My version of Skiing!!

Hi All!!

Sorry to write about Zermatt again but I feel that you need to hear the truth about skiing. Richard was very brief and did not quite cover how bad it actually was for me. So let me tell it how it really went. Please note this first photo was a before shot!! I had not started yet.



On the first day of skiing I was very excited as we went and hired our skis. They lady had to ask what ability you had (I guess this varies what type of skis you get), I told her never been before. She wished me luck but I think she was actually laughing at me! We then headed up to catch the train up to the slopes. We had been told by the lady would sold us our ski passes that this particular run was a good start for beginners, what a liar!!! We got to the top and it was just straight down. There was nowhere at all for me to have a bit of a practice and get used to the skis. I was scared and am not ashamed to admit it!!!!

So we went to the side of the run so Richard could show me the basics, like how to stop and turn. Then we had to go. I tried to wait until there were not so many other people going down but this was hard cause it was quite busy. Then off we went for about 3m then CRASH!!! And that is how it went for the next two and a half hours!! I would try to go from one side to the other. If I made it without falling that was a bonus!! I crashed so many times I could not keep count. I even face planted into the the side wall!!! Lucky it had snowed the day before, it made the wall nice and soft. I had snow everywhere!! It went in my pants, up my jacket, in my beanie and up my arm sleves. I crashed so hard my skis went flying and trying to put skis back on when you are on a slope is very hard! Especially when I had enough trouble getting them on anyway!



I will say I did start to get better over the two and a half hours. I managed to even string a couple of turns together before crashing. The thing about getting better is Richard would go slightly ahead then bang! I was down again. I had many people ask me was I ok. I lied and said yes. I also have to say over this first run there were so very many tears. I would be going ok then we would stop at a hill (that was massive to me) and I would panic and start crying cause I was to scared to more. Every bone and muscle in my body was aching!

I was improving though and we finally made it to the bottom!! Not after having to go through this horrible tunnel that was really narrow and fast (I crawled down the side to get through) which was made of stone and would have hurt a lot to crash into. Then we headed back up. Just to prove I had improve the second time only took an hour to get down! Far less crashes, no less spectular though! Then we did it again. I still had moments of tears and could not get through the tunnel at the end without crawling down the side, but I had improved ten fold.

We then had lunch because I could bearly move anymore. After lunch I headed home cause my body could not take anymore punishment plus I wanted richard to be able to have a ski without having to stop every min for me. That night I could hardly sleep. My body was so sore. Getting in and out of bed was so painful. Turning in my sleep woke me cause it hurt so much and going to the toilet was even painful as my bum was so bruised.

When we woke up for day two I was no longer excited! I did not even want to go, I hurt too much. I said to Richard that I would bring my skis up but was going to sit out the morning and I would start after lunch. We tried a new set of runs and when we got up there I was happy (and a little mad cause I had to start of the hard run the day before!) to see a nice easy, mild baby run!!! It was wide and had a few straights with a few hills that were managable to get you going on the straights. Well I was so excited I think I may have only crashed a couple of times per run!! Thats fantastic. I had problems with my turns because of my legs not wanting to work due to their soreness. We did this run a number of times because I could mostly get through unscared. There was just one hill that was beating me!! I even had all these good skiers overtake me then stand at the bottom and watch me. I was doing it so well, I thought I was going to make it!!! Then CRASH!! Right in front of everyone, so horrible! I dont think anyone laughed though so that was nice.



We then decided to go to another run to give it ago. This was mostly ok except for where you get off the lift. There was an extremely steep slope. I dont even think I was the only one side stepping down this bit!! I did not crash though. Here we found a ski tow (well they are interesting to ride on) and went up to a run I did quite like. It was very wide and the slopes were not steep at all. The only tricky bit was you had to ski through the people going up the ski tow. I was nervous about that. I thought I would take someone out for sure! I did not though so thats good news. I managed to do this run a couple of times with no crashes!! Yay! Richard then caught the tow up higher while I did halfway. We then headed home together as it was late and cold.

The third day we went back to the afternoon before runs. This time I went all the way to the top with Richard. It was not actually to hard and I did not crash but it was so cold. The wind was horrible. We decided to head back to my baby run in the home it was more sheltered from the wind. It wasnt. I was very excited though because I made it through with no crashes, even conquered the hill that was beating me!!! It helped me not hate skiing so much.

Richard then tricked me!!!He said we could go down this easy run to get onto a lift to another one. So I said ok and went along. Well the run was ok for a bit, but then we got to the lift and it was going the wrong way and was not what we wanted!! Thats ok says Richard we can just go down here and get to it there its an easy run! Liar, liar pants on fire!!!! It was a hard run (well intermedite, but hard for a first timer). I managed fairly well for most of it, no crashes and all. Then we got to this horrible steep and long slope. It was also evry bumpy. I was terrified! I tried to side step for awhile but it was not going well. I then decided I had to rty and ski down or I was never going to get to the bottom which was what I wanted more than anything else! I started ok and Richard went ahead because he wanted to get a photo of me kicking ass!! Well while he did that I picked up a lot of speed, went out of control and crashed hard! I hit my knee and lost a ski! It hurt quite a bit so I just sat there crying!!! What a baby! A man came passed and asked me if I was ok, I told him yes and that I did not need any help but he would not believe me (maybe the tears were a give a way that I was not ok) and insisted on helping me down.

He was very nice and told me that we all were here once but I was probably on to hard of a run for a first timer. I told him we got here by accident! I did not want to tell him my boyfriend was mean and had tricked me!!! Richard denies this but then at the same time says but I thought you could handle it you were doing so well! In the end I made it alive. After that though my aches and pains said no more and I headed home. Richard went for a bit more of a run, so he could actually ski non stop and down somewhere I would not do.

So overall, I sucked and was a sook!! I kept telling Richard I hated skiing but really it was fun in between all the crashing. I would still do it again but bring on the baby runs! Oh and I got a great skiing tan line on my face too!!!

Love Sarah