2009.01. - Skiing in the Alps

After returning from Hungary, we had one day to wash the laundry, do whatever work ...

or unfinished game business had to be done ...


and print out as many coloring pages and puzzles as possible
for our next stop in the Alps.

On the way to Schladming, through the valley there was so little snow that we started to have doubts if it was going to be a ski holiday at all.
But the slopes on the mountain sides were covered completely. And the weather turned out to be stable for the whole week - blue sky, sunshine, very cold (under -10C) but no snowing.


With conditions like these even the kids found it easy to get out of bed.






And up we went on the mountains ...







Annie joined the Ski School until early afternoon to become an advanced red-slope skier while ...


J & D spent the mornings sharpening their black slope skills with Harti.





To our surprise it became literally impossible to "lose" J&D on the slope.
No matter how fast we skied or how difficult slopes we chose, they stayed in our tracks (overtaking sometimes, especially in the morning while their muscles were relaxed) !



Gone are the skiing trips when I welcomed a short stop on the slope while waiting for the kids to catch up!




The week was wonderful - no need for car at all.
Out of the hotel, skies on, down to the lifts, outdoor whole day, back on skies to the hotel in the evening and a nice 10 minute walk to the restaurant by crossing a snow covered field next to an icy lake, surrounded by mountains which glittered with the floodlights of the PistenBullies (snow slope maintaining vehicles).
Kids displaying endless energy and curiosity by inventing games along the way before and after the meal - snow fights, ice breaking attempts, biggest snowball contest, knee-deep snow race, etc.

Here are some of the pictures of the week:


A.









D.









J.









N. & A.









Omi & Opa - to whom we have to thank these unforgettable ski trips.





We didn't want to leave the returning of the skies to the day of our departure so we decided to spend the last morning on sleds. After coming down on the marked Sledding Track from the top of the mountain two times, we all agreed on sledding to be a lot riskier sport than skiing. (Although Julia's skies did get stuck in the T of a T-lift, pulling her almost up on the end-ramp after exit before the
staff stopped the lift.)

Julia was almost thrown off from the track two times by some strangers who drove into her from the back.

And Annie showed no understanding of what could happen if she lied on a sled like in her bed with no feet on the ground - on a steep slope.

Luckily she rolled off in time but her unmanned sled gaining speed took the direction of Julia who was standing around further down on the slope.

I shouted to get out of the way which she misinterpreted into trying to stop Annie's sled by jumping in front of it. She was extremely lucky not to end up with two broken legs.

Nevertheless, we all survived and left Schladming-Rohrmoos with sun-tanned faces, lungs filled with fresh air, muscles tightened by excercise and a heavy heart because we still didn't get enough of it.