My First 6 Days

14th December 2016

Climbing on to the bus after the last run of the day exhausted. Six full on days of skiing has definitely woken up some new muscles. But as I and the other guys have found, the hot tub is just the thing.

Right now in Jasper it is cold, and I mean -24°C COLD! Today I was wearing eight layers and not fully warm. However, don’t let my momentarily white hair take away the fact that this place is stunning. I mean even the early get up is worth it to see the sun coming up during the journey to the mountain, and I’m not a morning person.

Since arriving in Jasper everyone has been incredibly friendly and genuine, I have never experienced this hospitality before, it’s so refreshing. However, one big change for me are the food portions, it’s safe to say you get value for your money, having taken last night’s left overs for lunch most days.

The skiing is FAB! The snow is excellent. There is a great selection of terrain, although we have not yet explored them all. With Jezz leading us I have no doubt that eventually I will be able to get down everything with confidence, of which I am gaining at the moment.

I started day one as an ok skier, but in these within these first six days, I have already improved drastically, it’s insane! I now understand the importance of movement of the joints and being centred on the ski. Just this has formed a basis for me to improve on. Watching the videos and analysing our technique have also made it clear what I need to do. Every day is a new challenge, which usually contains frustration but always a sense of achievement. I have also found out that snow plough is not that easy.

With two days off, we are going to have a taste of the night life, which should be fun, and also rest these aching muscles. But one thing is for sure, I am excited to see how my skiing is at the end of the season compared to the start. BRING ON THE WINTER!

Alex