Crookhorn Ski-ing Wednesday 20 February 2013

Up at six and a quick peek out of my window tells me it is still snowing!

I have breakfast and then walk down to the bus where Brian is already waiting. There must be about 10 inches of new snow overnight. It is lovely as it is not cold and the snowing is falling in large flakes. Being parked at the bottom has proved invaluable as it will be easier to get away.

David asks if we would like the snow cleared by the bus and I say that it should be okay.

“I have a snow plough so it would be no problem.”

“I think we shall be okay”

“I’ll come and clear it, any excuse to play with my new toy!”

And so he appears on a quad bike complete with snow plough on the front and begins to clear the snow away.

“I’d rather be doing this than making coffee!!” Boys and their toys!

David was given this bike for his fortieth birthday and he is a happy bunny on it this morning.

I pull the coach forward to the end of the car park and pick the group up at the bottom of the slope up to the hotel. Using the stairs this morning would be tricky.

The snow plough has been up and down the road a couple of times this morning but there is so much snow that it is covering where he has been. The drive out to the motorway is okay but you wouldn’t want much more snow on the road.

The motorway is fine as is the road up to Muhlbach where they are ski-ing today. This is a new resort for the group although Chris and Simon have skied here before.

The drive from the main road at Bischofshofen to Muhlbach is about five miles of twisty road that is very pretty with all of the recent snow.

As we arrive it is snowing heavy again but with a very mild temperature.

After dropping the skiers off I decide to go for a walk instead of listening to Brian coughing and snoring!

As I have just said it is still snowing hard but is so mild you don’t notice it. Lovely.

I go for a stroll into Muhlbach which is a small town with a few shops and restaurants. The walk takes about twenty minutes and is a delight.

I have a bill to pay to the Austrian authorities for going over the limit on the Go Box toll on our the other coach. In Austria you have a box in the windscreen that contains a chip with all of the coach details on it and we top it up much like you would a mobile phone to allow that vehicle to be able to use motorways in Austria. It passes under sensors on the road and beeps once when in credit, twice when credit is getting low, three when credit needs topping up and four when you are being naughty!

I used the Setra (other bus) on a holiday to Croatia last year and we drove through, and stopped for a night, in Austria. I had let the credit go down as I didn’t think the Setra would be coming back to Austria and like a doughnut thought nobody would notice!

€220 it has just cost me!

A lovely cup of coffee later I wait for the ski bus to give me a lift back to the coach. Well it is all uphill!

One of the girls, Imogen, and one of the teachers Rachel are back on the coach after Imogen has been to the doctors to have her nose quarterised after a severe nose bleed. She can’t ski again today.

We all go for a short stroll to a nearby hotel to grab a spot of lunch which was great for the food and also lovely listening to Rachel speaking fluent German, who also teaches it!

The afternoon is a bit of a lazy time with the children coming back in dribs and drabs all the time, and to a man/girl all worn out!

The journey back is not as bad as this morning but we do encounter a problem five minutes from the hotel.

The traffic has stopped due to an accident and it looks like a lady has skidded on the snowy road and hit the side head on. Beneath all of the snow is a very unforgiving stone wall that has demolished the front of her car.

We are only held up for about five minutes and are soon approaching the hotel and the slope up to it. The road isn’t as bad as this morning but there is a coating of snow and it is a bit icy.

There is no choice, take a run at it!

This is what I did and we made it to the top but only just!

After dinner tonight the children are given their ski-ing booklets telling them the standard they have reached and also a badge from Premier Ski.

It is also Simon’s birthday today and the hotel have baked him a cake with 30 candles on it and as it is brought out a great rendition of Happy Birthday is sung by everybody.

Simon is Chris’s assistant at Premier Ski and a thoroughly nice bloke.

Happy Birthday Simon!