onlineamiga

I went up to Sierra Nevada at the weekend to have a go at Snowboarding. I have never been to a Ski Resort before, and have never done anything like this before.

Was encouraged to jump in at the deepend as it is, by friends who had been before (but who werent experts either!). So no lessons or anything. Just straight on the main slopes with everyone else!

After I fell off the ski lift, I strapped myself to the board. Stood up and let gravity take its course. So off I went! Going down the mountain, rapidly gaining a silly amount of speed. ARGHHHHH!! Got that addrenaline feel you get on roller coasters, felt the wind wooshing by and me going faster and faster. Having no idea how to stop this thing, I panicked and threw myself to the ground! and slid half the way down face first!

Was great fun! I enjoyed it lots! Might have spent more time in a heap on the slope than actually stood up. But despite that, it was really good! just 40 euros for the ski pass and about 28 euros to hire everything I needed for the day. Main thing is it was a hell of an experience and wow Sierra Nevada is high! I was looking down on the clouds like i was on a plane. Quite busy at the weekend though, probs best going mid week.

I dont think Id take snowboarding up as a hobby. But its just something else that I can say I've done. Something I wouldnt have had an opportunity to try if I was in the UK - at least not properly anyway. I guess its another good thing about moving abroad. You can open yourself up to try stuff you perhaps wouldnt have previously done.

Now for the damage report:
Sunburn, (red face!)
Bruised Ribs,
Painful bum
And every muscle Ive got and even ones I didnt think I had are aching and very sore! Im hobbling around now and things like dressing myself is very difficult indeed!
Everything hurts! I never realised it would be such hard work! Ive never done so much excersise in a year.

Great laugh though! Quite how I didnt kill myself, or break anything I have no idea.

Oh god, I need to sneeze again.. and sneezing hurts right now. Ah well, no pain no game!

crispy

Andrew your post brought a smile to my face and a little tear to my eyes, so glad you had a fantastic time snowboarding, I was really chuffed by the excitement and self satisfaction that came through in your words. Some of us oldies on here feel a little bit like protective parents towards you, from your first post telling us all of your plans to move to Spain, the car accident before you left Blighty, the ups and downs of your move here, finding accommodation, a job and now how you are achieving things that you thought you never would. Keep it up, you only get one crack at this so make the most of it and don't put off to day what you can do to-morrow

mrsjdr

Glad you enjoyed it Andrew, the pictures are great too. When we went there was no snow, and that was mid January! Keep saying we will go back, but never have.

onlineamiga

Awww thanks crispy Thats a really nice post.
Well 3 days on and my ribs still hurt, but the muscle ache is slowly easing off. So i think ill be ok!

Wow no snow in january mrsjdr! Thats crazy.. theres snow now.. go go go go!! nooow! before it melts!

There wasnt really any snow around the actual town bit. But obviously plenty on the slopes.

Ah yes the pictures. None really of me, just some general of the area. but i uploaded them to facebook here. You dont need an account to see them:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...d&id=509134644

jackytoo

Lovely pics. Did it feel cold at first?

onlineamiga

Yeah it was about 8C when i got out of the car so the air was definately a little fresh. But once i was in my skiing gear and was being very active. I was absolutely boiling! Infact i was so hot i was rubbing ice into my face and down my back!

But.. after we had finished on the slopes, we were sat outside a bar and the sun went down and i was uncontrollably shaking with cold. Car said 4C when I set off... and the car went BONG! and showed the ice warning symbol.. for the very first time awww! 3 hours later i had driven back to the coast and it was 16.5C Its incredible how you can do that here

brisca

Hi Andrew

Only just catching up on the past few days' posts!

WOW! The photos are brilliant, and it sounds like you had so much fun
Your post was so well written, and your enthusiasm for having done something for the first time, just oozed out. Good for you

How are your aches and pains now? Hope you're feeling a bit more comfortable.

You're right; Crispy's post was so lovely
And she's right; it's wonderful to hear how you are getting on, and to know how much your are enjoying the fact that you can experience so many new things, after your intial ups and downs with your move over.

How's your new job going?

Keep the posts coming; it's great to know what you're up to!

Love Sam x

anabella

Sierra Nevada is lovely, and snowboarding is so much fun!! It's incredible how much you ache after, uh?

So you are a man called amiga? I would have never guessed!!

(Added you on facebook BTW)

brisca

Hi anabella

Andrew is a computer whizz, and he took his name from some type of computer apparently (that's as technical as I get!)
He confused us all when he first started posting!

