Still in Verbier

So this is our last full day in Verbier....

And yes, this is a picture of the JUMBO cable cars here.  I had to include a pic for reference, this one stolen from the internet.  They are very effective people movers, but they are scary as S**T!  The cable seems to disappear into the cobalt blue skies, with only small orange balls to warn aircraft of their location.  It was great skiing on the other side, but HOLY MERD!  This is not my idea of a relaxing ski lift, packed in like sardines, with 50 other smelly, euro spring skiers.  I suppose I should be reassured that here operators are highly experienced and professional.  It is not your average teenager from Argentina running these things.  Thank GOD! 
This is a trail map of the ski area.  Its HUGE.  It has been warmer each day so I struggle with the skiing.  Yesterday I felt as if I was trying to move down a hill of wet cement.  I have practically no wax left on my skis so the combination makes my legs a bit like jelly. Needless to say I did not last long.  I have opted to take today off and do some laundry.  Everything is dirty after 3 weeks traveling and I don't think my lower back can handle another day on the slopes.  It seems to be staying overcast, which makes it icy and I don't like that condition either.  I hit icy parts and fluffy parts and I feel like it is not only tweaking my back, but pulling my knees apart as well.  I have a new found appreciation for how spoiled we are in Aspen with our snow.  And the tame people on the slopes.  Here people can get a little aggressive and just knock you over.  Happened to me.  Lost both skies and the guy never even stoped to see if I was okay.  It made me want to either burst into tears or go find him and hit him in the face.  There is definitely a different ski etiquette here.

Then there are avalanches.  Every day when you climb the stairs to the gondola there is a big sign showing the level of avalanche danger, 1 to 5.  First day I skied alone was after a spring storm which usually raises the danger level.  It was a level 3.  Something to think about because the Swiss put up vague signs of warning in certain areas, but lots of people ignore them.  Of course Jonathan, on a day to himself skiing, goes to the steepest and most crazy shoot area and follows a couple of people who hiked up.  He was fine and so was everyone else on the mountain that day, but it made me think. 

Then came the obligatory first hand story.  Our new Scottish ski instructor friend Greggor told us his tale in the pub.  He hiked up to this area with a couple of buddies.  They do this only with an avalanche pack which includes a GPS beacon.  He was settling himself mentally to launch into a really steep shoot when these two guys cut him off and set off a large slide.  (You never go two close together, too much weight can set loose a slab of snow.)  He was buried over his head.  He was smart and as he fell continued to push his body up as far as he could, but he was still under the snow for over five minutes.  (The statistic I read is that after 15 minutes you have a drastically reduced chance of survival and only about half of people fully buried in snow survive.)  His buddies immediately started digging him out using the beacon and found him. They broke a couple of his ribs with the shovel, but he said it was the BEST pain he had ever felt and the LONGEST 5 minutes of his life.  This is the reason part of the ski instructor certification here includes mountain guide training.  The two guys who set off the slide were just hot shot amateur skiers and had no avalanche gear at all. They were in tears until he emerged, thinking they had killed Greggor.  

This is a pic I stole from the internet that shows the view from the gondola ride up.  This mountain is very steep.  The geography is amazing however. You can see all the way to the valley floor on clear days where it is fully spring and very green. A bit like looking down from a snowy mountain into the Napa Valley as there are many vineyards throughout the area.  Swiss wine is very unique and light.    

When we flew here we landed in Geneva and took a train to Martigny.  This took us around Lake Geneva which I can only imagine to be like living around one of the Great Lakes in the states.  I have always been a West Coast dweller, so it does not compute to live around a large body of FRESH water.  

And as I always do in Europe, I am in love with the food.  Ben, our host for this trip, is quite a foodie and always finds the best places to eat.  I was telling my sister I wish I could fill my suitcase with cheese and products from the pharmacy.  That is the other wonderful thing.  I found the best face cream and body lotion for a fraction of the price.  Fragrance free and they actually keep you hydrated all day.  They are a French brand, but the Swiss make the best shampoos!  You can get them in the states, but only at Fred Segal prices.  Damn it!

So, a few things I have learned on this trip: 

...I need to get in shape, not only for my skiing, but also for my back.  Somehow in the last six months I have developed a little jello belly which is not supporting my lower back properly. Ab work here I come.... kicking and screaming.  Also, my legs turn to mush in the slush and I lose control of my skies.  (And then I see Jonathan and Ben come back after not only skiing ALL DAY, but doing ski drills for Ben's training.  Yeah, they are tired, but they do it.)  I am lucky to get to the bottom without collapsing!

...I would really like to learn French.... finally.  I have travelled to France and now a French speaking country (they also speak German, but mainly French) and I want to know more.  Jonathan is toying with the idea of a season either here or in France, but he would need to speak French.  I am trying to talk him into Rosetta Stone!!  HEHEHE!

...I really miss my dogs.  I have to figure out how to fly with them if we spend a lengthy period of time aboard.  They are my little buddies and I miss them terribly when they are back in the States terrorizing my sister and her pets.  Sorry Jess for all the animal grief.  Hopefully they will mellow with age.

Ciao for now.  We have a couple of long travel days coming up, so I might not return for a few....