Rescue

So I'm lying on a steep slope a bit dazed and trying to get into a less painful spot. First to my aid was Bryn, one of other skiers in my group who acted very professionally and took control straight away.

Next along was one of the ski patrol who checked out the situation and called for a rescue sledge in order to get me off the slope. By this time I'm sitting up with Bryn supporting my weight to let me take pressure of my foot. The other members of the group are trying to find another way down, as I'm blocking the route down.

Because we where following the tracks of the instructor, Willie, he had to walk back up from where he stopped. It was a while before Willie got back up to us and then didn't really do much apart from asking me how I felt.

Fortunately the rescue sledge turned up fairly shortly after, being pulled by a paramedic called Matt. He had difficult time getting right to us due to the weight of the sledge and the steepness of the slope. Matt, Bryn and Willie loaded me into the sledge, strapped my leg to a board and covered me in blankets.

Then it was time for my ride down the mountain. Although I had to be injured to take this ride is was quite a bizarre and fun experience. travelling backward at speed approx 30cm off the ground. We whistled down the greenest runs to get back down to the first aid post at the bottom of the slopes. We past one of our groups on the way back and I smiled and waved to them. They all looked a bit confused.

By the time we got to the bottom I was really cold. The problem was travelling at speed you get really chilled if you are just sitting in a sledge rather than using energy and generating heat like while skiing. The rest of group managed to beat us down so I guess we weren't travelling that fast, and waiting for us by the first aid post.

Matt took me inside with Willie to check me over and give us loads of forms to fill in. Inside were a couple of other casualties for the day, including a girl with her arm strapped up and a lady in bed who had done something to her hip. Matt gave me a bag of snow to put on my knee and loosened my boot. By now its getting quite late and the last bus back to Banff would soon be due, so I said I would try to get the bus otherwise it would have cost me at least 700 dollars to get an ambulance back.

I couldn't really walk so I had to be helped to the bus with help from Tango, Bryn and Jess. it took us quite a while but fortunately they waited for us. The guys from my class also sorted out my stuff and put my skis into one of their lockers.

So I travelled back to Banff with a bag of snow on my knee in the front row of the bus wondering how bad it is and was my skiing trip now over.