A broken-rib-twingeing chore

Lugging ski bag and case from hotel to station - although it’s only across the road - is a broken-rib-twingeing chore, and so Patrik comes in handy as a pack horse.

Day 5 - Disentis

Luckily these photographers are well trained at lugging heavy bags around, so I hobble behind doing my best impression of an invalid, wincing with every step. We wave goodbye to Davos as we chug out of the station (bang on time of course) for a 90 minute train ride to Disentis (with a change at Filisur – a beautiful mid-mountain station).

A stern man checks us in to the basic and pleasant Hotel Furka a mere 200 yards from the station. (Here’s the view from the hotel window; it’s not exactly Birmingham New Street is it?). His less-than-friendly response to our predictable and jovial “Do you speak English?” greeting gets us a little worried about the prospects for his gaff, as does the news that we’ve got a double room to share.
“Do you have a twin room available by any chance please kind sir?” we ask meekly.
“No!” he blurts.
“Perhaps you have two rooms available?”, we offer.
“No. Full,” is his taciturn repost.
However, lunch is hearty and the room is fine – with twin beds after all.

Disentis is a free-ride gem and Patrik is eager to head up the mountain for a couple hours this afternoon. I debate joining him, but reckon giving the ribcage at least one day off is the decent thing to do.

Day 6 – Disentis

There are other beers available in Switzerland, but Carlsberg does seem to have a big presence.

Back on the snow, but ever so gingerly. There was barely any pain from the rib, but quite a bit of trepidation about falling, and a real paranoia about being hit by other skiers – something I’ve never felt before – probably because they’ve previously been in more danger from me than I have from them. Until now. This is new cautious Steve where falling over is taboo.

Chilling with our guide (and snowboard instructor) Beloushi at the teepee bar and restaurant on the Disentis slopes. Him and Patrik are just about to head off for some freeriding while I lick my wounds and…

…admire the view.

Patrik at the start of his free-ride run. In his own words: “We took the Lai Alv drag lift for 100 metres and then dropped off and climbed for 10 mins up along a ridge. Board on and we followed the ridge – it felt quite exposed with a big drop to the left. That's where the run started. It’s in the shade and north facing so the snow was still really good. Plus there were plenty of bumps and rocks to jump off as we headed down into Val Pintga.

Eventually all the valley gathers into one bottleneck and it was really run out, with moguls and rocks. They call this part the labyrinth. On a fresh snow day it would be an astounding run.”

This is the best pic of the lot, and it wasn’t taken by the photographer…

A fair distance from hardcore, but definitely pleased to be skiing again.

Anybody got any wire cutters?. Patrik locks our skis and board together as we head into the Swedish après ski bar. He has cunningly left the combination as 000 because no self-respecting ski-thief would be expecting that. Sort of like a double bluff or something. However, when we come out of the bar several beers later, some card (I think that’s what Patrik called them) has changed the combination and we have to bust the lock with a pair of pliers. Patrik's Scandinavian sense of humour is tested to the limit.