I thought when I boarded the plane in Australia for Austria I was off on a holiday, stress free, and snowboarding everyday.  How wrong could I be. 

 This whole trip has been about learning lifes lessons the hard way.  From getting smashed on rocks and spending 4 days in hospital, having my front tooth fall off because of the fall and travel insurance not covering it, missing out on all of the FWQ snowboard events, surviving a major avalanche, buying a new snowboard and having it break after 1 week with no warranty being offered, getting caught on the Swiss boarder without a passport, then having it faxed through to the boarder to find out that im 6 hours over my 90 day visa(75 euro fine), once again getting smashed on rocks and getting a purple shoulder.....................I have 1 week left and I hope nothing else can happen.

Im about to start my next holiday which is 2 weeks in Tasmania surfing followed by Sydney, QLD then New Zealand.  I hope the only stories from this trip are wave stories.

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April 7th....................A day which was going to be spent riding a sick face backcountry in Austria........  A day which ended in the most remarkable way ever, leaving three people with a story which is nearly unbelievable to anyone that knows the power of the mountains.

Hiking the ridge line and looking down at the face was a bit of a delusion.  It looked big but I heard it was massive.  Some how I think my eyes were playing tricks on me, until I saw the first person drop and with what seemed like endless turns he ended up looking like a defenceless ant in the desert.  Just seeing how massive it was scared me.  I had never ridden such a massive powder field in my life. 

Anytime before you drop a face like this things run through your head, making your heart rate pick up a beat or two.  We all can imagine a small "slide" happening, but an avalanche is something which we all know can happen, but if that was the first thing coming into our heads everytime we left the groomed runs we would be too scared to even enjoy our riding.

My run was amazing, through a small chute and out into an endless powder field.  Nothing even needed to be said as I rode up to my friend smiling.  I turned to then see the next person dropping.  Excited to watch someone experience what I just had. 

One word was spoken over and over, nothing else needed to be said.  When you hear "fuck" more than once you know its serious.  I looked closely then could see it all turning to disaster 1km up the hill in front of me.  The first slide took the rider over a 15 metre cliff at this stage I knew it was serious as we were so far below that cliff to get up there fast, but to see the face then crack 200metres across and fall towards us is something I wont forget. 

 The avalanche seemed to take so long to reach us.  I kept telling my friend to be strong, stay on top were coming to get him once this nightmare stops.  It continued past us over another massive cliff, then silence.  Silence is something that should be enjoyed once your nightmare is over.  In this case the nightmare just became reality.  To pull your piep out to search for a loved one has always been my worst nightmare.  It just became so real.  I felt so crushed, so scared and so alone.  I wanted to curl up into a ball and just cry.  Something gave me the strength to not cry and start searching.

This slide could fit 6 football stadiums inside it.  There were only two of us to search.  The chances looked so slim to pull somone out alive.  You pray, you search and you take life so good damn serious at this moment that nothing can distract you, not even your own crushed emotions. 

 To see my friend scream and race down the mountain through the debris I will never forget.  I then had the first glimmer of hope that something positive was about to happen.  I looked closely and could see a hand out of the snow 70 metres from me.  I took off and had the best run of my life over the avalanche debris getting bumped in every direction.  No powder run has EVER given me that amount of satisfaction.  I got there and couldn't help but kiss him and start crying.  I didn't even think of the shovel in my bag to help shovel him out, till I was told to stop crying and dig.  

That day was the most amazing day I have and hopefully will ever encounter in that way.  To go from being so crushed by the mountains which I love more than anything, to being ecstatic beyond belief.   To dig somone out of this size avalanche uninjured is unbeleivable.  It is a day which effected all three of us in the most positive way ever. 

To look at a picture of this slide and see the three wobbly tracks leave the diaster is unbelievable.  It's not luck that keeps the human spirit strong through times like this its higher.  I can't help but think it was the help of a young guy who the boys were friends with.  Marcus lost his life on the same face 10 years ago.  Thank you so much.x

Tags: snowboarding, avalanche danger, backcountry

"If you get bucked off the pony, jump back on, kick it in the guts and ride to the hills.  Then fear can't catch you" Amber Schuecker !!

"I think riding with an injury is a good way to teach yourself to be a better rider.  Everything you do you make sure you do it perfect, as there is no room for being slack and falling. "Amber Schuecker ( Doctors dont seem to agree on this one)

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Schnee, schnee, schnee(snow,snow,snow) meine Deutch ist not good!!  Im on week 6 and back riding.  Everything has healed well(thats doctor Amber's prognosis).  Im back riding with my little Dakine wrist  guard on!!  I thought they were for people who were learning, so its perfect for me as i'll always be learning lifes lessons the hard way.  I have learnt to do everyday life switch(left handed) and my little gay hand just.....Well I don't really know what it does.  Nerves take so long to grow back together.  Mine has a long way to go so I hope the little neurons are fit enough to make the journey. 

