Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Snowboarding in China
Before Thanksgiving, I learned that there were a number of small ski areas outside of Beijing that open on December 10. I brought my snowboard back to China after Thanksgiving (sorry, no pictures of me, my luggage and my 6 foot snowboard stuffed in a Jetta Taxi cab from the Beijing airport to my apartment – there were 5 cabbies betting that we would not fit :-)).
So this past Saturday, I ventured about an hour outside of Beijing to Nan Shan Hua Xue Chang (Nanshan ski village). It has 11 trails (1 double black, 2 Blues and the rest greens).
Here is the low down on Nanshan...think Doe Mtn/Bear Creek. Tons of beginner slopes, 2 blues and the double black was not open yet.
Double Black - narrow, steep mogul trail that funnels into an immediate 175 degee cattrack with nothing but that red snowo fence to keep you from sailing into a ravine. That ranks as a double black in my book.
2 Blues - short runs (longer to ride the lift than ski the run) but fun. Slopes are covered in my favorite Pennsylvania Blue, but good for edging.
Great snowboard park and tons of open space to teach kids how to ski / board.
Unique to China:
Entrance fee to get to ticket booth to buy lift ticket. If you have a reservation, you need to go BACK out and get refund of entrance fee...ugh.
People will ride the lifts (quad and double) without skis or boards on. If in the middle seat at disembarking, they will run over the back of your board to get out of the way of chair...makes for interesting lift accidents....
You need to be aware of people BEHIND you. Right-of-way concept on roads NOT replicated on slopes. I saw some nasty takedowns and one girl almost took me out (she went over the rear of my board and swung me around).
People stopping at the actual lift after being queue to wait for friends (when you are in the chute)....
Nanshan strategy when I go again:
I will be there at opening and get off the slopes at 2.
Skiing blues and the one black + park is safest. Bunny slopes away from palmo lifts also great.
I will eat a different lunch there. (different story)
I will not EVER, EVER use the cesuo(cross between toilet and outhouse) there EVER again.
I will buy pijou (beer) down the street for 2 kuai vs the 25 kuai for a skunked 10 oz bottle of Heinekein.
From 2 onwards, there is great entertainment watching the novices and neo novices careen down the slopes and a) take someone out, b) self destruct into a yard sale, c) get overrun by another a).
With renting a car and driver for the 9 hour excursion, the whole day cost me 50 USD. Not bad.
So this past Saturday, I ventured about an hour outside of Beijing to Nan Shan Hua Xue Chang (Nanshan ski village). It has 11 trails (1 double black, 2 Blues and the rest greens).
Here is the low down on Nanshan...think Doe Mtn/Bear Creek. Tons of beginner slopes, 2 blues and the double black was not open yet.
Double Black - narrow, steep mogul trail that funnels into an immediate 175 degee cattrack with nothing but that red snowo fence to keep you from sailing into a ravine. That ranks as a double black in my book.
2 Blues - short runs (longer to ride the lift than ski the run) but fun. Slopes are covered in my favorite Pennsylvania Blue, but good for edging.
Great snowboard park and tons of open space to teach kids how to ski / board.
Unique to China:
Entrance fee to get to ticket booth to buy lift ticket. If you have a reservation, you need to go BACK out and get refund of entrance fee...ugh.
People will ride the lifts (quad and double) without skis or boards on. If in the middle seat at disembarking, they will run over the back of your board to get out of the way of chair...makes for interesting lift accidents....
You need to be aware of people BEHIND you. Right-of-way concept on roads NOT replicated on slopes. I saw some nasty takedowns and one girl almost took me out (she went over the rear of my board and swung me around).
People stopping at the actual lift after being queue to wait for friends (when you are in the chute)....
Nanshan strategy when I go again:
I will be there at opening and get off the slopes at 2.
Skiing blues and the one black + park is safest. Bunny slopes away from palmo lifts also great.
I will eat a different lunch there. (different story)
I will not EVER, EVER use the cesuo(cross between toilet and outhouse) there EVER again.
I will buy pijou (beer) down the street for 2 kuai vs the 25 kuai for a skunked 10 oz bottle of Heinekein.
From 2 onwards, there is great entertainment watching the novices and neo novices careen down the slopes and a) take someone out, b) self destruct into a yard sale, c) get overrun by another a).
With renting a car and driver for the 9 hour excursion, the whole day cost me 50 USD. Not bad.
