Fear

Vicky and I had decided to ski with the others for the morning, so we breakfasted and headed out. I wanted to do a few easy runs so we started with some blues before going to the top of the mountain on the four man. The red that Julie had forced us to ice skate on was still really icy but I put on my game face and skidded down. We then skiied around that area for a bit, once again taking the button lift with the bend in it. No fallers either. It was then time to cross back over into Pas to meet Ian for lunch. That was when the trouble began. We took a four man right up to the top, the same way Julie had taken us the day before. As we exited right on top of the ridge I began to feel The Fear. The wind was gusting, and there were lots of other skiers. I then made the mistake of looking down. My god it was steep, and high. The Fear began to take hold. We needed to get down a steep, icy, extremely busy little slope or I would be stuck on the mountain forever.  I set off and somehow, a few near misses with other people later, I had made it down the first bit. I was now firmly in The Fears grip. The others cajoled me down the road we needed to take. What had seemed easy the day before seemed almost impossible today. My legs were like jelly. What seemed like hours later we arrived at the designated restaurant. Half way down that terrible run I had decided not to go to the lesson. I had also decided that I had given skiing a good go and now was maybe the time to retire. The Fear had defeated me. 'Would you like to go swimming with me?' Said Ian. 'I would love to' I replied. 

Vickys was not such a wimp, she was going to the lesson, but she made me go with her to tell Julie that I had chickened out. 

After waving her off, Ian and I set off for the pool. He had already scoped it out so knew the way in to the brand new giant sports centre. 

We purchased our tickets and our manditory swim caps, pink for me and green for him. Then we wandered through the cavernous empty building looking for the changing rooms. They were as enormous, and empty, as the rest of the place. We wandered down more wide open corridors before finding the empty pool. But what a view! Huge panoramic windows gazed over snow topped mountains. It must be one if the most scenic, and least used, pools anywhere. We both swam a good few lengths in our own private lanes, in our own private pool, before moving on to our private jacuzzi. Out of view of the pool itself, just in case it got busy, with an even better view of the peaks, we soaked in the hot bubbly water. Shame they weren't serving piña coladas. We left the way we had entered, alone again. 

We were back in time to cross to the slope and meet Vicky from her lesson. She was buzzing. Julie had taken them off piste and on a black run. 'Do you think Jackie will come tomorrow?' She had asked. 'Very unlikely' was Vickys reply. Once again it was tea, a quick game of cards, and bed. All this skiing is really hard work!