It’s been a while since I last blogged, mainly due to how busy it’s been at the ski school during the school holidays. I’m looking at the list of days worked here in front of me and tomorrow will be my first day off snow for ages and I’ve had 5 days off from teaching since the start of February.
 |
| get your lunge on |
This is a massive volume in comparison to last year and I’ve already gone way past the total amount of hours worked last year. This is great from an earnings and experience point of view but it’s taken a toll on my body and ski technique. Trying to balance a winter lifestyle built around après ski along with constant skiing means unexpected leg cramps, an aching Achilles and ski equipment that is starting to break down.
An unexpected bonus of this bumper ski season was my first proper week teaching in French in the ski collective groups in the middle of the Swiss school holidays. This was a little unexpected but once I got into the swing of things it was pretty straightforward. The important thing for me was that once I learned the right phrase for the thing I wanted, was to write it down that night to ensure I don’t forget it for next time. I’m pleased that the ski school trusted me with it and the kids I taught had a good time.
I thought I might get a rest at the end of the holidays but in early March, Cheeko and Hughsey from home came visiting and brought with them their usual week of drinking and carnage. You know well enough by now what happens when they come here but this time, they discovered the Dutch après ski bar in Chatel and bars in the sunshine up the mountain. My leg cramps got worse that week…I’ve been practicing my telemarking skills for the BASI level 1 telemark course that I have next week (see pic) which was interesting in the mogul slush conditions this week. Myself and a friend even resorted to having a lesson from someone who knew what they were doing, just to get the technical knowledge that I needed to square this new technique in my head.
It’s started snowing big again today in the Portes du Soleil, laying a new layer of snow over bumpy slush and mogulled pistes. The real question I suppose is whether I will stick to my plan for a day off or be tempted up the hill for some fresh tracks…
online here
