mountains & medicine.: Ski Stories

Last weekend, some friends and I headed to the Interlaken region, ready to hit the slopes. Although the weekend was jam-packed with wonderful moments, great trails, and even some time spent pretending to be James Bond, these are some of my absolute favorite memories:

1. Skiing Off-Piste (!!!)

I'm a cautious skier. I'm okay with steep; I'm okay with icy; I'm even okay with (a little) speed. But through in bumps, powder, and unmarked terrain? Yikes.

Last weekend, however, I ventured outside of my comfort zone and onto "off-piste" terrain. Unlike in the States, where pretty much every path down the mountain is a named and mapped trail, Switzerland neatly divides its trails into "on-piste" and "off-piste." On-piste trails are pretty, groomed, and listed on the trail map ("piste map"). Off-piste trails, on the other hand, are a complete gamble. Moguls, bumps, heaps of fluffy powder-- the trails aren't listed on the official map and pretty much anything is game.

Our first day of skiing was absolutely beautiful- blue skies, plenty of snow, great visibility. Ben, Amy, Riika, Viivi, and I spent a wonderful morning enjoying a plethora of nice, on-piste slopes. A little after lunch, however, Ben, Amy, and Viivi decided to add a bit more adventure to their day and took off on an unmarked, off-piste slope. Riika and I stood at the top, looking, down. I'm not sure about Riika, but I know I was both curious and terrified. The slope wasn't that steep, but it was rough- lots of lumps and bumps and piles of powdery snow. It definitely wasn't the sort of terrain I was used to skiing, but it also wasn't something completely out of my league. It was a challenge, but not in a bad way.

After several long minutes of staring down the slope, Riika and I decided to go for it. It was definitely slow going- unlike normal slopes, where I turn without thinking, each and every turn was carefully mapped and planned. I didn't always feel in control, but I somehow managed to keep my feet on my skies and my skies on the ground. When we (finally!) reached the bottom, I was insanely proud of myself. I don't often jump outside my comfort zone, but when I do, it really does feel great.

slope shots never seem to capture what slopes actually look like.
nevertheless, this is proof that I actually did master (or, to be more
precise, actually make it down) off-piece terrain!

2. Skiing in powder. Lots and lots and lots of powder.

My past few Swiss ski excursions have been blessed with impeccable conditions: brilliant blue skies, fresh fluffy snow, and temperatures hovering a hair above freezing. Perfect skiing, as far as I'm concerned.

While our first day of skiing had similar pristine conditions, our second day did not. There was snow. A lot of snow. Snow on the slopes, snow falling from the sky, giant snow-filled clouds removing any trace of visibility. It certainly made for some interesting skiing.

Although a little fresh powder makes turning much, much smoother, we were dealing with a lot more than a little powder- it was almost always mid-calf, and often passed my knees. There were times when I couldn't see my skis at all, and if I ever lost momentum, I'd quickly find myself stuck in the snow. While the snowy conditions had a few perks (falling is much nicer when it's into a bed of fluffy snow!), it definitely isn't my favorite way to ski. Next time we head to the mountains, I'll be hoping for blue skies once again!

one of the biggest downsides of snowy skiing: no brilliant views :(

when life gives you snow, make snowballs!

a brief moment of visibility: pure tranquility

winter wonderland

3. Skiing with friends.

Although the blue skies (at least on one of our ski days...), off-piste adventures, and heaps of fluffy powder certainly made the trip memorable, by far the best aspect of the trip was the company. Although going down a steep slope, dotted in bumps, and through powder past your knees can easily be more terrifying than exhilarating, having a couple of ski buddies going down with you makes all the difference in the world.