Readers Blog


White, Snow, White

Posted on: June 24, 2008


Foggy. Step by step I climb the slope. Right ski, left ski, right ski, left ski, again and again, I move, exhausted.

The fresh snow is deep. It snowed for a long time, powder, too much.

The fog muffles all noises. Poor visibility. Too much silence, oppressive.

I keep on climbing but the snow is too much. Good but too much. Nice to ski. Hard to climb.

Beautiful to ride at high speed.

White out, I can’t see where the slope ends. I can’t distinguish between snow and fog. I see the snow covering my skis.

Too much snow. Hard to climb. I look steadily at my boots, step by step. I see the snow covering them. My head turns and turns. Everything’s white, a feeling of vertigo.

An air blow. A rumble. I’m moving, an unwilling movement. My head turns, and my boots and skis too.

I spin around an undefined spot. Everything’s white, speed, white light, no pain, no reference.

Air, white, rotation, confusion, incomprehension, crackle noise roaring... movement, rotation without spin, everything’s white. Sliding, still, I can’t distinguish between snow and fog, full and empty, up and down. Speed, wind against my face, snow beating my face, chill.

Vortex confusion consciousness speed darkness light snow… seconds minutes hours eternity. Slipping skiing or dreaming?

Silence, everything’s white. Vertigo. Everything’s still. Am I back to life?