All goes well and I even get the courage to point my board down the hill and try a turn or two. I practice moving my weight from right to left and make it down without falling. Looking down the slope of the little blue run is like looking at a black run if you're inexperienced. His tips? Hold on with one arm, lean back, look up a the mountain, rest your back foot on the binding. Third attempt, with aid of the lift man's demonstration, I'm on. Easy for skiers who can place a ski either side, it's hard for boarders to balance with one foot strapped on and one off. I quickly discover button lifts (where you sit on a metal circle and are dragged up a slope by a pole) are the enemy of snowboarders. Handily, Chilly Powder's a snowball's throw from a small blue run with a button lift, so this is where I head to perfect leafing. There are 17 bedrooms and my Winter Room is chalet-chic think balcony with mountain view, large wood bed, mezzanine level with three extra beds (great if you're going with friends or kids) and powerful shower and bath which I know I'll be VERY grateful for later in the week when I need to ease aching muscles (though the big outdoor hot tub also hits the spot).ĭay 2: After a hearty breakfast of pain au chocolat then scrambled eggs and bacon (I intend to burn a lot of calories) it's time to hit the slopes. Comfy leather sofas fill the other side plus a snug bar, run by friendly Geordie Richie (at some point during the week you'll succumb to his vin chaud). Two long wood tables dominate one side of the room, where you can also help yourself to tea, coffee, juice and snacks throughout the day. Walking into the huge wood-clad living area, with its two-level glass wall, mountain and forest views and massive open fire place with stone chimney, is a 'wow' moment. Chilly Powderĭay 1: After a two-hour Easyjet flight to Geneva and a 90-minute transfer I arrive at my home-from-home for the week: Au Coin Du Feu, a picture-postcard French Alpine chalet in Portes du Soleil covered in a sparkling layer of snow. My fab teacher Krysten soon had me gently moving from side-to-side down the run, which I later discover is called leafing (and entertainment for good snowboarders who hurtle straight past you). I started off facing the slope (toe edge) then switched over to facing down the slope (heel edge). I can't recommend this enough to learn how to put on the equipment and feel what it's like to be strapped to a snowboard (and move on one!). My first step was a private lesson at The Snow Centrein Hemel Hempstead. So when I read that women's interest in snowboarding soared 500 per cent following Jenny Jones' bronze medal win at the Winter Olympics, I thought now's the ideal time to swap from ski to board. It always felt like I was surviving, rather than enjoying, the experience. Despite having had lessons when I was young and going on various ski holidays, I never actually enjoyed it. You know that feeling when you glide effortlessly down a mountain, skis perfectly parallel? Nope, me neither.
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