: Olivia Holborn

For example, skier Olivia said that she'd never been catered for so well, on her holiday to La Plagne, and Peisey-Vallandry. I was impressed that Simon's family travelled by train all the way from Scotland to Serre Chevalier in France. while Mariette went by train from Scotland to Kitzbühel, Austria  - taking the NightJet sleeper train. And after his ski holiday by train to Zermatt, Swizerland, Tom vowed never to fly to Europe again!

When Mary Anne's alarm clock didn't go off and her family missed their Eurostar, they were still helped by staff to get on the next train and get a TGV connection down to Les Deux Alpes, where they stayed in fab 3-star hotel. It's not in a cat's nature to team up on a big group trip, but Alecky seemed to love the social experience where she made new friends en route by Eurostar and TGV to Morzine.

Alecky and friends on TGV

Alex' description of his ski holiday by train to Alpe d'Huez was full of useful stuff - as well as his tip for L'Aventure restaurant, on the slopes.

And the resort tips make a difference too. Beverley loved eating at Alti 16, a little local restaurant in Meribel.  As a cat, I tend to stay out of the water. But I'm hot-tub curious after reading about Gwilym's superb catered chalet in Tignes and how Tom's family enjoyed the (ski-in-ski-out) heated pools in Arc 1950.

Photo: Beverley Davies

The fantastic thing about these stories is that there is such a wide variety of insight, inspiration and ideas.

All this talk of skiing has had me thinking...instead of just visiting resorts and prowling around, I could actually try skiing myself.

Group ski holiday by trainPhoto: Daniel Elkan

I've scoured the shops and actually found somewhere that makes bespoke wooden skis for cats. I heard a rumour that you can get cat snowboards too - I think the brand is called Purrton.

The good thing about wood, for cats, is that you don't need bindings. Just claws.

Skis for catsPhoto: Daniel Elkan

When I gaze out of the train window, with the countryside whizzing by and the Alps getting closer, I think about where to go. 

That's why I'm writing this note you now.

If you’ve been skiing by train recently and could share your experience, that would be brilliant.

By adding your story to the kitty, you'll be helping other train-loving skiers – as well as cats like me.

Apparently you can contact me via Snowcarbon easily. 

Oh no...I can hear my owner is coming back home...gotta run over to the window sill and pretend to be interested in whatever the neigbours are doing...bye for meow...!