Well we’ve just waved good bye to my sis and fella. We’ve just had a week of learning and playing at being good skiers at the Chill Factore, Manchester. Well Bex (my wife) and Andy (my sister Lisa’s fella) are pretty good, having been skiing for a number of years. My and Lisa however have just started. We had a 50 minute lesson last week, and then the day after went on the main slope. Suprisingly we didn’t fall, and controlled our speed pretty well. Andy did wipe out spectacularly, but we won’t go into details.

Please see below evidence of Bex and Andy flying down, and Lisa’s more sedate run.

Anyway, we went again yesterday (Monday 3rd March) and I decided to progress into parallel skiing. This increased the frequency of wipeouts 100%, but also I think I was progressing fairly well, going to the top of the slope at the end and not falling. Whilst Lisa continued to steadily gain confidence, without falling still, she’s definately due a big wipeout. The evening before Bex and Andy had been on YouTube watching Carving Tips by Bode Miller, and others and were trying to put that into action.

They even hired better ski’s, which we found out later that Andy had been using competition spec skis worth almost £700. He didn’t think he could feel £400 worth of difference but you never know really.

Anyway Lisa and Andy travelled back to the Isle of Wight today, not before I got a phone call at work off Lisa, explaining that they’d returned to the Chill Factore once more, Andy, desperate for one final fix before the drive home…

Well next Monday will be my second visit to Chill Factore. This is the new Ski slope in Manchester just off the M60. The first time I went was virtually the first time I’ve ski’d. So I had a taster lesson which was just to basic and slow, and I didn’t get much chance to get on the slopes. So Monday I’m going to give the main slope a try, I can control my speed and turn etc so I should be alright.

Anyway I hope I don’t end up like this poor individual…

It looks like she hit it pretty hard! I imagine I won’t be going that fast, although Bex will be racing down. Also in a few weeks my sister is coming up from the Isle of Wight for a trip and she’s having a private lesson there, so we will all be prepared for our Ski holiday next year, probably going to be in Les Saises, France. And judging by the below webcam view, its looking pretty good.