Day 2 - The Rock Garden

Now if you were going to name a ski field would you choose "The Rock Garden." As that is more than likely not a situation you would find yourself in how about this question instead. If you were a beginner skier would you choose to try out your new found skills in "The Rock Garden?"

In case your wondering I would answer yes to both. For when I was in the ski lift over "The Rock Garden" I understood why it was named thusly and panicked. Being about 100' over the rock garden gave me a wonderful perspective on those boulders that the little dots were moving around and caused me so much angst and vertigo I couldn't get the camera out of my pocket to snap a few shots for you.

Suffice it to say that "The Rock Garden" is beyond my limited skiing ability. In fact getting off the ski lift at the lofty height of "The Rock Garden" was beyond my limited skiing ability. I ignobly fell off the lift chair, ducked the chair behind me and while still on my knees begged the operator to let me take the next chair down. As I stood up I did compose myself and presented a choice to them. Either send me down to my death on skis or a put me in a chair and avoid all the fuss. I am glad to say that I got the ride.

On the way down I thought about taking a picture of the little dots circling the rocks and as I lived through the ride up the mountain I figured I would live through the ride down the mountain so fear was not all consuming. However I had my skis in my hands and thought that dropping them on one of the little dots would be in bad form so I simply enjoyed the view of the plains running to the Tasman sea, the houses built into the side of the mountain and wondered how I was ever going to get off the ski lift at the bottom.

I am happy to report that I was able to get off the lift as my skis were not attached to those boots. So I spryly got off the chair and was promptly lectured by the operator at the bottom on how to ski down "The Rock Garden." Like I was going to go back up there!

So I made my way back to Happy Valley where the hills are the size of a bunny, and the skiing is safe (except for the sheer drop at the end of the valley just after you get on the chair lift.)

One last thought the reason why I thought I could give "The Rock Garden" a go is that it was the next slope moving up in difficulty from Happy Valley.