the ski-venture

25/2/15

Mel and Rachael's Ski-Venture.

Today turned out to be a beautiful, sunny, clear and really fun day.  Rachael and I caught a lift with the ski shuttle at nine am down to Oey, from which we caught the gondola up to the top of Silleren.  From the top of Silleren we skied down to Giles, and caught the gondola back up to Hahnenmoos. From the top of Hahnenmoos we  skied down to Metschmaad and then down further to Metsch.  From Metsch we caught the new gondola down to Rothenbach, and then the bus out to Lenk.

  

Skiing down to Metsch and the Gondola down to Rothenbach

 

Rachael and I 

   

Lenk and the Gondola up

Rachael and I skied down a blue run initially from the top Leiterli to the second gondola station, Stoss.  From there we caught the gondola back up to the top and skied half way down the run.  Then Rachael decided she was hungry so we stopped on the side of the run and ate our lunch!

  

The view from our lunch spot!

After we finished our lunch. (we didn't get run over!) we skied down a red run right to the bottom of Lenk.  My first red run!!  I didn't fall over whilst skiing the run either! I only fell over when we stopped to take a photo next to the red pole to prove I did it!  (On a side note, it is not a good idea to throw your phone down a ski run, even if you are only throwing it 2 m to someone else to take a picture... it ends up down the hill).  

 

Rachael and I headed back to Silleren after we had skied down to the bottom of Lenk.  It took us over 30 mins to get back up the mountain to Metsch where we were able to ski down to Giles. There we caught the bus to Berglager.  At the gondola station we saw Ana and Danielle; they were running the Silleren Hike and Sled day with our guests.  Rachael and I said hi and then caught the gondola back up to the top.  From there we skied down the sled run, passing our guests at the same time, back down to the second gondola station.  Passing Ana and Danielle again, we continued 'skiing' (it was a very very flat, sometimes uphill run) down all the way to Oey, where we arrived at 3:10.  Migue picked us and some guests up at 3:30, there's nothing like seeing the guests and knowing that your lift is coming!

After spending the afternoon packing and cleaning, dinner was Cottage Pie and we didn't have to clean up! Instead we went back to Stockli and celebrated our last night there.  

fighting with hahnenmoos

21/2/15


This morning I was up and out by 8 am.  I was heading out skiing for the day by myself.  I walked, carrying my skis down to Oey, and from there caught the gondola up to the top of Silleren.  I skiied for about an hour and a half with no problems.  However that changed one run when I came down from Hahnenmoos heading to Giles.  I decided to pick a fight with the mountain.  I was unable to turn fast enough as I came up on the side of the run, and I plowed into the ice wall created when the run is pisted.  It was pretty spectacular and would have been really impressive if caught on film! But as with most fights people pick with mountains, I lost.  I lost one ski which remained on the run, on pole which went further down the mountain off the side of the run, one ski stayed on my foot and my other pole decided to join in the fight and punch me in the lip.  I subsequently have a lovely bruised and split lip.  Apart from that I was ok (this is why I bought a  helmet!!).  I managed to get up and get my gear back together, and as you know, once your on a run the only way down is in a stretcher or to ski down, so I managed to get to the bottom, but then decided to call it a day.  I headed back to Oey on the gondola and then walked up the hill (slowly and slightly painfully) to Our Chalet.

I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on the couch watching movies and with a heat pack on my hip! I'm fine though, just going to have some lovely bruises and a nice fat lip for a couple of days! And it definitely hasn't put me off skiing!

Here are some of the pictures skiing I took before my fall:

 

 

A bridge and the freshly piste run I got to ski on

skiing with chloe

3/2/15

When I woke up this morning, Chloe had already left for skiing, and all working were still asleep.  I was up and dressed by 8:30 and ready to go by 8:45, though I didn't have to leave until 9.  I planned to walk down the hill, Mara had offered to take my skis in her parents car.  I got to the bottom of the Our Chalet hill, where the silver bins are and a Swiss lady offered me a lift to the gondola station.  The only place in the world I would accept a lift from a random person!
























I met Chloe at the top of Silleren just after ten am, after spending a considerable amount of time trying to put my boots on.  We skied, well I skied, Chloe snowboarded, for most of the day, stopping for lunch and breaks.  I left Chloe at 2:30 to catch the bus back to catch the gondola down to Oey.
 

