mountains & medicine.: Crans-Montana

Over New Year's weekend, Ben and I, along with several of our friends, headed to a fabulous chalet in Crans-Montana to ski in the new year.

The Highlights:

The views. As we skied down the mountain, we were treated with fantastic panoramas of the Swiss alps, covered in snow and dotted in frozen lakes. It was like we were skiing on top of the world.
The weather. Every day we skied was bright, sunny, and just below freezing. I almost always find myself cold while skiing, but this time, I was actually taking layers off.
The slopes. After hearing countless stories of steep and narrow European slopes, I went into the trip fairly apprehensive. Fortunately, the ski runs themselves were absolutely great-- I found nearly all wide enough to make nice turns and they just steep enough to be challenging and fun.
Our chalet. Kate and Monica, two of the girls I went with, did a fantastic job picking out a charming chalet. In addition to being rustic and cozy, the chalet also had a fully stocked kitchen, allowing us to cook and eat dinner together every night.
New Year's Eve. After a full day of skiing, we made dinner, played games, launched a few fireworks over the lake behind the chalet, and rung in the new year with a midnight champagne toast. It was a wonderful evening, and a great way to being 2011.

And.....the not-so-Highlights:

Injuries. Out of our group ten, two girls tore their ACL's. While the warm weather allowed me to ski without feeling I was about to freeze to death, it also meant that the slopes were dotted with icy patches. Fortunately, both girls are doing okay now, although they are definitely done skiing for the season.
The Glissade.
glis·sade \gli-ˈsäd, -ˈsād\ n. 2. A controlled slide, in either a standing or sitting position, used in descending a steep icy or snowy incline.

In other words, the way I descended what I now think of as "The Ski Run of Doom". Normally, I always check a mountain map for getting onto a ski lift, to ensure that there is a way back down within my skiing comfort range. However, for some reason, on New Year's Eve, I hopped on a lift with Ben, not bothering to consult a map. When we reached the top, the only way down was a very steep run filled with enormous, irregular moguls.

For the most part, steep runs don't really bother me. While I may prefer skiing runs of intermediate grade, when faced with a steep run, I'll just grit my teeth and go for it. Moguls, however, are a different story. Even on the gentlest slopes, moguls absolutely terrify me. When combined with steepness, they are simply impossible.

After freaking out for a bit at the top of the run, I finally decided to attempt my own glissade. I took off my skies, sat down, and proceeded to slide down the run on my butt while Ben transported my skies using the strange-but-effective method of throwing them, skiing to them, picking them up, and throwing them again. While I'm sure we looked absolutely ridiculous, I felt safe, and ended the trip injury-free.

My arms! Although our chalet was absolutely lovely, it was also fairly far from the base of the slopes. Each day we had to walk fairly far, carrying our skies and poles. I suppose it's testament to my lack of upper body strength, but my arms were sore! Normally, I come back from a ski trip with sore thighs and calves, but this time, my tired biceps and triceps overshadowed them both.