Hakuba/Iwatake - Day 10

Freya and Sebi both stayed at the chalet today. Freya was still feeling pretty awful, probably dehydrated and still feverish. Sebi's cough and weak legs kept him down. James stayed with them in the morning and Ali in the afternoon.

Iwatake was a great pick for the skiers today. We were in the first gondolas and on the slopes by 8am. The overnight fresh snowfall created a powdery blanket that was wonderful for skiing: silent, soft, and deep. The white-canopied trees were beautiful and the breeze occasionally shook their powdery pollen onto passing skiers.

We tried our hand (or foot?) at weaving through the trees and Lucie and Valentina were better at navigating the narrow tracks than Mario and Ali. Andrea detected the smell of cinnamon scrolls, but we couldn't locate them.

We ate long-awaited ramen for lunch on the sunny outdoor deck and then took some more hair-raising routes between the trees that ended with Valentina doing a big, unexpected jump off a cliff face (not quite) and landing perfectly!

Ali and James swapped in the afternoon to stay with Freya and Sebi. Freya started eating and feeling a bit better so there was energy enough for the usual game of Cards Against Humanity. Who won is entirely unimportant.Read more