Snowboarding in Czech Republic

Jeseniky Mountains, 14th – 16th of December. The weekend of new experiences, different people, pain in the muscles I didn't even know I have. Unforgettable.

The story starts on 13th of December in Vankovka shopping mall. My dear roommate and me went to buy ski or waterproof pants, boots, gloves etc. She bought a winter hat, I bought slippers, we bought sweaters and gloves. We ate Czech food in the mall. Pretty good. In the evening, packing our bags; her's – a small travelling bag and a big handbag, mine – overpacked bagpack borrowed from Tomasz. Bottle of vine in mine, bottle of vine in her's. Too much clothes, half of it untouched during the weekend. I forgot to pack the towel. Mistake.

Radka, one of the organizers of the trip, saved my ass, literally, by borrowing me her waterproof pants. It turned out they weren't completely waterproof, but they served the purpose. Mostly. Lucia saved me as well, by borrowing me the towel. An angel.

14th of December, early morning, I'm running to A2 to print the insurance paper which I didn't need at all in the end. Meeting in the lobby. At 6:15 am, Erasmus crew, consisting of half known, half yet unknown people, started their journey from Vinarska hall down the hill to catch the tram. Swearing 6:15 in the morning and the people who organized it to go so early. Laughing, complaining, dragging the lugage. Meanwhile, Jesus and company going back home from the night out, carrying the huge traffic sign pulled out of God knows where. Random things in Czech Republic. Normal Spanish behaviour.

Waiting for the train just enough to eat a sandwich and chitchat for half an hour. The train arrives, half empty, the feeling of relief in the air.

Plans to sleep, but it's too hot. Everybody in my cupe sleeping,

my mobile phone dead, nothing to do during the 3 hour trip. I'm moving to the next cupe, spending 3 hours of laughing with Bojan, Remy, Colin and Jack.

(Bojan)

(Remy)

Macedonia, Lithuania, Canada, China and Croatia – what combination could have been better? Heating was on maximum, no possibility to reduce it, the window could be either closed or fully opened, no middle. The result: Colin opening the window every five to ten minutes, everybody enjoying the cold air for a minute, then Colin closing the window again.

Repeat, repeat, repeat. Talking about all kinds of stuff, taking pictures. Laughter again. (Colin trying to throw the camera into the next cupe. Unsuccessful.)

When we arrived at Brana, the village in Jeseniky mountains, nobody was really impressed.

(In the middle of nowhere)

It was a village, smelling like livestock, one restaurant and no supermarkets in sight.

In the house was cold when we got there, and we were divided into two buildings. We thought it was bullshit. Later when the lady-owner of the place started the fire, everything looked and felt better.

(My Hong Kong and Taiwan roommates)

We left our bags, put on winter/ski clothes and went out.

We were hungry, but there was no lunch on the schedule. The organizers took us to the renting place. We got our skis/snowboards, helmets, boots. They gave us our ski passes and the adventure began.

Just to get the idea, I have never put my foot on a snowboard in my life. Hell, I have never put my foot on a skateboard. The organizers were also instructors of skiing, but there was no instructor for snowboarding. Still, when comparing snowboarding to skiing, it just looked so much more fun that I said: „To hell with all, I'm gonna break my leg anyway, let's snowboard!“ And so I did. And I was right, it was so much fun.

Luckily, Colin and Remy had some experience in snowboarding before, and there was Tara who also tried it once. They explained to me which is my front foot, how to adjust my boots on the snowboard and how to get myself up. They also told me that my ass will hurt like never before. They were right in everything. Colin, my supposed-to-be-instructor gave me a couple of tips, but didn't stick around much. But there was Remy,

who was listening me whining about my fear of heights and almost crying when I had to get on a lift alone,

who showed me the leaf technique and encouraged me. Tara was really helpful as well.

However, most of the time I was alone, struggling with my snowboard, falling on my ass, trying to get up and to stay up, figuring out how to slow down when I was going too fast without falling down and wondering how much other skiers and snowboarders hate me because I'm in their way all the time. A guy actually came to me when I was sitting on the snow with Colin and told us that we are a danger for ourselves and for the other people, that we should either get off the slope and go practice somewhere or we should go to the side. Colin said he was an asshole and that we can snowboard where we want because we payed for it. He said it after the guy left, of course. So we just continued. By the end of the day, I was able to get down the slope with just one fall. I was so happy! It's way more fun when you don't fall every 2 meters.

