The Trouble with Skiing Isn’t the Skiing

Actually, there is no problem with skiing. It’s getting to the skiing that can be problematic. Not that the weather was against us. Nope. That was fine, even with a little cloud cover.

Our problem was the things associated with skiing, like insurance, and finding anything useful in a maze of apartments and ski hire shops.

The morning started with a rather belated attempt to arrange ski insurance. You can’t get it of you are already travelling. All the insurers assume you will leave home for a designated period, and it’s from then that the cover starts. If you are already in country, forget it. The best we could do was extend our existing policy, but they need 48 hours for that to take effect, so we won’t be skiing until Wednesday.

We then set off in the van to drive to the resort. All fine here, lovely scenic drive up the mountain roads, not a spec of snow to impede progress. Finding the Motorhome parking area was more of a challenge, following endless signs, to find it at the very top of the resort.

So we then had to walk all the way back downhill between the various hotels and apartments, no signs to helpfully point the way, then try to find the ticket office amongst the ski hire shops all jostling for attention. What we wanted from the ticket office was confirmation of the life prices (done) and details of walking routes (no info whatever). Not helped by the tourist office being closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Then go looking for a wooly hat, as I didn’t bring one with me, but I’m not paying €30 for a bobble hat thank you, and what is the point of having 50 shops, all small in size and therefore with limit space for stock? How about a little differentiation? Why the exact same choices in all the shops? Bit of a stitch up of you ask me?

So gave up on the hat, I can improvise, and the weather is improving by mid-week so maybe I won’t need the hat after all.

Finally, a lovely view out over Granada on the way back down, although the cloud wasn’t quiet playing ball and allowing the sunset to quite give us the full benefit.

Tomorrow I think we will go for a local hill wall (up and around that Ayres Rock look-a-like behind Güéjar Sierra. That should get the legs going, about 10 miles and 800m of climb. Let’s hope the sun comes out!

3 thoughts on “The Trouble with Skiing Isn’t the Skiing

  1. OK, I have to ask – would we get a 33′ beast up the roads you have just climbed and would they allow it into the motor home park?

  2. The mountain roads to the resort, and to Guejar Sierra are all fine – coaches and lorries get up here, so I’m sure you can! As for the camping here at Guejar, the pitches are large enough, but the access road through the site is quite tight and with overhanging branches. You’d need to email campsites beforehand and check suitability, and then expect to be disappointed!

    One thing that we have a small problem with is the tow bar on our van – it severely restricts ground clearance, to the point where some over enthusiastic sleeping policemen get the odd thwack around the ears, and getting in and out of some steep entrances or even camp site pitches can be awkward. Not got stuck yet, but have certainly reduced the weight slightly with the odd grinding incident!

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