His Royal Orangeness Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit prepare our transport for the day.
It would be a shame, nevermind that there was very little snowfall this winter, to be here and not strap my feet to some plank and carve those slopes. Today was my 21st birthday and rather than feel depressed that half of my life has been wasted, I thought I'd do something scary to remind me no matter how shitty my life is, that I should always be happy just to be alive.
Since Rossignol was late in supplying His Royal Orangeness Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit custom skis and I would never embark on an adventure without my two dogs, I got us a classic sledge.
Yes, not a light carbon fibre or composite sledge but a traditional wooden one.
We realised that we could propel ourselves from the TOP of Faulhorn all the way down to Bussalp. This 15km course is the world's longest sledge run with an altitude drop of 800m. Not only was it my first time on a classic sledge, I also didn't know anything about the course. Yet, as we all know, the first time may be bloody madugo but it's also the sweetest napakasarap.
It took us longer to climb up Faulhorn and I got sunburned severely because it was so sunny. From the top, the course looked scary and steep and the corners weren't banked which meant if we failed to turn, we'd go over the cliff.
Still, HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit said I could do it and more so, that I could steer our sledge into a new Philippine Classic Sledging record (if ever there was one). I took some practice runs over the lake and found the snow to be packed (almost like ice) and therefore very fast and hard.
After birthday lunch on the top of Faulhorn, we embarked on our "cool runnings" adventure.
I'm too incompetent with words in describing how scary but fun the entire experience was. (Experience it for yourselves then you'll know..)
Let me just say that I DO have experience riding wooden planks down steep slopes. When I was growing up in the mean slums of Baguio, I'd take a section of thick plywood, fasten a rope on the front side, and "wax" the underside by rubbing it with candles stolen from the church altar and would ride the plank down the asphalt side roads till I was stoked. And I'm telling you, crashing on tarmac is way more painful than on packed snow.
Despite three crashes, a hard turn that nearly broke my ankle, and painful sunburn. We survived! It took us 3 hours to get to the top of the mountain. It took us a mere 30 minutes to get to the finish line (12 km away).
(Wait! What happened to the final 3km? - The snow had turned to sludge and it was impossible to steer. Also we didn't realise that the last 5km was actually closed that day! We missed the avalanche warning signs.)
Still, I claim the Philippine Classic Sledge Record (let us forget for a moment that HRO Karl Willem is Dutch/Swedish and Gromit is English. I'm sure they won't mind filing this under the Philippine Snowsports Record Books.
HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit excitedly board the aerial gondola to First with our sledge.
HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit ride the sledge as The Nashman pulls them all the way to the top of Faulhorn.
Unbeknownst to The Nashman, PA/PR Gromit went to the patisserie, got a birthday cake, and put it in our lunch pack. I was touched.
My 21st Birthday and I'm with my best friends enjoying the vista. What would I do without HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit?
We did some practice runs. Learning how to steer the sledge, brake, do hard turns, and blocking our fears.
The starting point....
...our first spectacular crash that sent the sledge flying off the course.
...it looks easy.....
......until you start crashing.
...we sledged inside the avalanche zone! Wahoo! Safety regulations do not apply to Felepenos like me. Ay bale wala lang yan. May agimat ang dugo ko anoh. And I checked earlier that I still had an active insurance. (You need to take out a separate insurance that covers you for sports above 2000m)
....it doesn't look steep...
For dinner, I shared fondue with a pretty Californian (Olivia). She's doing film school and wants to be a director. I volunteered to read her script and if schedules permit, will audition for her first feature film. I warned her that due to my conservative Belgian Catholic upbringing, I can't show full frontal nudity and will not wear a condom during the mandatory and realistic sex scenes that are the hallmarks today's cinema.
...after dinner, I went to the Swiss Premiere of the new Rowan Atkinson movie. I forgot to ask if the film was dubbed in French or German, but then again, I'm watching frigging Mr. Bean! The movie had some classic slapstick scenes. What an apt film to see on my birthday. I realised, I shouldn't feel sorry for my superfluous and insignificant life and like Mr. Bean, feel positive that for every conundrum, there is always a simple solution. (Let us not forget that Rowan Atkinson has an Engineering degree from Oxford. Between Mr. Bean and MacGyver, I'd rather be with the Bean.)