Even in the bitterly cold winters of Canada, one can find something thrilling to do. Skiing, for instance
The temperature at Blue Mountain Ski Resort, Collingwood, Canada, exceeded minus 30 degrees Celsius and a distinct scent of freshness invaded the surroundings. Upon arrival, I was struck by the splendour of the place — sky scraping lit steeps, bombarded with skiers, (who from a distance appeared like a trail of ants frolicking up and down a hill) and the surroundings sparsely scattered by restaurants, hotels and miniature confectionery shops.
Charmed by the spell, I hastily slithered into my winter jacket and at once ventured to explore beyond the visible. Blue Mountain is Ontario’s largest mountain resort and reputed for years as the province’s leading ski and snowboard destination. It lies in the hub of the Georgian Triangle snuggled between the shores of the Georgian Bay and the heights of Niagara Escarpment. The resort holds a vertical of 720 feet, or 220 metres, with 34 trails ranging from beginner’s slopes to double black diamond steeps.
It takes approximately 90 minutes by road from Toronto to Blue Mountain. However, we were a little out of schedule due to our extended lunch and tea breaks, which stretched for a full hour and ten minutes. Typical!
It was an extremely chilly morning when my family and I embarked on our mission up the slopes of Blue Mountain. We hired skiing apparel, which included a pair of hefty skis, boots and two massive poles. We were literally crammed with skiing attire: Ski tracks, ski jackets, boots and ski poles. And each one of us wore those fury, wool bonnets which enclosed the entire crowns of our heads. The only detectable feature on our face was our eyes, speaking out from our sunken blue faces. We looked like five Pakistani musketeers in search for adventure.
Minutes later, all geared up and eager, we made our way into the ski zone for beginners. The moment I lay my foot on the snow, I realized that this was not going to be as easy as it seemed. I was having difficulty walking in such weighty attire, the thought of skiing in it seemed impossible. Immobile, frozen and a little taken aback, I glanced either side of me. My family members were in the same boat.
We arranged for a ski training session. If you’re an amateur at the sport, it may be wise to take advantage of the one-on-one skiing lessons. Learning the mechanics of skiing is vital. Even pivoting your leg a certain way can alter your forward motion and in turn balance.
An expert trainer coached us through the essentials of skiing, before we decided to take a run at the beginners’ slopes. That was a real help. The instructor was extremely skillful in her art, yet so subtle in her teachings. She instantly took away that hesitation we all had within us. We all presumed she was a born skier, but later discovered that she learnt the sport after the age of 40. I can still recall her words: “If I can do it, anyone can do it.”
I must say the highlight of our trip was my mum’s expression as she tried to glide down a mountain. She was extremely hesitant to go on the tracks, but my dad, persuasive as he can be, cajoled her into it and assured her that she’d be fine. But then she’d fall, and every time she’d lose balance she’d turn and look at my dad with an expression which scared us all. I had never seen my mum so annoyed. “Paisey bhe do aur hadiyan bhi turwayo,” she said as she tried to put up with it. After this, the second she’d fall, we would all pretend to ignore her and look the other way.
But after a while, we all managed well and had no problem boarding the lift chairs and taking a plunge down the slopes. My parents eventually gave up, but my siblings and I continued for a little while more.
At the Blue Mountain there are luxurious one to three bedrooms accommodation available. These fully furnished apartments are just minutes from the slopes. They have a tranquil cottage-like appearance, containing top-of-the-range amenities.
To further accentuate the skiing experience, Blue Mountain provides skiers with ample places to eat. Hearty warm food compensated for the biting cold conditions. More so, if you wish to catch a meal in between the sport, every restaurant is equipped with ski hangers, where skiers are able to hang their skis. We managed to find it all: from steaks, to burgers, to pizzas to nachos.
The resort offers something for everyone. One can either browse through the shops, or just take a stroll around the resort, accompanied with a cup of hot coffee or perhaps even just window shop. My mom even managed to find fresh homemade jam from an adorable, tiny store that offered a range of maple products such as jams, candies, honey and other maple eateries.
Skiing is a sport packed with action, risk and adventure; a sport that is very addictive, only if you can develop that initial courage to give it a try. One of the main problems I encountered when I began skiing was controlling my speed. Once I developed the momentum, I was just unable to slow down. My interest turned to excitement as I stood there ready to take that first leap from the hill.
Even though at that instant my heart took turns, the thrill of skiing down a slope at approximately 20 km/hr on a carpet of soft snow felt incredible. And just as I would be in that state of frenzy, I would at once recall the instructors’ words: “Make a pizza”. She referred a pizza to pointing one’s legs towards each other, slightly bend on the side, so they formed an outline of a pizza slice; a braking technique used to lower speed. But, it would be too late by then. I had already had a bad fall. However, after a while, I was able to adapt to the technique behind skiing and actually practice her teachings on the slope.
Visiting Blue Mountain was unique from the other vacations I have had. There is something truly indescribable about pushing down those skis in loose snow. You can literally hear them coming unzipped from beneath you, as you glide down.
Definitely, learning how to ski is not easy. Like in many other things in life, one needs to be persistent about this. And, together with being persistent, one also needs to be willing to deal with the consequences of continuously falling and trying again; hoping that maybe next time you may just make it down in one go.
Skiing is surely not a typical Pakistani family outing. We typically associate holidays with shopping, going to hotels, sightseeing and dining. A holiday like this not only brings a lot of excitement, but more because you are having this thrilling experience with your family. We always associate Canada with horribly cold weather only. But, after this trip, I realized that Nature has also provided us with something to enjoy even in the cold terrains of North America. I’m definitely beginning to value the winter here a little more than when I initially migrated.
There are literally a variety of winter sports that people can engage in. Other winter activities include dog sleighing, horseback riding, sleigh rides and skate skiing. We would have definitely tried some of these other activities, but, unfortunately, we were only there for two days. And after only a day of skiing, we were dealing with symptoms of acute body pain. No surprise, our non-athletic Pakistani nature was evident. But no regrets, we all enjoyed the trip immensely. At least, we returned home with our limbs intact!
The temperature at Blue Mountain Ski Resort, Collingwood, Canada, exceeded minus 30 degrees Celsius and a distinct scent of freshness invaded the surroundings. Upon arrival, I was struck by the splendour of the place — sky scraping lit steeps, bombarded with skiers, (who from a distance appeared like a trail of ants frolicking up and down a hill) and the surroundings sparsely scattered by restaurants, hotels and miniature confectionery shops.
Minutes later, all geared up and eager, we made our way into the ski zone for beginners. The moment I lay my foot on the snow, I realized that this was not going to be as easy as it seemed. I was having difficulty walking in such weighty attire, the thought of skiing in it seemed impossible. Immobile, frozen and a little taken aback, I glanced either side of me. My family members were in the same boat.
The resort offers something for everyone. One can either browse through the shops, or just take a stroll around the resort, accompanied with a cup of hot coffee or perhaps even just window shop. My mom even managed to find fresh homemade jam from an adorable, tiny store that offered a range of maple products such as jams, candies, honey and other maple eateries.
