Disaster, two of the party are sick.  Neil has a chesty cough and cold and is having a rest day and refused to let Jen stay home. When Sue tried to wake Sid there was a groan, I am not well – he too has come down with a cold.  So we were four, another Blue Bird day, warmer temperatures.  It may have had something to do with the whipping at Articulate – the girls were victorious in the first game and then we saw how sad that made them -> we didn’t try as hard in the next game (wink wink).

We really are getting dab hands at the ski malarky and we are ready to hit the slopes in no time.  John and Sue did a warm up ski with Jen and I on Meadows and then went up the mountain and down to Heidi’s Hut.  Jen and I hone our technique on Meadows – Neil had set Jen the goal of going down the M1 Blue (the one were she went all pretzel like yesterday.) so this was the plan to go down the end bit of M1 which is a short blue run.  The queues on Meadows were so long and we spent more time waiting which was tedious – who were all these people on our slopes?  When John and Sue said that they had no queues then we talked Jen into venturing to the top of the mountain.  We guaranteed that we would get her down some how, even if it was on her bum.

On Meadows it really is catered to for beginners, the chair lift has a gate to stop you going too early, it has a conveyer belt to gently ease you onto the chair and the bars are automatic.  For those that don’t know Jen, Jen is extremely afraid of heights, she won’t even walk over the harbour bridge on the outside lane.  On Coronet Express a four man chair lift, there is a big sign saying this lift is only for intermediate skiers, I pretend not to see this wondering if I am doing the right thing in taking Jen up there.  Then I realise that the lift is not as beginner friendly.  No stopping gates, no conveyer belt, no automatic bar and a gap where you can fall out (especially if you are little).  I tell Jen that this may be a bit more challenging than Meadows and I get that look, the look which a sister gives to a sister when she is slightly disapproving.  I said to her just watch the people in front, all you have to do is  wait for the chair, then slide in slowly keeping your skis parallel and you will be fine.  All goes well and she is on, the lift coughs and splutters at the beginning and I can almost see the whites of Jen’s knuckles through her layers of gloves  and there is a big sigh with the words “shue” which is a real Jenny word which she uses in situations that I would say WTF!

We are showing her how wide the slopes are and Jen is saying “Shue that is steep, do I have to come down that?” and in unison, Sue, John and I say “NO that is black – no black runs yet”.  We get to the top and distract Jen by having a photo session.  The view is stunning up there and the day is just perfect.

Jen at the top of Coronet Peak #proudofmysister #sobrave

The first bit of the run is pretty narrow, so I said to Jen – follow me and I snow ploughed all the way through the narrow bit thinking that this would be the safest way for her to get through this tough bit.  My thighs are really b urning from doing this snow plough, I look back to see if I can stop and Jen is doing parallel turns – no flies on her!  She does the toughest bit with the finesse of a pro then gets to this beautiful mile wide piste where she has all the space to do lovely slow turns and has a collision with a snow boarder.  The snow boarder was wearing black and all I could see were these pink arms wrapped around this black jacket and she wasn’t letting go – I think she thought if we are going over the edge we are going to go over together.  When the snow boarder managed to pry Jen away, he said here is your pole and scooted away – I was relieved to see that she was okay and laughing.  I asked her why she was hanging onto him and she said that was how she was stopping!

This is a little part of the run that Jen just did.

John helping Jen, please note the chair lift (thats the one we went to the top of the mountain on)

Jen on her way down

Jen is down the mountain in one piece, she had fun and is secretly and modestly proud of herself.  I am so proud of her, I never in my wildest imagination thought that by the end of the holiday that she would go up there.  Utterly amazed, super impressed and speechless.  When we finished Jen said to me “Phew I am sweating”, I don’t think she ever thought that she could sweat in -1C!!

Sue, John and I had such fun seeing Jen achieve this milestone and I think it is fair to say that it made our day.  We celebrated with a hot chocolate, coffee and John did a last run – chick free! 

We are all home now after a long hot bath, Jen had a sleep – we have massages booked tomorrow and are about to go out to Madam Woos with Shazza and Neville for a celebration.

Some UFI about Coronet Express and the M1 run – it is 2.4 km long and 500 vertical metres.

Categories: Queenstown

Shaz Thompson

Mad about golf, enthusiastic about life, totally in love with my husband and just having fun.