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Pups on Piste: A Ski Season in Italy
Parables from On Piste and Off…
Jackie and Mark share a passion for planks. When they married, just thirty-seven weeks after they first met, their ambition was to spend a full season in the Alps.
Pups on Piste is the story of their first three months in Monte Rosa with their four dogs, Cavapoos (Cavalier / Poodle cross) Kai, Rosie, Ruby and Lani. A little-known resort tucked under the second highest peak in Western Europe, one ski magazine placed Monte Rosa in ‘The Top 5 Off Piste Destinations In The World.’
Once there, they get lost, stranded, conduct experiments on the edge of control and take a Back-Country Ski Course in which one instructor’s advice is, “Don’t miss the turn or you’ll go over a cliff.”
Join them in legendary powder, where you will learn a multitude of invaluable lessons about skiing, winter walkies, the revenge of the snow chains, surviving a Viking invasion and how to remove snow balls from the belly of a dog.
Jackie and Mark share a passion for planks. When they married, just thirty-seven weeks after they first met, their ambition was to spend a full season in the Alps.
Pups on Piste is the story of their first three months in Monte Rosa with their four dogs, Cavapoos (Cavalier / Poodle cross) Kai, Rosie, Ruby and Lani. A little-known resort tucked under the second highest peak in Western Europe, one ski magazine placed Monte Rosa in ‘The Top 5 Off Piste Destinations In The World.’
Once there, they get lost, stranded, conduct experiments on the edge of control and take a Back-Country Ski Course in which one instructor’s advice is, “Don’t miss the turn or you’ll go over a cliff.”
Join them in legendary powder, where you will learn a multitude of invaluable lessons about skiing, winter walkies, the revenge of the snow chains, surviving a Viking invasion and how to remove snow balls from the belly of a dog.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2020
9 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Lambert
9 books76 followersJacqueline Lambert is a multi-award-winning travel writer, who has authored a series of light-hearted travelogues.
These follow her journey A.D. (After Dog) when she quit work to embark on a permanent road trip around Europe with her husband and four Cavapoo pups.
A dedicated adventurer, B.C. (Before Canines) she rafted, rock climbed, and backpacked around six of the seven continents.
A passionate windsurfer and skier, she can fly a plane, has been bitten by a lion, and appeared as a fire eater on Japanese TV.
These follow her journey A.D. (After Dog) when she quit work to embark on a permanent road trip around Europe with her husband and four Cavapoo pups.
A dedicated adventurer, B.C. (Before Canines) she rafted, rock climbed, and backpacked around six of the seven continents.
A passionate windsurfer and skier, she can fly a plane, has been bitten by a lion, and appeared as a fire eater on Japanese TV.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 29, 2020
As an animal lover, I was drawn to the book title. Once I began reading, I became equally engrossed in another key theme.
This book describes the adventures of the author and her husband during their three months in Monte Rosa, Italy, with their four dogs. Both avid skiers, they wanted to experience some of the best off-piste conditions in the world.
I was fascinated by the technicalities surrounding this form of skiing, the security measures and aptitudes required. I was transported to this breathtakingly beautiful location by the author’s superb descriptions, and gripped by the dangers they often faced (Jackie is a brave lady!).
Their dogs, very much part of the family, are a delight. I had never heard of a cavapoo before, but after reading about their escapades, I’m now an undying fan.
I learned much about this extraordinary part of Italy, loved the tales of the family exploits and adored their dogs. I look forward to reading more from Jackie Lambert.
This book describes the adventures of the author and her husband during their three months in Monte Rosa, Italy, with their four dogs. Both avid skiers, they wanted to experience some of the best off-piste conditions in the world.
I was fascinated by the technicalities surrounding this form of skiing, the security measures and aptitudes required. I was transported to this breathtakingly beautiful location by the author’s superb descriptions, and gripped by the dangers they often faced (Jackie is a brave lady!).
Their dogs, very much part of the family, are a delight. I had never heard of a cavapoo before, but after reading about their escapades, I’m now an undying fan.
I learned much about this extraordinary part of Italy, loved the tales of the family exploits and adored their dogs. I look forward to reading more from Jackie Lambert.
October 25, 2020
Wonderful Fun Filled Adventure
Embarking on a three month holiday to Italy Jackie and Mark set off in Big Blue with the awesome foursome, their adorable Cavapoos Kai, Rosie, Ruby and Lani. Having planned their days to enjoy daily skiing trips, especially off-piste in the wonderful powdery snow, they leave their fur babies in the rented apartment. Spending the mornings on the slopes and the afternoons walking the hills with the girls who love the snow and are soon VIPs in the local villages where they bask in the attention. Spending a week on a Black-Country Ski course is the only time they leave the girls all day, their landlady steps into the breech and keeps an eye on them.
Wonderful descriptions of the scenery, snow conditions and the mountains brought back lovely memories of my time skiing in Courmayeur and the descriptions of Monte Rosa are outstanding. This is a lovely book and had me laughing out loud at times, the odd grimace, especially when the Vikings were in residence. What an adventurous pair Jackie and Mark are, I found myself holding my breathe at some of their daring exploits on the mountains, getting lost and challenging themselves but oh what fun.
There are plenty of travel tips for skiers as well as how to holiday in colder climates with dogs. Thank you Jackie for keeping me entertained for a couple of evenings and for bringing back long ago memories of my skiing days.
