Day 3: The Day We Didn’t Go

We woke up ready to move up the mountain.

Bags packed. Gear dialed. Plan in place.

And then we looked outside.

Low visibility. Flat light. No definition in the terrain.

The section we needed to cross was highly crevassed, and without visibility, it’s not just hard… It’s dangerous.

So we didn’t go.

And that’s one of the hardest decisions to make. Because we were ready. And when you’re ready, you want to move.

But the mountain doesn’t care about readiness. It cares about conditions.

When the Energy Turns

With the plan pulled, the energy shifted fast.

Grumpy kids. Short patience. A little edge in everything.

Which, if you’ve ever traveled, pushed your body, andtaken away control…you know exactly what that looks like.

I’ve learned this the hard way over the years, so instead of overthinking it, we went straight to the simplest fix.

We went for breakfast. And not just any breakfast…theirbreakfast.

Crepes.

And just like that, things started to come back online.

Because sometimes leadership isn’t a big speech or a big moment.

Sometimes it’s just making sure people are fed.

The Small Things That Add Up

We’d also had a few food misorders earlier, which sounds minor, but in a new place, it matters more than you think.

When everything already feels unfamiliar, those small misses start to stack. And without realizing it, trust begins to slip a little.

You start questioning things you normally wouldn’t.

And if you don’t catch that early, it builds.

Resetting the Day

With no skiing and no clear window to move up, I knew we needed to shift the environment.

The hotel rooms we had weren’t great. Tight, not much space, nowhere to really reset.

I’d been holding off on changing them while we figured out the weather, but today gave us the chance.

So we moved.

Upgraded into an apartment with more space, a kitchen, and room to breathe.

And something interesting happened.

Everyone had a job again.

Packing. Moving. Getting settled.

The energy that was starting to spiral had somewhere to go.

Seeing It for Themselves

Later, we sat down and watched video.

Their skiing from the last couple of days, alongside others skiing similar terrain.

And you could see it land.

Not because I told them they were doing well.

Because they could see it.

How much faster their transitions were.
How much more controlled they looked.
How much progress they’d already made.

Confidence started to come back.

Not from encouragement. From evidence.

The Unexpected Win

In the afternoon, I took them to the QC Terme Chamonix.

Which was met exactly how you’d expect.

Eye rolls. Doubt. Mild resistance.

(And yes… I did have a moment of thinking,does anyone else do amazing things with their kids and still get questioned every single time?)

But we went anyway.

And within 15 minutes… everything changed.

Steam room. Quiet.

Then one of them says:

“Mom… this is exactly what I needed.”

The Shift

Three levels of saunas, steam rooms, hot pools, cold plunges, and quiet spaces.

But more importantly… stillness.

They walked in tense.

They walked outcalm.Clear. Reset.

And that led to one of the best conversations of the day.

Calm isn’t something you either have or don’t have.

It’s something you train.

You learn how to respond when things don’t go your way. When plans change. When you don’t have control.

And life keeps giving you chances to practice that.

Today was one of them.

Where We Stand

We’re still watching the weather.

Still ready to move when it makes sense.

Tomorrow we’ll likely ski Aiguille du Midi, and possibly the next day as well.

There’s a chance at a summit window around May 1st.

But we’ll let the mountain decide.

Final Thought

Today didn’t look like progress.

No summit push. No big movement.

But it might have been one of the most important days yet.

We reset the energy.
Rebuilt confidence.
Strengthened the team.

And that’s the part people don’t always see.

We’re back in a good place.

And ready for whatever tomorrow brings.