THEY DON’T COME MUCH BETTER

 With our entire property rented out to a group of people who were self catering, we thought we would take this opportunity to get to the slopes for the 1^st lift (Something we haven’t managed to do yet in the 3 years since we have been here)! And do some real quality boarding together, safe in the knowledge that we didn’t have to be back by a certain time to start cooking.  The alarm clock duly went off at 7am and up we get, dressed and ready to leave by 8am, boots and full regalia donned, there comes a knock at the door! The guests obviously got wind of our intentions and conspired to make sure we didn’t get there too early!!  “Can we have a lift to the gondola now please”? Damn…… we should have known! 

!0 minutes later, guests deposited at the lift, coat on, once again, we are about to lock the door and the telephone rings! Guests who are staying in an apartment we are looking after cant get out of the door to their building. Everything bundled into the car, snowboards, gloves, Jemmy bar! We head up to the apartments knowing that usually when things start going wrong this early in the morning, it is usually the shape of things to come for the rest of the day! Arriving at the apartment block we find two very despondent people sat on the step just inside the glass front door, skis abandoned in the attempt to free themselves! Walking toward the door with the Jemmy bar in his hands, Nigel (who I am sure would have liked to just put it through the glass ) manages to prise the door open and release the captives a lot easier and quicker than anticipated.  

Having made our introductions to the newly released father and son, we offer them a lift to the gondola as we are now heading that way ourselves, finally! Chatting with them along the way, they tell us of their experiences on the slopes during their stay in Bansko. Realising they are quite competent skiers, we ask if they would like to join us for a couple of runs. Invitation accepted we head off together up to the slopes for the start of what turned out to be an absolute fantastic day together.  

The first couple of runs were made on slopes that, freshly groomed overnight only had 4 sets of tracks on them! Ours. We then took them off-piste into the bowl, through the trees onto near vertical slopes, where after a small fright (if you can call sliding about 50m down a tree infested steep, a small fright)! The son picked himself up, dusted himself off (waited for his father to bring his skis down to him), put his skis back on his feet, then carried on down through the gully under the chair lift where we returned once again to the piste. 

Another few runs on piste and we decided to venture off through the trees again. This time a little tamer than the last, we zigzagged our way through the trees between pistes. It may not have had the steeps, but it certainly had deeps and lots of tress to navigate your way around. Choosing your spot to turn was definitely the secret of coming out alive. As I emerge from the trees and over a small lip, I am greeted with the sight of a crumpled heap with board and skis entangled. Nigel and Olly really shouldnt follow each other so closely! Andy is gutted he missed it as he is following with his video camera.   

As its Andy and Olly’s last day in Bansko, it was all about getting the best out of their day, and Im positive this was achieved. Both enjoyed their off-piste adventures, their trips down the Tomba (black) and the reds at a speed that usually would feel uncontrolled, but because everyone was enjoying themselves so much, felt quite natural. A great time was had by all. How do I know? Andy, I think will be reaching for the Ralgex to sooth his aching muscles. Olly, on reaching the bottom gondola station declared he couldn’t possibly walk back to the apartment as his legs ached so much. Nigel is asleep in the chair behind me, and ME? As soon as I have finished writing this I’m going to investigate the back of my eye lids for half an hour too!  

Thank heavens the day didn’t carry on the way it had started! Or maybe it was fate that the day started the way it had, as Im sure our day wouldn’t have been half as enjoyable if it hadn’t.  

Glynis Morgan

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