Tuesday 21 February 2012

Stranger #15 - Marco, Doctor

I really didn't want to meet Marco…. Having to meet a Doctor in a hospital on a ski trip is usually bad news.

Thankfully, he was a really nice chap and also confirmed that my ankle wasn't really broken….. Despite feeling like it when I wiped out on my snowboard the day before.

Turns out that this had been a light week for ski injuries…. the extreme cold temperatures have reduced the volume of people on the slopes.

Been to this hospital several times before… although my first time as a patient. The list of injuries for our party has been as follows:
1 Broken arm
2 sprained ankles
1 broken collarbone
1 puncture from skipole tip
1 knee sliced open to bone from ski edge
1 damaged knee tendon
1 cut head

Sounds alot doesn't it….. but we are typically a group of 20-28 people, half adults, half kids and we have come here every year for 12 years. Statistically thats about 1 hospital visit per 40 ski trips per person.

Given that I have been skiing / boarding for 30 years with at least 1 and often 2 ski trips per year I guess I was due a personal visit to the hospital.

This picture is #15 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at www.100Strangers.com

It's been months since my last stranger picture - I guess I have got out of the habit

Thursday 16 February 2012

Good morning Switzerland....

Of course any morning when you are about to head out for the slopes with your snowboard is good.

Really f***ing cold though. Minus 18 centigrade at the hotel before we headed up to the slopes. Meant that every millimetre of exposed flesh on your face was in pain.


Barn buried in the snow, originally uploaded by It's life Jim.....



Come to Switzerland... Learn to snowplough!, originally uploaded by It's life Jim.....


The church in Chateau d'Oex, originally uploaded by It's life Jim.....