Eve

Hi Andrew, Brilliant, good for you, you certainly keep us all amused and intrigued with what you have done, what you are doing and what you are hoping to do,and as has already been said we were all so worried for you at some stages and happy and well the saga continued for some time, it is just so great that you have your life on track and that you are enjoying it all. I haven't been on here for a while and it is lovely to log in and find posts like this one and I have to say the one I have just finished reading with the BUM pictures!!
Oh well love yo you all, keep up the good work Andrew, am now going to look at the pics.
Luv Eve
xx

Econ

It's great to have this so close to us in a country with such a great climate as we have.

I started visiting the Sierra nevada about 26 years ago, I used to leave with a friend from Fuengirola 'who worked in a very well known bar there' for what was a 3 hour drive back then, we would leave at 6 am 'after he closed up at around 3am ', we would get there for 9, get our passes and then head up for a La mumba (to loosen and waken us up), serrano bocata then head for the slopes.

It wasn't as large a resort back then as it is now, the slopes out the back side of the mountain where a 'fools only' adventure while that side has been opened up in a major way to the public now. There used to be a cable car that went up to the very top of Valeta back then, that was removed and then eventually replaced by a t-bar which just stops a bit shy of the top now. The part of the town to the lower right of the town square was just a car park back then... some major changes there over the years . One of the best things they did was to add snow cannons on the river run, now you can ski into town most of the year while before it was only for a short time of the year you could do this... unless there was snow on the higher blue run, this last bit seldom had snow on the last slope down into the square area of the village. It was really exciting to hit this at speed then suddenly drop into the steep slop for the last 200 meters and impress everyone who used to be at the bottom (there is chair lift at the bottom now so you need to be careful of people who are not sking and who gather at the bottom 'to get run over!'). I remember I came over this once, last run of the day and the snow had started to become a bit thin in places, my left ski found a rock below this slush and I crashed full force into the downward slope breaking a collar bone and dislocating my arm, still... it taught me to take a bit more care if nothing else!

Anyway... after sking all day (snow boarding hadn't been invented then) we would head back down the coast at about 5 so he could get back to work that night for 8.30 9... so he basically was on the go 36 hours many weekends (never know how he did it, and after sking all day ).

Never really took to boarding myself, personally I just can't see how anything can be more enjoyable as a pair of ski's on snow to be honest... but everyone to their own I guess.

BTW, when it was possible for us to go for a couple of days, we would generally stop off at Rio frio for a couple of fresh Brown trout and a plate of Migas on the way back, again back then there was only one place in Rio Frio that served trout, now there are a few. The one beside the river (rustic looking) was the original and does the Migas at lunch time (if you like Migas... I do) they use chorizo and orange slices... 'orange is far better with Migas than grapes '. You will know it as it has all the dried corn 'in the cobs' hanging from the ceiling inside. If it is a cold day they will have the fire lit which adds to the atmosphere. Rio Frio, 69 klm from Granada and 69 klm from Malaga if I remember correctly.

You can walk up the river a bit, there is a trout farm between the village and the river but you can see brown trout in the river, you could practically put your hands in and catch them! The restaurant will also sell you trout to take home, these used to be something like 3 or 4 for a hundred pts although they have gone up a bit in price but still not bad, they will clean them and stick them in a bag for you, great done for a couple of minutes each side under a grill.

We sometimes would stay in the Parador (Not sure what it's like there now), this was fun as it was warm, a reasonable price and it had a good breakfast. We used to be able to ski down to the village from it (or close by) and even found a way to ski to it from the top of Veleta. The only draw back it had then was the need for a car to go down into the village 'if for a meal', but there is a lift now that practically takes you up to it although this stops early in the evening.

Glad you enjoyed your trip, I haven't been up for about 2 years now and I think your post has fired the burners.

onlineamiga

Hey guys just catching up on the posts.

Well my ribs still twinge, and are a bit sore especially first thing in the morning. Just bruised and it just takes time, but will be fine

The new job is going pretty well. Except for the office is like a morgue. But ill get that turned round, get a radio in there, get people cheered up a bit. Ie i can see it becoming a bit more mundane. However, I can't complain really. Considering the company I have come from (Mention no names) to the one Im at now, I know im in a better place. The job is far more secure, less hours, more money and it is what I do.. Fix computers.

Yes to clarify again, Amiga is an older computer before everyone had PCs and I had mine connected to the internet hence "onlineamiga" I should have thought and used a different one when signing up to a Spanish discussion forum! But ah well too late now

Ive noticed a few of you adding me to facebook which is great You can really see what I'm getting up to there

Thanks Econ for your post, it is very interesting to know how the place has developed over time. Sounds like its unrecognisable from what it used to be I may try skiing next time. But everyone else was doing snowboards so it was a case of going with the flow. I guess each have their advantages and disadvantages. No idea how ur friend was able to go to work after a day ont he slopes. I guess the more you get used to it the easier it becomes and therefore the less tiring!