– Lauren
Anybody who has survived a Korean Winter knows that generally, there are only three things that are really worth getting excited over: Snow (granted…that might just be for South Africans like me who still find it a novelty), spending your Winter vacation somewhere warm (and preferably somewhere that has a beach, palm trees and copious amounts of Mojito’s) and of course, ski season!
The ski season in Korea is a decent three to four months between the end of November and early March, and when it comes to Ski Resorts, Korea knows how it’s done! There are about 17 Ski Resorts around the country, all kitted out with modern facilities; from the Condos, hot tubs, and equipment to the gondolas and ski runs. It’s a very popular pastime in Korea and resorts are packed every weekend in winter. For the avid skiers and snowboarders, you can purchase a pass for the entire season (a Season Pass) at one of the many resorts around the country (which usually come with shuttle bus transfers) or alternatively, you can just book a tour.
At the start of the season I had been on two tours to High 1 Ski Resort and mastered the art of skiing (and by ‘mastered’ I mean I could go down a beginner slope without falling…well…for the most part). I had thoroughly enjoyed it and was eager to get one more weekend in before the season closed. I booked a tour through one of the most organized, and without a doubt the most fun tour group in the country – Enjoy Korea! I have been on many outings with them and always know I am guaranteed a good time. When it comes to majority of their trips (especially to music festivals) the party bus vibe is absolutely legendary, but I also really appreciate how organized, professional and incredibly fun they are. It’s not easy booking trips by yourself in Korea (trust me, I’ve gained a head of grey hair from trying) so I’m grateful for people like Bruce and Stacey for offering the services that Enjoy Korea provide. For this particular weekend, we were headed to another popular ski resort in Korea, Phoenix Park. It’s a little further north than High 1 but still only a 4 hour bus ride from Daegu.
In order to have maximum time on the slopes we had to leave at a very early 6:30am on the Saturday. Needless to say there was no party bus vibe on the way to the resort…more of a snore fest with some still trying to work through the hangover they had from the night before. However, once we arrived at Phoenix Park everyone was awake and ready to kill it on the slopes (I apologise for not knowing any cool skiing terminology…I’ve only ever done it twice). Our first stop was getting our clothing for the weekend. The great thing about Ski/Boarding tours with Enjoy Korea is that everything is included in the price – travel, accommodation, rental of equipment and clothing (score!). At the clothing store they also had goggles and pads (knee and butt…if only I had of known this before!) available to rent for the weekend, however, at all the resorts there are stores where you can buy any gear you like for pretty reasonable prices.
After getting our clothing we were free to do whatever we wanted until the afternoon. At most resorts the slopes are open until about 5pm and then they close for a couple of hours to prepare for the evening session. The nice thing about a ski weekend with Enjoy Korea is that they allow us as much time on the slopes as possible. Our luggage would be kept on the bus until the break in the afternoon at which time we could check into our rooms, grab some food and prepare for a night of skiing/boarding or partying (or both).
The first thing I noticed about Phoenix Park is that it is a lot smaller than High 1, but just as organized. We were handed our passes for the weekend and immediately made our way to the Ski House to get our gear. Because I had done relatively well at skiing on past trips, I decided to switch it up and try my hand at snowboarding (let’s be honest, it does look a lot cooler and there’s a lot less things to carry around). Let it be known, however, that this decision is by far one of the worst I’ve ever made in my life (you’ll see why)! After collecting our boards we went outside to grab a quick bite to eat. There’s a number of little food stalls just outside the Ski House but be warned, they are quite pricey.
It was a perfect day with clear skies (something you don’t often see in the city) and I couldn’t quite contain my excitement of trying out snowboarding for the first time. Seeing as there were a few of us who had never done it before, we decided to start out on one of the smallest beginner slopes. Phoenix Park has a total of 22 ski slopes with four being beginner, two for beginner and intermediate, three for just intermediate and seven expert slopes. There is also a small training slope and an ‘extreme park’ section. We hopped on the ski lift and made our way to the top of one of the beginner slopes. As I sat down to strap on my board, I looked down the slope and got that familiar nervous feeling, the one that makes me question what the hell I’m doing.
My first challenge of snowboarding was quite an essential skill to master. How to stand up?! Seriously, why is it so difficult to just stand up on a snowboard? I was so frustrated at how slippery the board was and how easy I was being thrown off balance. What the hell? Needless to say it took a good couple of minutes (and a few pathetic falls) to finally be able to stand. Next problem…how do I move? Luckily my friends were really good snowboarders and were willing to help us out with the basics, so the first thing we were taught was how to go down with our boards against the slope and just digging our heels or toes in (depending on which way we were facing). It seemed easy enough until you realize how slippery the damn slope is! I couldn’t stop falling. Worse than that, I couldn’t get up. I spent the next fifteen minutes or so just flailing around on the slope or face planting into it like an idiot. My limbs were all over the show and I had eaten enough snow to keep me hydrated for weeks!
