It was Saturday and I was delivered to the school for 7.30am. I was dressed in my best winter clothes, not exactly Klosters cool but rugged hillwalking layers. I had a good sized packed lunch and a flask of soup. There were a dozen of us, 3rd & 4th years heading up to Glenshee for our first day's real skiing.
It took us nearly 2 hours to reach our destination. When we got there it was straight on with the boots and skis and off to the nursery slopes. There was Craig Cameron and myself, a pair of complete novice hurtling along at what we thought at the time was a rare crack. The instruction we received that morning reinforced what we already knew and we got a few new pointers, like how to use a tow. Around 11am what had been light flurries of snow started to get quite heavy and the decision was made to break for lunch. Plan was to head back to the minibus, eat our scran and then go back and do some serious skiing in the fresh powder.
Alas it was not to be. First came the news that all the lifts and tows had been shut down, hopefully this was going to be temporary. The snow was getting heavier and the decision was made to transplant our party into the cafeteria on the advice of the police. Apparently the road out was now blocked by heavy drifts.
We settled into the cafe, 12 of us squeezed into a booth that could seat 8 at a push. The place was packed and getting busier. There were rumours of soup being dished out but I wasn't too worried. I'd cannily saved a significant portion of my packed lunch including my flask of soup. Boredom and frustration was setting in. There was nothing to do, nothing to read, no music or radio. After a few hours we were told to grab our gear as we were moving to a ski hire hut as there was more room.
This was a lie. There might have been more room when we arrived but it soon filled to the point that all you could do was sit and shiver on the floor as there was no room to move without standing on someone. A terrible, near sleepless night followed.
The next day saw us wander outside. It was still snowing lightly and there was still no sign of the roads opening up. We had some snowball fights, watched in awe as RAF SAR helicopters landed to take away the sick and infirm, massive Wessex and Sea Kings from Lossiemouth and Leuchars. As night fell and the snow got heavier again we once more squeezed into the shed. Black plastic bin bags were handed out to give us a bit of a barrier between our derrieres and the cold wet floor of the ski hire hut. It was too much, tempers were beginning to fray but a few of us decided to create our own shelters. Snow holes, quincies and igloos were being dug and built all around the site. What a difference. Two girls and two boys in my snow hole, huddled together for warmth and not one naughty thought all night.
In the morning it was clear and sunny. I was due to be taking my O Grade Economics prelim exam that day. Maybe not. Food was being handed out which was good as my stash was near exhausted. Rumours that the snowploughs were near to breaking through rippled through the resort and just after lunch the roads were officially opened. We got back to Dunfermline just after nightfall to find that our plight had made the national news (the resort closure rather than us personally) and was being followed by many anxious parents. Me? I was just happy that I'd missed an exam that I wasn't fully prepared for.