I walked up the hill to the Chalet, carrying my skis.  It was a feat to be bragged about!!

skiing

23/1/15

Today was my first of two days off in a row.  I decided (and they allowed me!) the night before to go out skiing with some of the guests, Bill, Nikki and Isabella from the UK. I may have crashed their family skiing holiday, but I think they had a good time even teaching me how to ski!!  

We stopped for lunch at a hot chocolate at the bottom of Giles, and spent some time in the baby slopes with Isabella, who had never been on skis before.  By the end of the week she could ski quite well! 

Bill took me down a couple of blue slopes and taught me how properly turn.   Stand up and look over your shoulder.  Half way down one of our runs everyone was stopping on the slopes and taking oi cures of the sun. When we looked up we saw why; in the fog and glitter - like snow two circle rainbows had formed around the sun, then there was another half rainbow on the top of the second ring.  It was very impressive.  

We finished the day with a Gluwein at Peyton,  whilst waiting for Migue to pick us up in the van.  Dinner was Chicken Carbonara and Apple Crumble for dessert.

Handy Hint from Charlotte: when spelling dessert, it has two 's' because you want two helpings!

End of the Day Selfie

After dessert we had an impromptu campfire.

  

air boarding

9/1/15

Firstly, my apologies for the amount of photos in the blog post...

We were up and out by 8.30 am this morning, heading into town to take the gondola up Tschenten.  It is the mountain opposite the Chalet, a total 1946m above sea level.  At the top we were able to hire air boards (like a mini blow up mattress) for the morning.  We were only able to stay until 12, as Mara had to be back at the Chalet to work by 1 pm.

Going up the Gondola

Rachael wasn't overly keen

Charlotte, Mara and I with our boards

 

Air boarding is when you go down a sledge or specific air boarding run, on an air board.  You lie on your stomach and control the board by leaning left or right.  When you want to stop or slow down you either dig your toes in to the snow, slide your body off the back of the board or just flip over and fall off.  The boards had a elastic strap attached to them to attach them to your wrist, kinda like what a surfboard has.  It seems like a funny idea, however when you get going and fall off, it may take a while to stop and the airboard just doesn't stop.  They just keep sliding down the hill.  

Though the snow conditions were quite good, it was mega windy and hard to both keep on the track and get some speed up.  We ended up going of piste to get enough speed to get to the bottom.  The snow there was even better and it made us go even faster!  Rachael wasn't so keen, so she stayed to the track and just went slowly down the hill, whilst Charlotte, Mara and I zoomed down.  

The wind picked up quite a lot towards 11.30, the gondola was swinging alarmingly and we decided that this would be our last run.  Rachael was waiting conveniently at the bottom for us when we got there and after taking some photos we headed off to catch the chair left to the top.  A big gust of wind decided to come at that point, Rachael had taken off her glove to take photos, and the wind took her air board over the edge and down the hill about a 50 drop.  The gondola man laughed and told us that it was ok to get it, so Mara climbed down the hill and saved the wayward air board.  We were able to catch the chair lift to the top, return our air boards and get on the gondola with no problems there after. 

 We headed into town and into the Co-op, to re stock up on supplies.  Katrina picked us up at 12.15 and we got driven back to the Chalet.  We hung out at the Chalet until about fourish, when Rachael, Charlotte, Chloe and I decided to head down into Boden, and to the World Ski Village.

The Ski Village was still being set up so there wasn't much to do, however it was nice to see it before it would be teaming with people.  We walked into town, and found the Maritplatz.  It was just off the main street, you couldn't miss it - it was where everyone from town was.  There was free zip lining from the top of Berner Bar.  Rachael and I both had a turn.  

There was also a live stage with a band and presenters for the World Cup.  We found some cheese fondue in a roll and some gulwein.  The band was called Dorfrocker.  As described on the Ski Cup website - "the three brothers combine leather pants and electric guitar".  

 We headed back down the hill by riding the Gondola down to Adelboden, Oey, (Silleren) and then walked back up to the Chalet.

 Dancing on the poles in the Gondola 

 

My meltdown after walking up the hill