Embarking on a three month holiday to Italy Jackie and Mark set off in Big Blue with the awesome foursome, their adorable Cavapoos Kai, Rosie, Ruby and Lani. Having planned their days to enjoy daily skiing trips, especially off-piste in the wonderful powdery snow, they leave their fur babies in the rented apartment. Spending the mornings on the slopes and the afternoons walking the hills with the girls who love the snow and are soon VIPs in the local villages where they bask in the attention. Spending a week on a Black-Country Ski course is the only time they leave the girls all day, their landlady steps into the breech and keeps an eye on them.
Wonderful descriptions of the scenery, snow conditions and the mountains brought back lovely memories of my time skiing in Courmayeur and the descriptions of Monte Rosa are outstanding. This is a lovely book and had me laughing out loud at times, the odd grimace, especially when the Vikings were in residence. What an adventurous pair Jackie and Mark are, I found myself holding my breathe at some of their daring exploits on the mountains, getting lost and challenging themselves but oh what fun.
There are plenty of travel tips for skiers as well as how to holiday in colder climates with dogs. Thank you Jackie for keeping me entertained for a couple of evenings and for bringing back long ago memories of my skiing days.
August 13, 2020
Wow! What an incredibly adventurous pair Jackie and her husband Mark are. It's a terrific account of their three month holiday in Italy where they can go skiing off piste. I was holding my breath reading about some of their pursuits on the slopes. Being a person who fell down on a nursery slope and never attempted to ski again I am in awe of those who hurtle down mountains for fun! I loved the author’s beautiful descriptions and her sense of humour. It was so lovely to read about their four dogs who were on holiday with them. Great fun. Full of information for those who are skiers , especially the top tips. I guarantee they will make you laugh out loud.
April 23, 2020
Pups on Piste is a humourous and incredibly informative factual account of the family’s exploits in a small Italian resort, well known for its off-piste skiing.
If you are thinking of taking up off-piste skiing I would highly recommend this book. It sets out the dangers of extreme weather, where something as simple as losing a glove can be a disaster. The risk of avalanches, crevices, and hidden rocks in mountainous regions, with extremely cold and changeable conditions, is highlighted clearly and concisely.
The descriptions of Monte Rosa are outstanding, making the book a must-have Italian travel companion or a winter sports destination to add to the bucket list.
Then there are the four dogs… Kai, Rosie, Ruby and Lani, all Cavalier King Charles Spaniels crossed with Poodles, making the popular Cavapoo breed. Although seasoned travellers the dogs had never experienced snow before and loved their daily afternoon walks and VIP status in the village.
Highly recommended for dog lovers, ski enthusiasts and adventurous travellers!
If you are thinking of taking up off-piste skiing I would highly recommend this book. It sets out the dangers of extreme weather, where something as simple as losing a glove can be a disaster. The risk of avalanches, crevices, and hidden rocks in mountainous regions, with extremely cold and changeable conditions, is highlighted clearly and concisely.
The descriptions of Monte Rosa are outstanding, making the book a must-have Italian travel companion or a winter sports destination to add to the bucket list.
Then there are the four dogs… Kai, Rosie, Ruby and Lani, all Cavalier King Charles Spaniels crossed with Poodles, making the popular Cavapoo breed. Although seasoned travellers the dogs had never experienced snow before and loved their daily afternoon walks and VIP status in the village.
Highly recommended for dog lovers, ski enthusiasts and adventurous travellers!
August 30, 2025
A life full of adventure. Having found a way to travel almost full-time, Jacqueline Lambert does a fabulous job with this book that has something for everyone. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their adorable four pups, whom they love as much as family.
The adventures and tips make me wish I had given skiing more than a quick attempt. I was on the flat, five minutes into training, and down I went. That was it. I never put on another pair of skis. Jacqueline‘s bravery after an accident had me on the edge of my seat. She also shared some unavoidable scary situations, and I held my breath as I read. My favorite advice about skiing from this book is to keep your eyes on where you want to go. That is excellent advice for skiing and life—and for mountain biking, which I do a lot. That and the other intriguing details about the fabulous places they saw made this book a perfect read.
The adventures and tips make me wish I had given skiing more than a quick attempt. I was on the flat, five minutes into training, and down I went. That was it. I never put on another pair of skis. Jacqueline‘s bravery after an accident had me on the edge of my seat. She also shared some unavoidable scary situations, and I held my breath as I read. My favorite advice about skiing from this book is to keep your eyes on where you want to go. That is excellent advice for skiing and life—and for mountain biking, which I do a lot. That and the other intriguing details about the fabulous places they saw made this book a perfect read.
January 5, 2025
If you’re an aficionado of skiing, this book is for you. It charts three months in the author's life as she and her husband, and family of dogs, take to the slopes for an extraordinary skiing holiday. Told humorously, it takes in the highs and lows and offers valuable tips on not just skiing, but driving in the snow. As a ‘retired’ skier, it would have been nice to know some of the advice on offer at the time. Enjoyable romp.
February 27, 2020
Pups on Piste is a really fun and interesting book. It's the second book I read from this author and I enjoyed it very much! While reading this book, you feel like you're on a holiday yourself, together with the author, her husband and the four dogs. This time, they're going on a skiing holiday in Italy for three months. They encounter many adventures and some problems. They also meet new people with interesting stories. Another thing I liked about this book is that the author gives useful skiing tips. I would definitely recommend this book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 6, 2022
What a delightful read! Having skied in the area it brings back fond memories of beautiful scenery and big blue skies! The off piste adventures sound awesome, but I however am definitely an on piste girl!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews