My Trip to Hakuba - Day 4

Snow as white as milk was piling up all over the Hakuba valley as I woke up on the fourth and last day of the Hakuba trip. While I was getting ready for the day, I was feeling happy and sad at the same time. Happy, because I could meet my parents and get back to the usual school routine but sad, because this was going to be my last day of skiing for an entire year.

Nevertheless, I firmly told myself to enjoy each and every moment to the fullest and headed downstairs to grab some breakfast along with my roommates and friends. After breakfast, which to my consternation, had been declining in quality for the past few days, we awaited our teachers to brief us on the day's events. We learnt that because our school was a six hour drive from the valley, we were to go upto our rooms straightaway and pack our suitcases. Following that, we were going to ski for two hours and then head back to the hotel; after which we would clamber onto the buses and return home. 

As all of us started to rumble out of the dining hall, the teachers announced that we had only ten minutes to pack our stuff. While disconsolate gasps and sighs were heard from many of my classmates, I had already packed most of my items on the previous night itself and hence, was feeling very relaxed. I finished my packing, donned my ski gear and dragged my huge suitcase to my bus, puffing and panting all the way.

Then, I put on my ski boots, colleted my trusty skis and poles and headed towards the hotel reception as usual. With big smiles, my ski batch greeted our instructor, who enthusiastically led us towards the ski slopes. On the way, I questioned my ski instructor on what we were going to do today. My ski instructor had a joyful grin as he said that we were going to hop onto a gondola and ski down an entire mountain!! All of us leaped in joy, anticipating the amount of fun we were going to have today. 

A gondola is a spacious compartment which is closed from all sides. Like chairlifts, it is attached to a rope line and moves slowly through the air. Unlike a chairlift however, gondolas are used to travel to much higher places from where we can ski from. We were feeling very snug in the gondola as we began the slow ascent upwards. My instructor told us that it would take twenty mintes to reach our destination. Although this was quite some amount of time, I was not bored at all, because the feeling I got while looking at the snow draped Hakuba valley was too good to be expressed through words. Entire forests were cladded and coated with snow as a cold yet refreshing breeze was enveloping the whole village.

The moment we finished our magical gondola ride and reached the top of the mountain, we immediately put on our skis, held our poles firmly and set off on our journey. My instructor emphasised that while we needed to be safe, we also needed to ski faster than usual because it took nearly an hour to reach back down. This left us with little to no time to rest and dawdle. Over the first thirty minutes of our skiing mission, we criss-crossed the mountain in somewhat narrow paths. I did not particularly enjoy it because the path was quite flat and had less amount of snow. This meant that in order to move forward, we had to push ourselves with our poles for most of the time. Furthermore, I also developed cramps in the soles of my feet, guiltily leading me to ask my instructor for a small rest break,  Once rested, I hoped that it would become easier to ski from now on and was I right! 

The next half an hour was the best ski session ever!! The cold breeze was refreshing as I skied down a different path which was wide and very sloping. This made it very easy to ski fast and I felt I was on cloud 9!! At the same time, the sun was shining at its brightest which added beauty to the already mind-bogglingly picturesque Hakuba valley.

We completed our ski mission ten minutes ahead of the stipulated time. I was elated at the fact that over the course of the entire mountain, I did not fall even once. This was a big triumph as well as a significant stepping stone for me in becoming a good skier. Furthermore, I was amazed that within the time span of two days alone, I went from being a complete novice to be able ski down an entire mountain!! Following this superlative finish to the Hakuba ski trip, we removed our skis and poles and headed back towards the hotel, where we said goodbye to our ski instructor. Although we spent little time together, the lessons which I acquired from him will stay with me throughout my entire lifetime.

I removed my ski gear and clothing and then returned them to the ski company; following which we got on to our buses. As we began our journey back home, I took a last affectionate glance at the Hakuba valley until it faded away onto the distance.