The Hardships of living in a ski Resort!

Living in a ski resort is maybe not as easy as most people think. During the long winter months when you have to cope with copious amounts of snow, when you must keep stacking the fire with logs to keep the chills away, clear the drive so that you can get your car out and on top of that you have the hardest decision of all to make each and every morning, ‘Do I go boarding today’? and just to make problems worse. Actually deciding whether to ski or board!!  Hmmm and you thought it was all fun!!

Actually life couldn’t get much better than it does in winter, yes sure, we run a hotel so we do at some point need to do some work. Having said that. Our guests are here for the same reason as we are. WE ALL LOVE THE SNOW. And when you have so much in common with your guests life just gets easier from there on in.  

Enough about work already! Im sure you’re more interested about the snow and the skiing/ boarding. 

The slopes of Bansko (South west Bulgaria) are wide and long, which makes for endless cruising whether on skis or a snowboard. With open slopes (above the tree line) at the top, you can safely choose any route you wish. The pistes aren’t really clearly cut until you drop down into the tree line. To even the novice skier, this is almost like having your first taste of off-piste.  

With runs to suit any standard of skier, Bansko really is a great place to spend your well earned winter break.  The nursery slopes and the blue runs are gentle enough to help you build your confidence before moving on to some of the more gentle red slopes. Amongst Bansko’s black (hardest runs) is the run known as the Tomba run (named after Alberto Tomba who officially open the 2003/ 2004 ski season). The Tomba run stands proudly adjacent to the top station of the gondola, and is the very first run that everyone (including beginners) see when alighting from the gondola. The usual reaction especially from beginners is ‘Oh my God I think I’ll give up now’ or ‘Our instructor wont take us on that one will he’?  A few instructors have been heard to reply ‘don’t worry you’re not ready for that slope yet, we’ll save it for tomorrow’.  

Last year saw the opening of a fun park on the piste leading down to ‘The Plato’. Jumps and rails were put into place for anyone who felt brave enough to give them a try. This year will see the opening of a half- pipe. 

Once a year, usually during February, there is an extreme competition that goes by the name of ‘The mad Goat’ where the name comes from, who knows! But, it is usually patronised by extreme skiers and boarders from all across Europe.

Off-piste in Bansko is limitless and thrilling. The wide open bowl that sits between some of the slopes is just asking to be skied / boarded. Difficult to resist the urge, once you drop into it, you must keep going, unless of course, that you’re into walking up hill in you ski boots and carrying your skis over your shoulder! ‘I think not’. The steep walls of the bowl once navigated then give way to a small plateau from where you can then ski down into the valley before once again joining the pistes.

 The off-piste through the trees is equally as much fun and very extensive; navigating your way through the thick pine forests, hopefully avoiding the trees, is exhilarating.

A couple of common expressions for off- piste through trees (which by the way you hopefully won’t be using)

‘Tree hugging.’, When a person find themselves unexpectedly closely inspecting a tree trunk. Usually with arms and sometimes legs wrapped around a tree trunk. (This position usually found when failure to navigate around the said tree).

‘The tree monster got me.’ The tapered hollow of snow found at the base of most trees, sometimes as much as 1 or 2 metres deep. Once you find yourself slightly off balance just over this lip, you’ve had it, there’s no way of correcting yourself. You may as well just give in gracefully!! 

One of the secrets to skiing off-piste is to not fall over, as getting up again in waist deep powder snow whilst fun, is almost impossible. Likened to the game of ‘twister’ it’s enough to reduce even an all-in wrestler to tears. Once you have positioned your feet you then have to push with your arms, problem is, your arms, like your feet, usually just keep disappearing below the snow and ‘hey presto’ your back to square one!  You would think that people would learn by their mistakes wouldn’t you, and avoid the off-piste altogether but, guess what? Yes, we keep going back for more!  Who wouldn’t? 

Believe it or not there really is a serious side to a ski resort. You have to think very seriously about which beer to order. You have to think very seriously about whether or not you will go clubbing again tonight.  

Glynis

www.devonshirelodge.com

© Copyright 2009 Devonshire Lodge. All rights reserved