ASierra Nevada ll about
Vol. 13 Issue 333
www.theolivepress.es
White world
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2019/2020
First-time skier Charlie Smith slopes off to the Sierra Nevada to discover the thrill of the chill on our doorstep
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By Charlie Smith We step out at Borreguiles, which sits some 2,700 metres above sea level. This is the basecamp for many of the Sierra’s runs, which range from the green-coloured ‘muy facil’ pistes to those in black, labelled ‘muy dificil’. Blinded by the brilliant white sheen given off by the snow, I meet my teacher for the day, Joey, from the British Ski Center. Having only ever skied on the dry slope in Halifax, Yorkshire, Continues overleaf
photo by Telemark
ILENCE. There is not a single peep as I climb upwards through the valley to meet my maker. I poke my head out of the cable car window and the Sierra Nevada’s fresh alpine air hits my lungs. Then I hear it – a sweeping crunch down the crisp white piste, as a snowboarder whizzes past below. Another tears through, and then a third, all weaving down the mountainside at blistering speed. I’m definitely more terrified than the three Spanish guys sharing the carriage with me. We have left behind the cosy bars and restaurants in Pradollano, the main town of Andalucia’s only ski resort.