On the sunny side..........I have a false tooth now.  Your never too old to get on of those!!

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5 minutes with a neuron doctor seems to be worth 375 Euro in Austria.  It costs 25 euro to just walk through the door, 28 Euro for the receptionist to make you a bill, then the rest for the service of the doctor.  Being told its to early to see  anything, then getting asked to lie down he will still give it a try.  5 minutes later he says "just like I thought still to early to see anything".  He sends me away to book another appointment in 2 weeks.  The receptionist hands my bill to me and I laughed so loud and told them there was no way to pay a bill like this.  375 euro is about $700.

Atleast at the hairdressers you offered a coffee.

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I was out walking today, thinking of my hand that still doesnt move from the "im gay position" and how i need to ask for help to tie my shoe laces and do other normal jobs.  i thought I had it pretty tough.  When I walked past a lady sittting outside on her porch knitting.  Knitting faster than i could with 2 normal hands.  The only thing which made me stare and walk away appreciating my situation more, was the fact that she had 1 hand and a stump with no fingers. 

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Maybe its my fitness training that makes me think pain is good, but atleast you know something is happening.  When you feel nothing it can set doubts in your mind as to wheather you will ever be able to use your hand again.  Mental pain is so hard to deal with, give my physical pain anytime!!!

I think im on the road to setting a record of healing really fast.  You would hardly know i had broken my arm or fractured my back 1 week ago.  Im trying really hard to not lose much strength in my body.  Im doing one legged squats, and loads of other balance exercises without weights to try and keep some strength in my legs and core, also my secret  to recovery is VISUALIZATION.

I go to Engadine (st moritz, swtizerland) today to watch my contest im suppose to be doing.  Im going to use it as a learning tool by watching riders and their line selection.  Im using visualization as a technique to train my body(i know to most of you this doesnt sound right) but it works.  Studies show that using our mind and thinking about training can strengthen our muscles.  one study showed that the group lifting weights over a 3 week period developed 28% strength gain and the group that visualized and didnt lift weight developed a 23% gain............................................the mind is powerfull.

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4 days spent in the krankenhous is not good for anyones rehabilitation.  White bread with butter and jam,  which a pig would even turn his snout up at, whilst the other patients got dark bread, cheese, tomato and meat.  Are they thinking that Australians have no gourmet desires and are happy with plastic to eat?? I couldnt beleive that and im glad the young nurse did find it funny and understood when i  asked him politely if he was trying to kill me.

4 days dressed in all boys clothes(including underwear) would not be terribly fun for most women.  But when I asked Alli why did he bring me his clothes and not mine it made sense, "yours are too tight, and mine are easier to  get on" and it definatly made life so much easier. 

When your feeling so bad you dont care about all those small things in life.  I had 2 days with blood through my hair, dressed like a boy, with no girlie products.  I love the way men think when you ask them to pack you a hospital bag, you never know which delights you are going to get, or maybe not.  I got boys clothes, toothbrush, and face moisturiser.  Out of the hundreds of things he could have choosen.   What more do you really need though?

Im home now and things are going well.  Im in physio and working hard at trying to be back in 8 weeeks for the last of the FWQ competitions.  Its not my broken arm, or fractured back which will be stopping me.  I have a right hand that flops into the, i'm "gay position" and has no feeling in it.  Things will move quickly for me at home. I have the best carer looking after me, and living in  the most amazing relaxing place.  Life is still great

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Things have turned out pretty bad, as i write this blog at 3am from hospital.  Its day 3 now.  I had an operation on my arm as my humerous was snapped in two and all the ligaments twisted (maybe it could take a year to get feeling back), so they put a metal plate holding that in place, stappled my head closed with staples, put metal across my teeth as they were loose, and my back is fractured causing more pain than anything else but they not worried about that. 

Maybe the lesson learnt is always ride your own lines dont try beating your boyfriend to the gnarly ones.

All I remember is going to fast to beat the sluff down then not being able to stop.  I got bounced from both sides of the chute through the rock landing sitting upright but knocked out.

I thought i had lost my arm as i could only see part of my shoulder the rest was twisted behind me.  The Heli was flown in and off i went to the krankenhous(its german for hospital) the name is appropriate as im beginning to get kranky in here.  Tomorrow i go home and and and........................well do nothing.  Im hoping to still make it to the FWQ competitions and support my boy. 

It is so hard to accept injury when all you want to do is be on the mountain everyday.  Im hoping in a few weeks i can be back on my board and take photos of people.  Im so gratefull that things are not worse and im still here to write this. 

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Tags: austria, europe, snowboarding, fresh powder, engadine