Eventually (it felt like hours), I was able to go down the slope either digging my heels in or my toes, depending on which way I was facing (usually toes because that’s the only way I could get up after falling). I managed to go for only a few metres at a time but was feeling a lot more confident than when I first started out. And then it happened. Thirty minutes into my first go at snowboarding, while digging my toes in, I accidentally lost my balance and fell backwards. Due to my position on the slope, I first slammed my coccyx and then hit my head, both of them so hard that I thought I had broken something. I was lying on my back sliding head first down the slope and for the first time in my adult life, I wanted to cry with the amount of pain I felt (and this is coming from a girl, who in her early twenties, severed her finger off in a bus door and didn’t even really flinch when it happened). I think I had winded myself in the process as well, and for a while I just lay there unable to really move. I slowly swung my body around and struggled to my feet. I was absolutely convinced I had broken my arse (I’m not even joking) and decided to walk (read: ‘hobble’) down the rest of the slope.
That fall had pretty much ended my enthusiasm to learn how to snowboard (what a surprise!) but my dear friend convinced me to keep trying on the baby slope outside the Ski House (it’s about 4 metres with a very slight gradient). After a bit of a time out to gain my composure, I agreed to try the kiddie slope. The worst thing was having to sit down to strap my board on, it was almost impossible because of the pain, but somehow I struggled through. The only problem I now faced was the fact that I had zero confidence anymore (in hindsight, I should have gone for a beer before trying again!). I went down the slope (if you can even call it that) once and surprisingly managed to stay up right. This made me feel a bit bitter so I tried again. Once again I found myself losing my balance and this time fell forward on my arm. Again I was winded, writhing in pain, and decided to call it a day!
We went to check into our rooms and indulge in a hot shower and some food. The rooms were dormitory style and very basic, but we didn’t need much considering we were going to be out on the slopes the entire weekend. I was really concerned about trying snowboarding again that night as everything was aching. I met Bruce along the way and he suggested I go and rent a butt pad which might help. I wish I had of known there was such a thing BEFORE I decided to go and fall down the slope and break my arse but hey, such is life! After a hot shower and strapping myself with butt and knee pads, I was ready for the night session.
In the end I didn’t even attempt to go down the slope again and instead went to charm the rental guys into giving me ski’s. I had accepted defeat in snowboarding but didn’t want to waste the rest of my weekend. I know at most of the ski resorts they don’t let you switch a board for ski’s once you’ve rented it, but I thought I would try anyway. It worked (must be that South African charm) and soon enough I was back in my comfort zone on the slopes. I was still in a bit of pain but at least I was able to ski. I only got one run in the night session before we headed back to our dorms with beer and pizza. Enjoy Korea had organized a party for the tour group but we were all too exhausted to go. Instead we opted for hot showers, warm beds and a good nights sleep.
My Sunday at Phoenix Park was a lot better than the Saturday. I had a good day skiing and improving my skills on the slopes (look out Olympics 2018). Because I was able to actually go on intermediate slopes, I finally got to see the top of the mountain. The weather wasn’t great but it was still nice to hang out there and look at the view of the surrounding mountains. There’s also a little park place with a swing and old ski lift where you can have a break. The run we were doing was a little nerve wracking at times but I enjoyed it. I still prefer High 1 though, as I feel it has more beginner and intermediate runs and they are a lot longer, so you spend more time on the slope than on the ski lift, which is ideal.
After a long day it was time to load back on the bus and make our way home. Armed with snacks and beers we were ready for the journey. It had been another great weekend and another well-organized tour by Enjoy Korea. Even though I had a blast, it’s safe to say that I got owned by Phoenix Park! I’ll stick to the ski’s thank you!
(Turns out my arse was not actually broken, but I did have an acute rib fracture from my second fall. Snowboarding 1 – 0 Lauren)
Author:
Lauren
Bio:
Just your average South African girl with a love for music, the Stormers, champagne, banana splits, dak galbi, Gogos bag drinks and an incurable addiction to Vanilla Steri Stumpie and cereal. When I’m not teaching English in Daegu, South Korea I’m fueling my wanderlust and scratching things off my bucket list!
Website:
https://sneakerssocksandsoju.wordpress.com/