Many years ago when I was a teenager I was walking in the Alps and felt embarrassed when a group of hikers came past me at a fast rate of knots. I was labouring my way up a steep gradient whilst they skipped past me with barely a hint of heavy breathing. What fascinated me about this incident was the fact that none of this spritely group appeared to under 80 years of age! Continue reading
I was really quite excited when I first heard about Channel 4’s new reality show The Jump last year. I am not a great fan of watching Z listers play silly games usually but I am interested in skiing and couldn’t help wondering how they would all fare. I also devilishly considered the fact that snow sports can result in some fairly major accidents so there was bound to be a bit of drama along the way!
For those who have not seen the programme, The Jump pits celebrities against each other in a series of snow sports including skiing, speed skiing, bobsleigh and skeleton. In each round those who finish in the bottom two must brave the ski jump to decide who leaves the competition. Continue reading
Having taken two skiing holidays you would think that I would have learnt my lesson about the rigours of the sport but clearly not! If you are not in tip top condition skiing can really stretch your leg muscles and it is best to build up your strength gradually. This doesn’t explain why I decided to book an all-day session on the indoor slope having only skied for two hours since the beginning of January! Continue reading
I have just taken up skiing and on my first trip I was astonished at how many people seemed to be more concerned with their personal appearance than improving their skiing. Admittedly most of the posers I saw could ski perfectly well and certainly better than I could, which wouldn’t be difficult, but they seemed more concerned with their fashion than their sporting ability. As they lounged around polishing their Ray-Bans I wondered if they were staring at me because I was wearing deeply uncool attire or because I had just dramatically face planted the snow for the umpteenth time! Continue reading