Day 3 Monday…

So today was the day that yours truly actually strapped my snowboard to my feet and attempted to remember what it was that i learnt all those years ago. I cant tell you how nervous i was. I had visions of falling and cracking my head open or doing something nasty to a limb and having to be skied down the mountain in one of those humiliating little beds on skis that the red cross type people have here on the mountains for foolish people who try and snowboard after 8 years absence…not to mention slack muscles/joints etc from general ageing and childbirth…

But anyway….Ben was eager to go so we dropped the kids off at their lesson. Isaac has turned into his normal self and because he has sussed out the button lift and can now successfully navigate his way down the run..he was off…skis on..up the lift before the rest of us had got off the ski bus almost.

Just before the lesson started i made Isaac come back and shot a picture of all three of them together with our little point and shoot.

Then there were no more excuses I had to get on and have a go. Now having done much of my snowboarding in the past in North America where they very sensibly don't have button lifts (a between the legs disc that drags you up the slopes – designed for skiers, not very easy on a snowboard because you are not facing forward)…I am not confident using them on a SB and Ben who learnt to board in Scotland where quite frankly your lucky to get a chair lift at all…is very used to them.

I am the comfort please, no hardship snowboarder and Ben is the gnarly, make do and get on with it snowboarder…so we dont match very well…haha….

So it was either walk up the run to get out of the nursery area of go on the other option to the button which was a rope tow. Which, again is probably designed for skiers but i had to have a go so heart pounding away i sidled up to it and grabbed hold. Snowboarders have to ride these lift with one foot out of the bindings..which makes you(me) pretty unstable..I also ride goofy, which was nothing to do with the disney character but means that i ride with my right foot forward instead of my left (which i more the norm) and so i had to hold onto the rope behind my back.

My first attempt was not pretty and involved a bit of hopping but i managed to get to the top unscathed but out of breath and every muscle throbbing from the pure effort of hanging on….little note to self…relax next time…

Then we found a couple of gentle greens and blues and slowly, slowly i started to find my way again…..Initially i thought to myself 'this is ridiculous, im never going to remember this….i just cant do it…why humiliate myself like this…im too old for this sort of nonsense….!*^!*….' but then the magic of muscle memory kicked in and suddenly i could feel the board and carve through a few nice turns….and then of course I loved it again and was all 'oh what a suh-weet run.' So fickle, so fickle…..