Monday 11th January

I woke up with plenty of time in the morning to sort everything out, i was dead excited aswell!

Left to go to the airport around 11am, checking in with no difficulty apart from re-arranging my suitcase as it was too heavy!!!

Boarded onto the plane, but as I booked my own ticket I wasn't sitting next to anyone so it was a really long 6 hour journey! I began the flight by watching Dark Knight but got scared within 10 minutes so turned it off, as I didn't want to become enemies with my new room mates! So instead I watched the new James Bond film. I also watched Transformers on my ipod to pass the time!

We arrived at 4:15pm (Canada) which was 45 minutes early, so I really like Air Canada now!

After being questioned by some stroppy French-Canadian security asking me why I was in Canada blah blah blah, I finally got through!!

I collected all my bags which took ages to come out! Met up with the Ski Le Gap reps and boarded the typical American style school buses! We were the 'red bus' which I was sure would explain alot later on! After 1 hour 30 minutes later we arrived! It was pretty dark outside so was hard to see what was around.

We all went into the dinning room, and sat down with my new friends and ate pizza, which I was so pleased about as Brad and I were talking about how amazing Texas BBQ pizza was from dominos and I started getting a craving! Even though the pizza didn't match up, it was pretty damn good!!

We listened and read our daily events which are written on the board, with daily tempatures and runs open at Mont-Tremblant. Our day tomorrow, (Tuesday) consisted of shopping!! And boarders will be riding but no skiers! WOO!

I have met my room mates, Ally, Rosie and Bella! They all seem pretty cool! We are on the first floor, with the rest of the 'red bus' people! The chalet is across the road from the dinning room. We all unpacked and ready! I have the top bunk! They are really high and make me slightly nervous!!! I also has a prefectly placed wooden bar right underneath my head and have hit it countless amount of times!

Tuesday 12th January

I couldn't sleep well last night, woke up every hour on the hour, I guess my body clock working back in UK time!

Got ready and went downstairs and ate a very nutritious breakfast of fruity loops! AMAZING! They also had lucky charms too!

Got to the slopes early, as I found out the 'red bus' went on the earlier bus and blue/black went on the later bus. This apparently changes each week!

So at the slopes got a mug shot of my face and stuck in on the lift pass! Lovely, plus the camera dude decided to put it in front of the camera so everyone will see it now!

Went up stairs and everyone got organised in their ski/board class. As soon as I walked in the door, I was out of the door! I am having private lessons with a guy called J.P. As I haven't had as much time on snow as the others! So P.J. took me shopping into a Burton shop to buy boots and a very stylish helmet! Costing me about $300 Canadian dollars which isn't too bad! Luckily my board I have is fine for Canada so no more spending money!! We tuned up my board and bindings to be sure they fitted well and snugly! We hit the slopes! It was a chilly -12 but with a bit of a wind which you felt on any exposed skin!

We went through the basics, which was good to refresh my memory! I managed to get and improve my turns, I fell over countless times and also completly wiped myself out! I also smacked my head against the snow (this is why I wear a helmet!). I have conquered the ski lifts which are not designed for boarders at all! I went and brought a nice (expensive) pair of googles as my old ones were rubbish! Oakleys and bright pink! Cost me about $170 Canadian dollars, so nearly as much as my boots!!

I managed to get some blue runs done which I am impressed. The 'scoring' system in the States and Canada goes as, Green, Blue, Black Dimonad and Double Black Dimonad!

After some hard core boarding a jumped on the bus and went back to the chalet, which is about 10-15 minute drive away. Got back and realised I have ALREADY lost my key to my room, luckily Ally is a boarder too so I have been keeping close!

Went to dinner for burgers! Yum! Then went back to the chalet to the bar in the basement! It a biggish room, with loud speakers and a small bar run by the staff here. Everyone went off to a club called Caribou in the village (where the ski resort is) I decided that I didn't want to be hungover on my second day of boarding! So Ally and me returned to our room for some good sleep!

Wednesday 13th January

Woke up this morning stiff as a brick! My legs hurting so so much from my new boots, as they need to wear in, and constantly being on my toes or heels on my board! Also my arms we aching loads too!

Had breakfast this time I resited the lucky charms and went for nice crispy bacon, pancakes and hash browns!! So good!

Got to the slope around 9:30 but J.P. was late and didn't arrive till 10am. I meet a fellow gapper called Lucy, who did the mini gap in December, but on the second day fell over and broke her wrist! So she is joining me and J.P. to get some more practice! We were doing well learning alot! My feet started hurting loads and I just wanted to cry!!!! We stopped for lunch and had a good 1 hour 30 minute rest! My feet were thankful!

After lunch we got back on our boards and got riding! We learnt more about pivot turns which I am getting better. I still dislike the really steep runs as I loose all my confidence and end up going into the forest nearly!

The temparute today was a lovely -16 at the top, an elevation of 845 metres. The weather had changed from being nice and snowy to frozen rain. Which is a pain as it freezes to you bloody googles and you can't see a thing! So after de-icing my googles constantly in the afternoon, we got a few more runs done. My feet were used to the boots alot more, or just numb, either way I enjoyed the afternoon more. I began to lose energy around 2ish so we go done the last run with a few more exercises and get back to the resort. Lock up our boards, which might I add, have forgotten the combination already! It is one of those stupid locks you find in a high school locker! So I going to buy a pad lock at the weekend!

Got back on the bus to the chalet. Went back to my room and slowly de-clothe from the thousand of layers I put on today and got washed and dressed for dinner. Ally and I were the first down, which explain alot as I was so hungry!! It was spag and bols! After wrestling with my spagetti and sucessfully not spilling any down me, we had John the laundry guy come and explain about the laundry process. We also had the local police come and give us a visit. Telling us of any actions we make will have serious consequences!

Returned to the clean room that the cleaners had cleaned. They had actually did a proper good job! Packed everything nicely and they also found my missing key! After I had asked Jason (the guy in charge of the chalet and all off piste activities!) for a new key!

I am now relaxing in the room, listening to the BAD taste in music someone has on their ipod which is blasting out from the basement.

Tomorrow is more boarding, in the evening we are setting up Canadian bank accounts, as our debit cards don't work in the village.

At the weekend Ally and I are planning to go to the village check out the spa and gym, and sign up for membership. Then hit the slopes with a few more boarders, Alex and Lexy for the morning and then return back to the village after lunch to go to the spa! Which sounds amazing!!