Today we were hoping it would have snowed overnight but no such luck. On the way we pick up a girl called Jackie, another snowboard instructor, from Lake Tahoe in California. She chats away and gives Ali a few tips on the way- perfect. It’s cold again today but once we arrive on the mountain I’m pleased to see it’s a bit clearer and the sun is struggling to break through.

We sort Maisie out and Ali dashes off. I tell the instructor Steve that I want to go on the mountain but am shitting myself about the chairlift and he says he’ll come on with me and I’ll be ok. In the end it was, I was too concerned about the bitterly cold wind whistling around my throat and getting off the lift at the top to worry too much about the height and in the end managed to ski off the lift without falling over.

We start to make our way down the mountain, I keep doing my big turns and don’t go too fast until I hit some icy patches, it all goes a bit tits up at this point and I fall in spectacular fashion all arms and legs everywhere. Steve looks a bit concerned as I’m all screwed up like a broken doll but I’m ok, not hurt and it’s just a matter of unfolding myself and getting up which I manage to do unaided. At last we’re at the bottom and I really thrilled, I feel like I’ve achieved something good and although I never went that fast I’m ready to go again.

We ski down MacDougalls, Skyline and Western Gap again twice and in the afternoon I go down with Simon. He’s doing really well, more confident than me and has done some jumps and stuff. I’m not so confident with him and fall over again but not too hard and get up ok. I meet up with Maisie and we sit swapping fall stories and drinking green tea for a few hours. (Hoping those anti oxidants will limit the damage the sun and wind has done to my face over the past few days!) Ali comes back around 4 having thoroughly enjoyed his afternoon. He got really lucky again and had 2 more private lessons leaving him feeling really confident on his snowboard and doing jumps and turns.

It’s been a fantastic experience and we’ve all loved it, I found it much less tiring and a lot easier than I expected and I’m relieved we all escaped relatively unscathed with nothing more than a few bruises. I feel sorry that we can’t have any longer as I think we would all improve with more time. Definitely going to try snowboarding though next time. Still we’re moving on tomorrow and I’m looking forward to walking on the glacier. Tracey emailed and said she has just walked on it for 6 hours! Somehow I don’t think I need 6 hours to experience it. An hour will do.