PART II The long slope home
We paused on the crest of the Col de Gentianes, looking down towards La Chaux. Having not factored in the ZipLine experience into our timing, most of the snow had been skied off the slope and the little that remained was in the form of bumps.
Nadia had had a glass of water but hadn’t eaten anything and, most importantly, was very, very tired. But our uniskier knew that it was her only chance to ski this descent, and nothing was going to stop her. She took a deep breath and launched herself down the first steep incline, she fell. We righted her and she fell again.
A bystander helpfully remarked that we should be taking Nadia on easier slopes.
‘Jerk’ Nadia laughed after we had politely persuaded him to go away.
At that very moment, the ‘cavalry’ appeared in the form of our second team on the hill that day. As I looked at Jean-Victor, Mitch, Mélanie and all Jean-Victor’s girls smiling at us, I knew we could do it.
Mitch took over, bucketed Nadia down the steep initial descent and then let her rip. With Henri leading the way and Sophie and Cat keeping guard we escorted Nadia as she would take 4-5 turns and then hit a patch of ice and fall. Every time, Mitch appeared from nowhere, righted her and set her off again. On numerous occasions I asked Nadia if she wanted Mitch to bucket her down.
‘NO!’ she replied, ‘I’ve been waiting to get up here.’
And so we continued, turn by turn, and the occasional tumble.
At one point, I realised we had the slope to ourselves. I turned upwards to see my dear friend, Carola, standing like a little statue of liberty on the brow of the hill, arms outstretched, holding up the traffic. Behind her, about 20 skiers, obediently waiting, peering curiously at Nadia’s dogged progress.
I pointed this out to Nadia. She looked, grinned, gritted her teeth and set off again. Nadia’s spirit and determination infected us all. We may have been volunteering but it was actually just a great day on the slopes with a fellow skier for whom we had all developed massive respect.
And she nailed it: she skied, she fell, but Nadia got to the La Chaux Express under her own steam and only then did she agree to stop.
‘Thank you,’ she said emphatically, ‘for letting me fall!’
And thank you Nadia, for the lesson in pure determination!
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