[tevake]

That is a really cool pic in the alps, Hmm glacier skiing. The first time I ever tried skiing was in the summer in Austria on a glacier. This was the late 60s, and I had visions of Jean Claude Killy, the Olympic great. I figured I would do something sorta like he did. Well that wasn't quite how it worked out. Icy wet, steep, I was using rented very beat up skies and was wearing blue jeans and a sweat shirt, no gloves, really no clue. I was about 16 and very confident in my athletic abilities. Thinking how hard can it be.
I hopped in the lift and went to the top of the mountain. walked over to the launching zone, strapped on skies for the first time ever in my life. pushed over the edge figuring to bomb the first part then carve some turns to burn off some speed.

Man was I in for a shock. I'd blast along for a short bit accelerating quickly to scary speeds, then try to sort out how to turn to slow down. Then blow up, bounce, splash, and slide to a soggy stop. It started after a while and many many crashes to seem to be a very long way to the next cable car stop.
Plus there was a French kids ski team out practicing. young kids, about the third time I saw them blow by things were starting to get embarrassing to say the least.

Quite a while later I limped into the cable car heading down the rest of the mountain
A very humbled and battered guy. Not at all like Jean Claude. :-)

Cheers Richard