“Bob Hat check, gloves check, long Johns che…….. Ania, come on, how cold can it get”
“You have absolutely no idea”
One of my favourite and most memorable trips to Poland was my first winter visit. It was January 2010 and we had been planning it for a few months, 2 weeks of skiing and generally chilling out with Ania’s family and friends. Instead of relying on trains with the expected extreme conditions we decided to rent a car, it was so easy to do and today it is our preferred way to get around.
After a couple of days of visiting Ania’s parents in Tarnów, we travelled down to the Village of Łominca Zdrój. This is a place that over the years has become very close to my heart, and I daresay that at some Point it will have it’s very own blog post. It is located in a valley in the Beskid Sąndecki, which is an area in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains which forms part of The Western Carpathian mountains.
This is where the majority of Ania’s family from her fathers side live and we stayed at the house of her aunty and uncle and many cousins.
First Time Skiing
Well to say it was my first time is a little inaccurate. I went skiing when I was 12 whilst visiting family in Canada, I remembered that I was ace, a natural. Luckily for us, the closest ski resort is in the next village in the next valley and only a fifteen minute drive away. Myself and Ania were joined by Dorota (the same Dorota from my first blog) and Ania’s cousin Mariusz, who just happened to be an item.
Wierchomla
That next village is called Wierchomla, and splits into two areas, Wierchomla Wielka and Wierchomla Mała. Similar to many villages in valleys like that they are not very wide but really long. To get to the slope you need to travel right through Wielka and into Mała where you can access it. There are several ways to access the ski resort, but we have always entered at Wierchomla Mała, which I believe is the most popular way.
The resort is known as DWIE DOLINY MUSZYNA – WIERCHOMLA
Quite often I describe my ski holidays as “an easyjet ski trip”, the reason being we get budget flights, stay with family and the ski rental and slope ticket pricing is fantastic. We are lucky to have family close by, which most people don’t have, so I have attached a few links which I hope will help make planning your trip as easy as possible.
It’s about a mile from top to bottom of the main slope and the lift takes about 12 minutes to get you up. The temperature that day just happened to be one of the coldest that I have experienced in my many years of visiting, just a trifle under -30, so as you can imagine that 12 minutes felt like double. I nervously just managed to get off the lift at the top. The best laid plans sometime go to waste, our plan was stay at the top, get our gloves and hats on, do a small warm up, show Craig some basic techniques and crack on……
The group stood around just making small talk whilst they prepared. An odd and confused expression grew upon Mariusz’s face “Gdzie jest Craig?” (where is Craig?)………
So I ambled clumsily off the lift and attempted to make my way over to the group, but I started moving not to the group but down the hill “aarrrrgghhhhhhhh”. It started slowly at first, but i had no clue what to do. I was waving my arms frantically at the others but they were too busy getting ready, then I came to a little ridge, it was a bit like when you reach the summit of a roller-coaster I almost stopped as I got to the edge, then WOOSH!!!
I was going faster and faster dodging other skiers with the cliche one leg in the air waving my arms like a madman. I looked around again, and having realised what had happened they were in hot pursuit. But I feared it was in vain, I was going at what felt like terminal velocity, somehow I was keeping enough balance to stay vertical, but I had zero control over my direction. Then I saw it the hill started to get steeper and I was travelling like ‘Eddie the Eagle’ down the jump towards the line of tree’s. It was now or never, I tensed…… CRASH!!!! I forced myself over, 10 somersaults later (slight exaggeration) I was flat on my back and ski-less, they were another 5 meters up the hill.
Ania was stood over me, not a hint of concern on her face, pissing herself laughing at me.
Marisuz to his credit then guided me for a while, holding my arms, whilst skiing backwards showing me how to ski slowly, how to stop and change my direction. We branched off to the left onto a smaller slope, which is apparently perfect for teaching people to ski…… To a certain extent that is true and I started to ski on my own. What they did not prepare me for, probably because it is fool proof, was the small ski lift. Not one of those that you sit on and relax for a while, whilst you go up the mountain, but the type you go on individually, grab the pole and seat between your legs and let it pull you up the slope, skis on the ground.
How hard could it be? Well for the first few meters it wasn’t too bad, I managed to grab the pole in time and begin my ascent. I came to learn that the key is not to think about it too much, but on this first attempt it was quite the opposite. I just stared at my feet willing my skis to stay straight and following the preceding tracks. Then I hit a bump, it wasn’t even a big bump it was like a semi squashed mole hill. My legs buckled, I kept hold of my pole and tried my best to get back to my feet, the operator of the lift obviously couldn’t see me because the lift carried on regardless of my plight, dragging me like a rag doll up the hill. Snow in my face, I screamed for Ania’s attention in vain (she was in front of me), but as I looked behind myself I saw Mariusz, he was following waving at me to let go and roll to the side. How on earth I didn’t think of that myself is beyond me, and just like that it was over.
One of the characteristics of Wierchomla Wielka ski slope is that half way down, there is a wooden shack (Karczma/ Bacówka), that plays music and serves food and drink. There is a little hut on the outside with a fire in the middle, but we generally go into the main building where you can be served soup, perogi, Zapakanki and other Polish snacks, or enjoy a glass of mulled wine or Grzany Piwo (Hot lager, which believe it or not, is superb.) You can’t come here without experiencing this.
I think they were a little tired after getting me this far…
Going down the slopes there are times that I think I’m going really fast, then a kid no more than five or six years old flies past me. Talk about putting me to shame. I told Ania my thoughts on this, she said ” you forget one thing, they grow up on the slopes”. I have to say, even though I know this, it amazes me every time.
Despite my early predicaments, I like to think that by the end of the day I started to nail it, well sort of.
Although we generally stick to the slopes mentioned, they connect to several others with a short walk. The slopes are not particularly difficult, and because they are quite wide ranging they will definitely keep you entertained for days on end. I would recommend it as an off the beaten track place to visit, for both beginners and experienced skiers alike. Give it a go!
Join me next time on my journey as we experience The Snow Train!
Malenki
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