Easter in March is a nightmare for the mountain lovers. Seems like every single family in the UK bought a trip to Apls this year - including their dogs and toddlers  - like there is no snow after that weekend!!! Nevermind Alps! I couldnt even get booking for Whistlers!

 

After 3 days of surfing the net and countless number of calls to travel agencies -  Serra Chevalier I m coming!!!!!!

 

Not much can wipe that smile of my face now :-) 

 

Enough of Milton Keynes nursery...

 

 

   

Last Xmas a group of friends and I went to a strange and unknown country called Kyrgystan. I really didnt want to go but my very good mate sounded so excited that I couldnt say no plus I cant say no normally anyway :-) ... so I said yes, lets do it ... I will leave out all the moans and crazy shi*t we ve been through such as lack of heat indoors, hot water, toilets, sane people, good service (well, service full stop), streetlights, medical personnel on the slopes, decent lifts and so on - and stick to a good side of the story :- ) ...

 

It was my first time on the board (scrapping on Nagoranya`s ice once before doesnt really count) and it took a few days to brace myself to actually ride the hill. By that time there wasnt much snow left on the track and I wasnt skilled enough to join freeriders conquering untouched fields of snow on the picks, openings and between the gorgeous monumental giant green trees!!! A guy from our group in a pink crash-helmet with the better crash-pants (as I discovered later) than mine and whose cheeky eyes I d never managed to look into (for he was wearing goggles with a very strong sun-reflecting filters at all times)  offered me a lesson. To tell the truth I was very keen to take on the offer. It was so unwise of me for I was enjoying a relationship back home that was sort of "settled down" type. I was happy to be settled down and was looking forward to having a family very soon..... Fortunately or unfortunately the pink helmet guy was giving me butterflies in the stomach from the first day on the slopes...... And I agreed... That was a down fall  - literally.... :-)

 

...He took me to the track that wasnt a track in fact but a strip of a slope right under the lift to the top of the mountain. It was hardly ridden, therefore covered in snow and soft and welcoming...Although very narrow and packed with metal stuff sticking out every now and again...I was scrapping and scrapping and falling over... It was funny when people were looking down on me - I mean down like in down from the lift and laughing at me with comments like " what the f*ck are u doing? U can hardly stay on the board :-)". That was cuz it was god`s honest truth - I was literally rolling down the hill when I wasnt scrapping trying not to crash into metal objects on the way. Pink helmet was stopping every now and again and waited for me... I was a bit pissed off as he criticized me a lot. I felt it wasnt fair and, although his criticism was quite constructive, I wanted him to tell me I was doing well for a beginner, roll me over and kiss me on the lips so the heat of our breath will be seen above our heads! But he never did...

 

.... Well, up we went again and I was so angry at him and so determined to not to be a chicken that I started turning! Forgive me for the lack of appropriate terminology here but I pray that its possible for an experienced rider to follow my story...  O, alas, what a joy it was!!! Loads of stars were caught when I was banging my head and my poor finest ass against a hard-hard ground despite wearing full protection. Only my knees were safe - knees protection is the best! But I got "cool Mashka, u see u can do it" from the pink helmet - that made my day. Frankly, it didnt realy matter anymore  - I felt with my body how to control the board and how to make it fly!!!! - that was the only thing that mattered then. Dont get me wrong  - I m a beginner and can hardly ride cuz I m a chicken and am taking a step at a time, but I discovered the joy of snowboard...... Its a pure freedom and so so so sexy....

 

...Sitting somewhere near the top of the mysterious T`yan` Shan` (near cuz to get to the top I had to use a T-bar lift and I kept falling off it :-), sipping a spirit-ual :-) liquid of some sort or another from someones flask, breathing in the clearest sweetest air that fills you up with joy, adoring the gorgeous mountains and the turquoise surface of the infamous salted lake of Kyrgystan - Issik Kul` - somewhere at the foot of the mountain - that was happiness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pure, crystal clear and genuine happiness!

 

Thats how I fell in love!............