Snowboarding

Slovenia Feb 2003

Humm where do I start with this one?

(Click on the thumbnails for a full size image.)

Ok There are times when I wish I'd taken a course in creative writing. I've always had trouble writing fiction, humor especially.

Good job I didn't need the help this time. 

Until a week ago possibly the most common phrase around Watford or Guildford was.."Hang on a second did you just say Slovenia? What do you want to go there for?". The answer is (fairly) simple. 

Angus and I have been friends for a few (ok alot) of years and he had a significant birthday coming up. We've both been banned from various sports due to injury.   So what do you do when you've a body equivalent to a Mk1 Ford Escort that's had 8 owners (The newest who's an 18 year old boy racer whose just passed his test) and needs a re-spray?

You go Snowboarding!!!

Slovenia was the destination of choice as we'd decided to leave it as late as possible to book hoping the price would come down. This is not a bad plan until someone at work grinningly points out you've booked half term week off (Ooops...) Once again Lunn Poly were their usual helpful selves and found a deal in Slovenia at a very good price. A quick call back to Angus to check it was OK to book. ("Hang on a second.... Did you just say Slovenia?  OK book it!) and that was that.

Arrival.

"Shit Gatwick.. When I'm here all I want to do is be somewhere else. When I'm there I want to be......" No I can't push the film line that far .However I do feel for Martin Sheens Captain Willard. "The horror, the horror." It was busy!

Once my shoes had been checked for explosives (I'm not joking I've got witnesses), which anyone who knows me will tell you is a brave move. It was a run for the plane and a reasonable 2hr flight to Lubljana the capital (Head up Italy to Venice turn right) right up to the landing. Looking out of the window....

Snow, snow, snow, trees, snow, snow, more trees, snow. By this point we're near enough the ground to think 

a) Hang on there should be a runway around here somewhere.

b) Are we landing on snow.

Arrivals was one of the better I've been through and the one advantage with Rucsacks is they seem to arrive first in foreign countries. (Doesn't work in the UK for some reason??? ) 

The one thing that struck me was there was NO snow on the roads. They were bone dry and not a speck of snow in sight. Transfer time of 1 hr and arrival at the Hotel in some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen.

After a minor incident where I lost my Day Sac in the hotel (OK I left it in the mini bus) we headed for the bar for a drink. We had a welcome meeting (It's not often a beautiful blonde foreign lady gives me her phone number but as she was the Rep I was told it didn't count).

It was after this things started to go wrong.......

I didn't know that if you asked for a Red wine you got a pint jug. After dinner and about 9(ish) we decided to go for a walk. This is where we found out that if you jump over onto a verge to avoid a car. The snow gets to about 4' depth. Charlotte, Angus's other half had made me promise he'd come back in one piece. 3 Hrs into the holiday and rule one had nearly gone out of the window!

Snowboarding

The first day after getting to the top of the Cable car. We got equipment hired and set off for the first lesson. Angus, Myself and Lucy (16 Years Old and a surfer). Guess who's going to be the best?. 

I wiped out (with the obligitory girly scream) early on and insisted on walking down rather than the  snow mobile ride that was offered. I did get back on a board later in the week so I'll be back. 

Angus attempted a Black run by accident on the 4th day deciding 100m into the run that descretion was the better part of  valour  and fell over.

Still some of the views from the top were spectacular.

A couple of bits from the week. I'll write up properly when I get bits from other people. Any info or piccies click on a penguin. The HOME link will take you to my main page.

The Death of Dopey.  

I'll leave it to Kathy or Katy to explain this one in their own words.

And lastly for everyone a caption competition.

Thanks to Mark for the photo's below of the last night.

Were we really that sunburnt?

And last but not least the TWO most outrageous pieces of posing all week.

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