Skiing Lech And Zurs (Lech/Zurs)

8/3/05 Tuesday

Got my skis and my ski pass and headed up the mountain. I was going to take it easy and go down the first easy run, so I follow the blue (easy) marker around a bend and find myself in a line to go all the way up the mountain. Ah well, the whole mountain it is then.

Now is skiing like riding a bike... after five years I still had the basics, but not the same dashing style of the Olympic run I had at the end of my three and a half day skiing in Innsbruck. The first run I actually got worse and had to change shoes as my left foot is bigger than my right. The second run I was getting better. By the end of the day I was pretty good, but still didn't have the confidence I remember having by the end of Innsbruck.

From recollections of 5 years ago, I remember the runs at Innsbruck being a bit more challenging and just nicer overall. I also remember that hill on the beginner run, somewhat near the start at Innsbruck. It think it was nearly 100m long and pretty much straight down. I don't even think the red runs I did had anything like it. Perhaps it was like their funny initiation... learn on this, the hard way. Innsbruck also seemed to have more crazy skiers.. people dropping in over the top of you from several metre drops and speed skiers dashing past.

Don't get me wrong though, Lech has its own hair raising moments on the easy runs. Some of the other runs look incredible. One comment today on the way up the gondola was that one run looked like the end of the world... and that it normally looks worse when you are standing on the edge.

The weather is a lot different to when I was in Innsbruck. Skiing Lech today has had the feeling of being inside a christmas snow shaker scene. It never stopped snowing the whole day and was fairly cold. My thin layers of clothing worked well though. When you ski, you generally generate a bit of heat. My soft shell jacket kept the breeze out and the 2 micro wool layers kept me warm.

When I skied Innsbruck it was over 30 with sunshine the whole time and quite hot. There were also avalanches, not that I knew about them.

Near the end I found a T-bar slope that took me up to a slalom course... which I decided to pass on and tried the other side. This had the one with the poles you are meant to dive around. I watched a class go down and then decided to give it a go. I had a couple of spills, but it was pretty cool. You get speed up quite quick because there is not much powder (soft snow) on the track.

There was one strange part today, going up in the gondola, towards the sun with the snow coming towards me. It was like an inverse of a space scene. A whitish background with the snow looking like little black stars moving past.

Todays skiing really took it out of me. I crashed and had a snooze when I got back. I figured lugging that backpack around would have prepared me somewhat, but skiing is hard work, especially going down the big hills. Lots of work for your thighs... unless I am doing it wrong.

There also seems to be mainly an older crowd here. It also seems to be mainly Europeans with a few Americans mixed in.

And how can a bottle with Cola-Lemon plastered as its main features turn out to be a beer! Damn it, stupid beer! ;) That's what you get for snoozing and turning up at the supermarket when it's about to shut. Erdbeer Traum, looks like milk but is more like drinking yoghurt.

Snow tip: If your drink isn't cold enough and you don't have a fridge... bung it in the snow for a bit. Just remember where you put it!