Fernie - week 2

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At last!
Temperatures are now a positively boiling -16ºC. For the fist time I walked to the local bar without wearing a face mask.
But despite the Caribbean like temperatures, the local "snowdragon" is still spreading deep fluffy snow over the whole area and we're now up to about a metre in our back garden (our mini kicker park has well and truly disappeared!)

Week 2 and my legs are still working. Maybe not to the same extent as some of these youngsters, but none the less, old Lappin is still hangin' on in there. Lesson are getting a lot more technical now - less about having fun in the deep powder and a lot more about our stance and style. So for my fellow snowboarders (especially The Ketchup Smugglers) here are the 5 disciplines of snowboarding. They are, in order of importance;

1. Stance and balance
2. Pivot and steering
3. Edge control
4. Pressure control
5. Timing and coordination

Last weeks's lessons were all about pivot and steering. We've been going back to basics, leaning forward onto the front of the board and twisting the shoulders so that the back end of the board swings round. Ta daaa - a basic turn. Then, Jay will take us off piste to a forest with an inclination of between 45º and 50º and throw us down it shouting "pivot and steer! Pivot and steer!" Christ that's scary - just no time to think before you have to make the next turn before a looming tree, but once I got it sussed I was able to enjoy riding slopes that previously I'd never thought possible. Stance and balance. Pivot and steering. Slowly but surely I'm feeling a lot more comfortable on a board.

Our lessons run from Monday to "Thirsty Thursday" (a few pitchers with the instructors after lessons). Fridays are a free day to practice, and then watch the local hockey match in the evening. But the holiday mode is now slowly being replaced by the living mode, so at the weekends I trudge through the snow to the supermarket (about a 5 minute walk), or visit the gym, do the laundry, etc etc. Which I don't mind actually. It's nice to take a breather from the wild parties at The Brick House with all those cute girls in hoodies and beanies. You know?

Spanish lessons have started now too, every Tuesday at the local college. Me and about 20 or so locals, with ages ranging from 19 to 50. But at the moment they all seem more interested in me and England than they do in Spanish! I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon! (That reminds me - I've got homework to do before next Tuesday.)

We also had the first stage of our avalanche awareness course last Saturday. 8 hours (9am 'till 6pm!) of theory - reading weather charts, different types of snow, layering, looking for evidence of avalanches (trees with no branches on one side) etc etc. A bloody long day but really interesting. We have our field trip later in the month, when we go up in the mountains and dig sections in the snow looking for weak layers etc. Should all come in handy if I ever want to be a guide.

And that's about it I reckon. Other than the date with a girl on the course (accidently took her to a bar that was showing a no holes barred "cage fight" - nice one Lappin...)

Next week it's all about the tuition side of things - how to teach snowboarding. And I think we're we've got a park day at some point - practicing our jumps. Oh and we have day trip to Kimberly mountain to do our cliff drops - I think that's Thursday? I really should check the notice board more often...

Laters!

Lapster.

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Photos

Transport to work
Me, June and Dan

Powder lessons
Class of 2008 getting ready for the ride of our lives!

Snake Ridge
Hiking up to Snake Ridge and on to Red Tree Pass for a powdery run through the trees.

Dropping in!
Our instructor about to show us how to ride deep powder down a very steep run through lots of immovable objects.

"Jibbing"
Tim riding the branch of a hidden tree before dropping off into the gully. Nice!

Happy birthday sis!
See! I may be three thousand miles away, but I can still remember your birthday! And mum didn't have to remind me this time!