| I have always wanted to try skiing, but was afraid of | | | | heavy for me) under one arm, and the 4ft poles |
| all the extra costs, like lift passes, ski hire and all the | | | | under the other! We must have looked like right |
| clothes - not to mention getting all the way to | | | | newbies to all the regulars there - I can imagine they |
| somewhere cold enough to try it. However this time | | | | have some word for us as we head off in one big |
| was different. | | | | group towards the mountain train. |
| I had a friend from the UK who had always wanted | | | | The morning session was nice and slow, on a flat |
| to have a go at it too, so we decided that next time | | | | patch of snow not to far up the mountain, with only |
| we went away together, it would be somewhere | | | | 5 other beginners in our group. It was very strange |
| cold enough for snow! Scotland in January fitted the | | | | to not have control of your own feet, and not able |
| bill, so we got it all booked - and I was quite | | | | to step off them at any time, but it didn't take long |
| surprised at how little it cost us.... | | | | to realise that you can't really fall off. The boots |
| I'd called the ski centre after finding their contact | | | | totally supported your body - I mean you could sit |
| details on the mountains own website (?) to find a | | | | right down or lean right forward and touch the fronts |
| very helpful man on the other end of the line. He told | | | | of your ski's without falling over. This increased my |
| me that the tuition price included all the essentials | | | | confidence no end, and I was actually skiing down a |
| including free travel on the mountain railway, ski | | | | little slope after about 20 minutes! |
| passes and of course a full days tuition and you could | | | | It was then that I found out I couldn't quite stop! I |
| hire any extras if you needed them. | | | | understood what the tutor was telling me to do, but |
| He also advised that due to the temperamental | | | | my feet couldn't quite control the ski's. It was a very |
| weather, if you turn up on your booked day and | | | | strange to be telling my feet one thing and have |
| there is no chance of skiing, they will just move your | | | | them do another. For the rest of the morning I |
| lesson on to the next day for free. I don't know | | | | enviously watched the girl who couldn't stop falling |
| why I was so worried about all the extra costs - as | | | | over earlier to be confidently turning left and right |
| so far, there don't seem to be any! | | | | and stopping whenever she wanted to, while I was |
| The accommodation we chose was as close to the | | | | overshooting into the fence or way off down the hill! |
| mountains as you could get, and it turned out - the | | | | Needless to say at this speed, I found out that you |
| best place to be if you are an outdoor type. It was a | | | | could fall over quite easily in fact!! |
| centre for all the associations you would expect up | | | | We broke for lunch, with me still unable to master |
| here, including avalanche research, mountain rescue | | | | turning and stopping, and headed up the mountain |
| and training. It was also a learning centre for anyone | | | | where we ate in the highest restaurant in Scotland |
| interested in rock climbing, ice hiking, river and sea | | | | (apparently). The afternoon session was right at the |
| canoeing to name a few - and just by staying at the | | | | top of the mountain, and when we got there, you |
| lodge you had free access to their climbing walls, | | | | couldn't see past the end of your ski's - there was a |
| gym and pool throughout your stay. | | | | blizzard going on! We all wrapped up safe and dry in |
| Anyway, on the first day, we read the weather and | | | | all our clothes, with only our noses exposed to the |
| avalanche reports (!) for the mountain over a hot | | | | weather. The fresh snow made skiing so much easier |
| breakfast and it all looked like it was going to be a | | | | and as the snow lessened we were slaloming |
| good day for skiing. There was no snow on the | | | | between our skiing poles and were all 10 times better |
| lower parts of the mountains, but as we pulled into | | | | than this morning, and I finally mastered the whole |
| the car park we could see thick snow just off to the | | | | stopping thing (I found it easier without the poles in |
| side! Getting more and more excited we headed up | | | | my hands). |
| to the equipment block and made ourselves known. | | | | No joke, after an hour up here, we were all off on |
| It was only at this point that they took any money | | | | the ski lift to the very top slope and were all |
| from me, I had booked us in so far on purely on a | | | | confident enough to ski down, following the tutor |
| promise. | | | | back to the bottom of the ski lift, then went up |
| The staff couldn't have been more patient and | | | | again. |
| helpful as we were shipped over to collect our boots, | | | | All in all it was a great day. I can now ski with |
| and were having some serious trouble getting them | | | | confidence, I wasn't cold at all at any time, I didn't |
| on, and then walking in them. Well, they take all the | | | | get wet from all the falling over, I wasn't hurt from |
| movement away from you lower leg, ankle and foot, | | | | all the falling over and I had gotten to see a whole |
| so we were hobbling along on our heels. There was | | | | lot of snow! |
| me, trying to carry my 4ft ski's (which were very | | | | |