It's hard to put into words the feeling I get when I reach the mountains. That first breath of fresh mountain air, that crisp cold breeze that hits you in the face (sometimes quite aggressively if its -10 and snowing), and that first ski run of the holiday when your legs haven't quite remembered what to do and you get distracted by every beautiful view you see.
Mount Tremblant, Canada January 2016
This was my fourth visit to Tremblant and every time I go it's special and I never want to leave. Yes I love a beach holiday or a city break as much as the next person, but there is something so satisfying and cleansing about being in the mountains. I truly feel at peace when I get to the top of the mountain and look out all around me to snow capped trees and gorgeous views for miles. I may not be the best skier, the most stylish or the most adventurous but who cares? I go because I love it and it gives me a chance to just be. To be free and wild and scream and shout all the way down a mountain, green run or black, who cares?
My dad and I ski, we laugh and we love it. We stop regularly and refuel on hot chocolate and crisps, we tackle icy blue runs with stumbles and no style, we race down green runs like kids and we just have the best time. We snide at the children who are all amazing, we tut at the snowboarders who sit in the middle of the piste, we laugh at each other when we fall rather than offering help. That is what skiing and being in the mountains is to me. It's true enjoyment, even when I'm freezing, tired and every part of me aches, I still wake up the next morning, bundle on all the layers, stuff my feet into heavy boots and can't wait to get back out there.
Canada is one of my favourite destinations to visit, especially Tremblant, and I am even desperate to come back and visit in the Spring or Summer to do lots of exploring and outdoor activities. I'm just a bit scared that I might miss that crisp cold air and snow beneath my skis.
