Skiing In Vars – How I Improved My Skills In One Day

Skiing In Vars – Scratched one of my to-do things off the list! 

Who would have imagined that I would go skiing in Vars? Never have I ever thought that I would go for it.

As someone who has no idea how to ski, it could be very extremely difficult. I come from Malaysia, with tropical weather-like seasons throughout the year. Therefore, there is no such thing as snow. It’s either sunny or rainy, and no such thing as a snowball fight. We’re limited to these two options.

The first time I learned how to put on skis, ski boots, goggles, and a helmet was in 2013, during my uni winter trip, and it was also the last time I touched those ski poles.

It was traumatizing, and it was tough. My legs were screaming in pain, and my hands struggled to calibrate with my legs and body. I attended classes, but learning to ski in just one day was impossible. I wondered, ” How the heck do Europeans do it ?”

One day, my friends discussed skiing in Vars and invited me along, and I said no. Like immediately on the spot, a big no-no, and I remembered how bad it was the last time I went skiing.

They were really persuasive and insisting. I mean, they’re French, and they’re my friends. What was I expecting? That they would leave me alone? Haha. That definitely didn’t happen.

After several buttering-up sessions, I finally gave in. So, I decided to go skiing in Vars and challenge myself to ski with all these French nut heads.

We took off from Aix en Provence on Friday evening, which took us three hours by car due to the traffic jam building up right before Gap’s toll. It was assumed that the weather would be suitable for the two days, so we were surrounded by others heading to Vars as well.

The Higher Altitude – La Foret Blanche Vars

As we got to a higher altitude, a thick blanket of powdery-white snow rested on the sides of the road. We approached the village with caution as the white fog reduced the visibility. It begun to snow again. The whole vehicle quieted down as we strolled through the darkness uphill.

All we knew was that we were accompanied by a steep cliff.

It was about 10 pm when we reached the accommodation. The view was exactly how I’d imagined it to be. Thick snow on the rooftops of wooden houses reminded me of Christmas somehow. We stayed at  Residence l’Eyssina Maeva, which is situated in Vars-Les-Claux.

La Forêt Blanche links the ski areas of Vars and Risoul. Skiers and snowboarders can enjoy the scenery of high alpine terrain and open larch woods on the resort’s many runs.

The winter sports resort features a breathtaking view and an extensive range of exciting things to do in the snow, as it is surrounded by the peaks of the Massif des Ecrins National Park, the Ubaye Valley, and the Queyras Nature Park. The resort has multiple snow parks, kid-friendly attractions, and other exciting features.

Knowing that it is one of the hotspots for skiing destinations, accommodation can be super expensive just for the weekend at the ski station. We were lucky enough that we knew someone who had a studio there.

White Snowfall and Clear Blue Sky in Vars

The next day, I opened the curtains, and there I was, being pushed into a realm of a beautiful dream. It felt like taking a step into the world of Narnia. White snow everywhere. Pine trees stand elegantly, with vivid colors contrasting the plain white icy snow.

Oh, gosh. How can I not fall in love with the place?

We suited up in our snowsuits. Despite looking like a Teletubbies in my ski suit, the amount of warmth I needed was there. I headed out and rented my ski gear and Vars ski pass.

I paid only 30 euros for a day with a student card and was lucky to have 20% of my ski gear. A good start for the weekend!

I Hit A Tree – Face First

But that happiness didn’t stay long. As a newbie chasing white snow down a steep slope, I was sure I needed to go to the green track for beginners. However, my friends said no, it’s okay.

Don’t worry. Blue track (piste bleue) is easy as well. You’re gonna be alright. Trust us.

Oh boy. They were wrong. 

Have you seen cartoons where the character goes for a ski and hits a tree right in his face? That was what exactly happened to me. No, I am not lying.

I went straight for the tree like an idiot. Yes, like an idiot. 

Nobody saw that. THANK GOD. If someone had seen me, I would have buried myself right there and then with the snow. The worst part was I was not even on the track yet… This was just the beginning of one hell of a story.

I went on insisting that I did not know how to ski. But these french people are so hard-headed and so stubborn. They didn’t listen.

Despite the splendid picturesque view up the mountain, I wasn’t happy at all. I’m scared of heights, and I hate when the path is steep.

The Journey Down The Slope

My knees turned wobbly. My head was spinning. I couldn’t concentrate on what they were saying anymore. All I knew was that I could see nothing in front of me. People started skiing and disappeared among the white mist.

I tried to avoid going in a straight line because that would send me to heaven straight away. Doing zig-zag on the slope was super dangerous. Other people were going down fast, and everything was fast forward.

I stumbled down and got up again.

Felt to the ground again.

Almost got hit by another skier.

Almost accidentally ran into a small kid.

Ski got detached from my ski boots. Had trouble locking both of them back together.

At one point, I just wanted to get down. The hardest part was to get back up again when you fell. Positioning my leg correctly was tough as it was tied to a 7 feet ski plank.

It took me a long two hours to get down. People’s average time to get down should be less than 30 minutes.

Two hours long, with me screaming and blaming them every 10 meters. God knows how many zillion times I fell. I was discouraged, frustrated, and not happy at all by the time I got down.

The Frustration

Swore that I wasn’t gonna do it again. I got super fed up with it. They tried to convince me during lunch but to no avail. I was too deep in my corner of frustration.

What frustrates me the most is that I knew I could do it, but I couldn’t recall the basic knowledge or skill to glide down the snow slope.

I sat by a café, reflecting on how I did for the past two hours. It took me a while to come down and return to my senses.

After mustering up some courage, I went for the green track. The green track is typically for kids and people learning to ski. I took my time going up and down the small hill. Figured out how to go left and right with very stiff legs. Observed how the other kids did it, and finally, I recovered my bravery.

I looked up to the sky and told myself that I would not waste the beautiful day and why not try again. Here we go, to the blue track again.

And guess what? I did it. It took me less than two hours, and I finally did it.

I got slightly better and tried not to look like a retarded person on the track. I went for the third round on the same track and was super happy that I did not give up.

It was difficult to convince myself and overcome the fear and overthinking part. All I needed was a little faith and confidence in myself.

Building courage is not easy. I can always say that I can get out of my comfort zone, but I learned that getting there takes time and effort. Everyone has their own pace, and following our rhythm is okay.

Dinner Fondue aux Morilles

Most of the restaurants were fully booked that night. We managed to get the last four seats in L’Apres Ski. Shared a big Fondue aux Morilles with the boys.

It was cheesing-ly tasty but, at the same time, very fattening. A small crumb of bread that you dipped inside a hot pot of soupy cheese.

Skiing in Vars Is An Amazing Experience

The next day, I was chasing snow in Vars down the blue piste in less than 15 minutes! A BIG RECORD FOR ME! Fell a few times because I had a hard time trying to balance myself when I was going down a steep hill at high speed. Panic and scared that I would run into another person. Happily pushed myself to my limits!

I was crazy enough that I tried a steeper hill on the red track because I couldn’t go left and right this one as I did on the blue piste. I went straight down at high speed like a champion and stopped without any problem. Please do not do this. It is actually very dangerous for you and others around you.

The weekend was one of the best memories in my little adventure life. Probably, I’ll try skiing in Vars again next winter,  why not!

I hope you guys have a good weekend, no matter where you are.

A la prochaine!

Bisous.