J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by KP Ski

So sorry to hear your knee news - Jan 09 - arrggghhh! Can just imagine how you must feel!!

Is there really no specialist physio that can speed things up in terms of regaining your strength?

You sound like a positive soul so fingers and toes crossed that you'll be up and running (errrr rather skiing), sooner than the Doc's say.

Best of luck!

KP Ski

Hi Sharon - thanks for your comments and I'm really sorry to hear about your knee - I really hope things go well for you and you get your strength back sooner than hoped.

As for me - well finally I am home - yipeeee!!! Am still feeling somewhat dazed by the whole episode on top of the jet lag!!

I flew Sun eve, Dad flew with a UK medic yesterday (upgraded by the insurers to 1st class, flat bed, very nice too had he not been so injured and uncomfortable!!). He's been transferred direct to a hospital in Spain and having just spoken to him he is less than impressed with the Spanish medical services compared to the Canadian! We're hoping he can be discharged today so he also can finally get home where my Mum will take over the running around for him!

Well, that pretty much closes this story - thanks once again to you all for your well wishes.

Remember - NEVER EVER travel, ski or board without adequate travel insurance, and please do take a few mins to read & take note of Pavelski's invaluable safety thread. Hopefully with a united front these types of accidents can be avoided in the future!!

KP Ski

PPS - you can easily spot the snow hosts as they all wear a blue & yellow ski outfits.

Hi Alan,

I'm not sure if you've yet taken the plunge and booked but haing recently skied at Lake Louise & Sunshine I highly recommend both resorts and staying in Banff. The ski busses are highly frequent and are no trouble at all.

In my opinion the runs are easier than most European resorts if for no other reason than there are no crowds and you can often have the slopes almost to yourself.

The run classification is Green (easiest & can often involve some poling if you've not got enough speed going), blue (equivalent to Europes Red, but often far easier than a european red), then onto black and double black which by the sounds of things you'll probably stay away from. Some of the blacks though are really not that much harder than some of the blues.

One of the BEST things about both resorts is that they both run a "snow host" programme completely FREE OF CHARGE. The "snow hosts" are volunteers who basically operate as mountain ski guides. They ski with beginner and intermediate groups of no more than 6 or 7 (sometimes a few more at the weekends) and are simply invaluable in getting to know the mountain and the best runs. Plus of course it's a great way to get to meet fellow skiers.

You meet with the Lake Louise hosts at either 10am (for a 2 hour tour) or 1.15pm for an afternoon 2 hour tour. Meeting place right outside the main lodge and ski ticket office.

At Sunshine they operate from midday for a 3 hour tour and meet at the ski school meeting place right outside the mountain pub (can't remember the name of said pub!!).

If you PM me your email address I'll happily email you some pics of some of the runs at both resorts as reassurance and of course if you have any futher questions regarding this area of the world just let me know!!

Go ahead and book that holiday buddy!!

KP Ski

PS - I stayed in the Inns Of Banff which was a great hotel with reasonable prices. And Ski Stop in Banff were excellent for Ski hire.

I await this form with huge anticipation!!!

Will probably be 08 before I see the slopes again :-(

KP

Some progress, but still no date of when we get to go home .........

Dad's off the oxygen whilst just sitting and although he still needs it when moving about and when sleeping its now down to an acceptable level for the airlines to allow him to fly. He still has a daily jab of blood thinning drug to prevent clots and the pain therapy drugs are a plenty!

I have some great pics of spectacular bruising but will save you all the grusome detail!!

So, now we are stuck in the middle of red tape between the hospital, the travel insurance and Dads normal medical insurance, and at the mo I feel no closer to knowing when we will fly!

The hospital wrote to our travel insurance yesterday afternoon saying he would be fit to fly from Sunday, providing we can confirm that he is checked into a hospital in Spain once he arrives. So, Mum had spent all afternoon today trying to get him booked into a Spanish hospital from Monday ?? this is the sticking point. Spanish Bupa are SHIT!! After being transferred from dept to dept with 10 to 15mins on hold each time she was repeatedly told to call back on Monday, they clearly are not appreciating the situation even though Mum speaks fluent Spanish!!

So, we?ve explained our predicament to the travel insurers who have confirmed they will chase the Spanish medical system direct to try and get Dad booked in somewhere ??.. unitil we have a hospital bed confirmed in Spain our travel insurers will not go ahead and book us flights, let alone sort a medic to fly out to accompany us!!! At this rate I?m looking at mid next week before returning and am slowing going insane in the meantime!!!

Again I state this really has been a full time job not only dealing with Dad and his injuries but the red tape that goes with. Our travel insurance still receive top marks, the Canadian hospital come in a close 2nd and as for the Spanish ??.well, words aren?t strong enough for how crap they?ve been!!!

The saga continues??. hopefully my next post will be confirming when we get to travel home!!

I simply can not impress enough on how important it is to have good travel insurance ....... as for living in spain well that's another story all together.

Sorry for the long post once again ........... bored and not much else to do!!

KP
x

I know this question was asked 6 weeks ago, but for what it's worth.........

Iceman, I suffer the exact same and what works best for me are the silk inner gloves that you barely know your wearing with a decent pair of mittens. I also tend to carry the heat packs as a backup and have used them just once over my 10 days skiing in -10 temps.

Good luck with warming your fingers!

KP

The ski patrol / ski slope medics rescued my Dad from the hill and gave him fantastic care whilst we waited for the ambulance to take him to hospital ....... this is one bill we nor our insurers have been asked to pay ...... therefore we gather this service IS already inc'd within the cost of the lift pass?

KP