We were out leading all levels of groups on our various activities. The Danish were challenged by our mountains (Seeing as the highest natural point in Denmark is approximately 10 times lower than where Our Chalet is, I can't say I blame them.) The Wimbledon group successfully completed a weeks skiing major injury free. The group from the USA finally saw 3 years of planning and worrying realised and can successfully say they have skied the Alps. The Norwegian groups almost ate us out of house and home. A group of UK leaders proved that you don't have to ski to enjoy the Alps in winter and most of all, that Guiding does not only provide opportunities for young people.
It wasn't just our guests who had a good time though - I too had a great last few weeks. I was out and about with some excellent company, enjoying the beautiful Alps, and developing my Alpine leadership style whilst I still had the chance. From talking to our various visitors I gained an insight in to the finance side of Girlguiding UK, learnt all about the Danish "Fastelavn", and ate dampers for the first time. I also spent half the time being feeling like I should be able to understand what the guests were saying when they were chatting in their own languages but not quite fully understanding.
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| Fastelavn - Danish Fasching/Karneval which involved hitting a barrel till the sweets fall out! |
As the season came to a close, the 'firsts' didn't stop coming. For me, they took a fairly dramatic turn and the definition of "irony" was made exceptionally clear. Eighty thousand odd vertical metres and twenty-something days of skiing in to the season and the slopes got the better of me. The cloud on Luegli was the thickest I'd ever been in and I lost control as the ground seemed to drop from beneath me. Two flips later and I landed off the piste with only one ski on and a stabbing pain in my back. After some discussion with my Swiss colleague and a passer by who stopped to help, I decided that I was unable to ski down and they decided for me that it wasn't a good idea to walk. With that in mind, I was wrapped up in a fluorescent orange sledge on an inflatable back board, taken off the mountain, and popped straight in to the waiting ambulance. All very efficient.
The entire time I was sat in the snow, administering my own first aid to prevent hypothermia and still speaking German, I was convinced that the whole thing would have been a waste of time and actually they would probably just prescribe a dose of "taking it easy". These thoughts lasted until two x-rays, a CT scan and a physical examination later (so roughly two and a half hours after the accident itself) when the doctors confirmed that I had broken my "LWK 4". Shocked barely covers it; I felt absolutely fine, apart from the obvious pain in my back, and thought that a broken back would feel a lot worse. Breaking bones and seriously injuring myself is not my usual style, but I guess if I was going to have an accident, I might as well do it in style.
Anyway, I promised a lesson in irony so here it is.
Shortly before my fall, I had successfully skied the Adelboden World Cup piste. It gets better. I had been so proactive at hunting for my next job before my time at the Chalet was up that on each of the first three days after breaking my back, I received a job offer. Those jobs were all sailing instructor jobs, which I am now not allowed to do. Furthermore, the one thing (apart from seeing loved ones again) that I was looking forward to most about being home was driving. Something else I'm now not allowed to do. I only passed my driving test the day before I flew out to Switzerland. Also, it was the end of my time at Our Chalet - there were only four days left of work and only 6 days left until I was due to fly home - arguably I should have been good at skiing by then.
It's now six weeks later and although half of me is moping round the house for the above stated reasons, the other half is bent double (figuratively speaking - I'm not really allowed to bend) laughing at the irony of the past few weeks. All I've really lost is a couple of statements for the "I have never" game and I have, in fact, gained a beautiful new posture - all thanks to Kevin, my ever supportive "3-Punkt-Korsett". I am now having a rethink in terms of immediate job plans, for which both my bank balance and German skills are grateful. And, I AM STILL ALIVE!
These were not the experiences I expected to have at Our Chalet, and by all means not the usual Chalet experience, but valuable life lessons have been learnt. For the time being I have been forced to take a new career path and one which will be a step away from my sailing comfort zone, but this can only be a good thing. So as one chapter ends...bring on the next!
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| P.S. Always wear a helmet |
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