Bulgaria Ski discussion board

Leaving my emotions about the flight safely in the overhead storage compartment, I boarded the coach to Pamporovo at around nine in the morning (-ish) and decided that we were all very lucky to be approaching the resort during the day, watching the mountains getting higher and the snow getting thicker.

I had an accommodation allocated on arrival deal, so wasn't sure what to expect, but the Rohzen, where I ended up, was fine. Warm and clean with Sat-TV and balcony with a great view.
It's fairly central, but the hill up to it is a bugger, especially after the pub or after a day on the slopes (so pretty much every time I climbed it then!) but overall the hotel did the job fine. Not brilliant or outstanding or anything, but fine.

We were offered the chance to hit the slopes after our late arrival and most of us did ... so despite the length of the delay we only actually lost a couple hours of snow-riding.

By half past one in the afternoon, I had met up with the rest of my boarding group (HI! Tom, Sarah, Rob, Rich and our instructor George) and had had my first tentative run down the hill after a long break from any sort of snow sport.

My confidence returned straight away with my first run, but got kicked soundly out of me but that dreadful drag lift (at the bottom of the green run on the other side of the hill). Not only do you have to either wedge it behind you or hang on for dear life, you also have to hold it UP as you get nearer the top. After two goes on it, I gave up and usually went down to the bottom of the blue run and used the poma to come back up.

The other guys in my group were beginners, so on the first day they all caught the chair back down whilst George took me down via a blue/green. He did offer to find me another class, but the guys in my group were a great bunch and to be honest, I didn't think my years of sloth in London would be the best introduction to an advanced snowboarding class. The pace suited me fine, come up a wee bit later in the morning and have a few runs on my own, then join the group as they started tackling something a bit bigger.

It didn't take long until most of us were riding together, and on Wednesday, after lunch, it clicked. You'll know what I mean when I say that we had 'The Run of the Week'. We were gliding in and out of each other, and the other slope users, laughing, waving to our instructor and having pure and simple fun! It was to be our last run of the day, but as soon as we hit the bottom there was a mutual cry of AGAIN AGAIN, so we did, twice. Fantastic!

Therefore, I was looking forward to Thursday morning. I got talking to another snowboard instructor at the bottom of the three man chair and we ended up riding it together. He told me not to hold my snowboard the way I was, but to lay it across me. He moved it, I adjusted my position on the chair, and my backpack silently slithered off the chair to the snow below.

(Break for swearing)

My back pack contained my gloves, water, hat, scarf and bloody expensive mobile phone, and if it wasn't for the phone I would never have attempted the following.

(swearing)

The snowboard instructor who caused all this was very cool about it. Oh, it's not a problem, the next pole in number 10, so it fell off near number 9, you just board down and get it.

(more swearing)

I got off at the top, strapped on my board, and did my first black run of the holiday, right under the chairlift. (with no gloves) I followed the path of the lift on board for a long as I could, then unstrapped and walked, and walked, and walked. I came to tower 12 and the ground left me. My pack was in the middle of the most inaccessible area under the tow. I skidded down into the area, using trees to stop myself going to far, and litterly pulled myself over the snow. Anytime I tried to walk, my leg disappeared well over my knee, making walking practically impossible. I clambered over fallen trees, down near vertical slopes and over very deep drifts, carrying my board behind me.

(more swearing)

I'll spare you the details of every step, but after I emerged onto a cross country run, an hour or so after getting my pack back, I was bruised, bleeding and had torn my salupettes. Not the best day.

I went up the chair again straight after and found my group, but I'd had the joy of snow kicked out of me by that time. Had lunch with my rep and on the upside I met Carl for the first time ( ... a boarder if ever I saw one! Why on earth did you start off on skis!)

I slowly made my way down the green, and found it very slushy, slow and patchy. Was in a great mood by now.

Friday fortunately restored my faith in snow sports somewhat, with some reds in the morning with George and most of the guys in the group then a lazy few hours over lunch where I watched Carl et al get in a few good turns as I sat in the gorgeous sunshine taking the odd trip down the blue. Good job it was sunny as the crotch of my salupetes was now almost gone thanks to yesterday's adventure.

Finally to end the day, Tom from my group and myself takled the black under the chair which was VERY patchy at the top, but still fairly complete to the bottom. A bit dodgy and scary to start with, but the last three quarters of it was the perfect run to end on.

It's a real shame that we didn't get snow all week, but the sunshine almost made up for it. I came home with such a tan, but I'd have swapped that for one or two powder days.

Well then, what happened at night??! Part three coming soon!