Vail
Saturday 25 February 1989

Weather

Warm and sunny.

Conditions

Hardpacked snow. Some bare patches visible in runs down to the resort.

Overall

So, here I was, aged 40 and some colleagues at work had convinced me to try skiing with them. I had toyed with the idea a few times before, but I was pretty convinced that I was far too old and far too unfit for skiing. This weekend was going to confirm my worst fears.

I arrived at Denver Airport mid evening on Friday evening, complete with some borrowed bright blue ski gear. The original arrangement was for a working weekend for four of us, two from a company called The Instruction Set, Geoff Morris and myself. It turned out that there were only two of us, Peter Griffiths the CEO of the other company and myself. Peter is very fit and at that time was almost obsessively keen on skiing.

Peter was pretty vague about the arrangements. I had the name of a hotel and a vague idea about where Vail is. At the airport, there was a company called "Vans to Vail" and that looked promising. The journey was long but otherwise not very memorable. About two hours up I-70, through the Eisenhower tunnel, over Vail pass and finally into Vail. I vaguely noticed another ski area as we went past (I was later to find out that this is Copper Mountain).

On arrival at Vail, the problems started. The hotel name I was given was the key pick-up for condos. Peter had already picked up the key and they had no record of the condo. (They did think it was at the Lionhead Center). So late at night, I was dropped off, complete with all my luggage at a deserted ski center. In retrospect, I haven't got a clue what I would have done if I had not bumped into Peter walking about looking for me.

Anyway, the condo was huge and warm; the beers were huge and cold and everything seemed much better.

The following morning was very exciting. Just being in a ski resort was like being in a different world. After a hearty breakfast, I was equipped with skis, boots and poles and a ticket for an all-day beginners lesson. I soon learned that rental ski boots are not designed for comfort.

The morning started OK. We learned to put the skis on and to move around on the flat. We even learned how to get up when we fell over, but I didn't actually master that, it seemed to need stomach muscles that I don't have.

Mid morning, we got into the gondola and went up the mountain to the Eagle's Nest area where there is a sizeable expanse of almost flat snow, and a couple of very short lifts. Almost immediately, the problems started. We skied slowly across the flat section until we got to a small slope. Here, we had to side step up the slope and then ski down it ending with a turn to one side or the other.

Whether it was lack of technique, lack of fitness or the altitude, I don't know, but I found the side stepping up the mountain extremely difficult and was completely exhausted when it came to ski down. I got little control and found even the basis turn impossible.

Lunch came as a bit of a relief. After lunch we started again, but this time, we were using the chair lift. I think I went on the chair lift three times and each time I fell over trying to get off. I fell over repeatedly trying to ski down, and eventually, after hitting a tree and falling several more time, my stomach muscle really started to hurt.

I gave up just after lunch, walked slowly back to the gondola, descended to the centre, checked in my skis and was pretty sure in my own mind that I would never ski again.

Dinner with Peter was very pleasant and the following morning, I got lots of work done, just enjoying the beautiful environment (our condo was right at Lionhead, overlooking the slopes).

The van back to the airport for the return trip to San Francisco was memorable because of the driving snow.

Easy Runs

Nursey slope at Eagle's Nest (top of gondola from Lionhead)

Runs

Lift

Vertical