In the evening, frozen, wet, hurt, we had dinner. Dinner was excellent, especially because we were starving. Later, some went to sleep, and some were playing board games with our organizers. My eyes were barely open, but it was so much fun that I just couldn't go to sleep. They told us that the next morning half of us will go to the same slope as that day and that everybody will have their own instructor. Even me, because the guy who knows how to snowboard came late that day. The other half, those who already know how to ski, will go to a different slope, longer and more difficult.

Next morning I woke up feeling so sleepy that a part of me wanted just skip snowboarding and stay in bed. But the other part, the better one, decided that I didn't come there to sleep, so I went to breakfast and prayed for coffee. My prayer was heard. We went to the slope and it turned out that I was the only one snowboarding, the rest went to the other slope. And it turned out that my instructor and tutor was the guy I met the night before and was needling with. (The guy that drinks beer in the background.)

I knew I would have a lot of fun.

Well, the beginning of my training was terrible. We went up the slope, I couldn't get myself up on the snowboard, I couldn't stay up and basically it was like I hadn't been on the snowboard the whole day before. So, he took me to the bunny slope, the slope for children, and was teaching me the curve technique. What it came down to was that he was getting me up, I was holding on to him and like to a little baby he was showing me how to do it. Then with one hand, and when he said I have to do it alone I started whining that I can't do it and that he must not let me go. I said he would never teach me how to do it because I can't do it, so he made me bet: if he manages to teach me how to snowboard till Sunday, I will jump into the snow in my underwear. If he fails, he does the same. A tricky bet, but I agreed. Like he said, it was just a question what do I want more, to learn how to snowboard or to see him in his underwear. Haha. We had a break for lunch, and later got back to the slope. He had to go to solve some problems with Vincent's car, so I was on my own. I went to the bunny slope, tried a couple of times what he was teaching me, failed every time, then went to the normal slope because it was getting dark and it was quite boring to be alone. On the normal slope I tried again, failed, then just continued doing what I did the day before, happy to get down the slope without too many falls. I was coming down the slope and saw him watching me. Then, of course, I fell down. So we continued our practice and I got better. I could do it by holding to his hand.

Dinner, beer, a lot of people hurt. Maja with a big bruise on her hip, one girl with bruised ribs, Tara with swollen knees, Jack with a thumb wrapped up so that he was showing facebook „like“ all the time.

(Jack with his thumb, Bojan and Ada, whose hands got painted greenish blue because of the gloves)

Actually, he hurt his thumb when he knocked me over my snowboard. I was standing in the middle of the hill with my instructor, he was explaining me something, when out of nowhere Jack rushed into us, knocked me over and fell himself. It was my first winter crash. Everybody was ok, luckily, but later on I saw that he hurt his thumb. But, the bruises and the constant pain in the muscles didn't prevent us from hanging out till 3 in the morning.

(Everybody looking at the chameleon, I guess he was changing color or shitting or something)

First we were drinking in the pansion bar, then in our room and later in the Czech people's room. I had funny conversations with Petr, about masala business (drug business) and our twin siblings/split personalities. Very funny guy. I shouldn't forget Vincent who came to the Czech room in his underwear, sleeping bag wrapped around him as he was Batman, searching for me and asking when I am coming to bed.

In the morning, everybody overslept. Martin, one of the organizers, came and woke us up, so we had a quick breakfast and took the train to the other slope.

It was supposed to be the more difficult one, but the one where I went was even better than the first one. Again I spent the whole day with my instructor and guess what... I lost my bet! He made me snowboard on my own, doing the thing he was teaching me the whole previous day!

(Badass Valentina :D )

I was so happy I did a little dance there on the slope. He was also happy for me. And although I was teasing him the whole time, he is just that kind of person that you can't stop teasing, he really is a great instructor. Very but veeery patient, repeating the same things over and over again, encouraging, not yelling, all the time in a good mood. I told him to go to the more difficult slope to snowboard and to leave me on the blue one, because it wasn't really his job to tutor me the whole day, but he stayed with me „because I needed him“. If he didn't stay, I don't know if I could manage to do it on my own. So, if anybody needs an instructor for snowboarding, I strongly recommend that guy. And about the bet... For now I avoided it, because after we got back to the pansion I didn't see him. Hihi.

(Our hostess)

In the train back home we were all separated because the train was pretty full. We were completely exhausted but I believe satisfied. At least I was, I had great time. So, the pain I am feeling in every part of my body right now is totally worth it.

Here is the link to the house where we were staying: http://www.ceskehory.cz/ubytovani/fotografie/penzion-u-kosku-branna.html and the links of ski resorts: http://www.kudyznudy.cz/Aktivity-a-akce/Aktivity/PROskil---ski-areal-Branna.aspx?lang=en-GB, http://www.czech-mountains.eu/ski-centre/photos/ramzova.html.

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