Andy and I began the Monday 3rd with a trip to Wild Willies to pick up our skis, poles and boots. We met Andy's parents then attached our skis and took the Fitzsimmons and Garbanzo chairs up to avoid the gondola queue.

Our first run down to the Emerald Express chair was, to say the least, untidy. Both of us were shocked to find our legs acting independently, sending back their own signals, and we had trouble operating the extra ski. Normally we both ride with our left foot forward, which seems to have strengthened our left legs more than our right - we both found the right ski was flapping around and refusing to follow the same line as the left.

From the top of Emerald we skied over to Harmony, desperately trying to keep up with Andy's parents. Luckily Lesley and Michael both had longer skis than Andy and me, so we put the speed difference down to that, rather than any difference in ability.

We had hoped to pause for a drink and a cookie at the Harmony hut but it hadn't opened when we got there the first time, so we set off down Burnt Stew Trail then dropped into Symphony Bowl. Although our confidence in the skis was improving all the time, Andy had to suffer the embarrassment of being overtaken by his mother, which I found quite amusing!

Back at the top of Harmony they agreed to open the hut for us and we each enjoyed a mulled cider and a cookie, before setting off down Harmony Ridge. Lesley and Michael had found some nice snow in Boomer Bowl the previous day, so they guided us down the ridge to that. When we got there Andy and I looked over the edge at the moguls and expressed some concern, but when Andy's parents dropped in there was no way we could do anything but follow.

We made it down through the bowl but both dropped too low, ending up in the Gun Barrels, which as the name suggests are straight, narrow gullies. Eventually we slid out of the bottom and made it back to the chair.

We took Harmony up one more time and stopped to take some pictures at the top, then bumped into Matt, who laughed at our latest equipment. He joined us for a run down the Saddle, which was great fun on skis. Andy and I were feeling much more confident and raced each other down to Peak chair and then on to Big Red, where Matt left us, apparently embarrassed at being seen with skiers.

After a run down Green Acres (where we failed to take off over the rollers) we adjourned to the Roundhouse for lunch and met up with Al and Max. They were off to the terrain park, which didn't really appeal to Andy or me, so we left them to it and the four of us took Peak chair. We were planning to take Highway 86 then Dave Murray down to Creekside, but Andy had a nasty crash just as we approached Big Red, so plans for the downhill course were abandoned. We took Big Red up again, then headed over to Harmony for another go at Boomer Bowl.

This time we both felt much more able to deal with the moguls, despite Andy's crash. We flew though the bowl and managed to avoid the Gun Barrels, getting back to the chairlift much more efficiently.

At the top Andy decided he'd had enough, so we all took Pika's Traverse back to the Roundhouse then he and his parents skied down to the village. I took Upper Whiskey Jack down to Chic Pea, then Orange Peel round to Dave Murray. I clattered down that to Creekside going as fast as I could, but was overtaken by significantly more people than I normally am on a snowboard. Despite being slower than usual, I was having a great time and began considering having a second day on skis and possibly even a lesson. The skiing was feeling like a nice holiday from our main job - snowboarding.

I met up again with Al and Max for a few runs through the terrain park, though my contribution was limited to sliding over a park bench and a box-rail. The other two had been practising in the park and had both got quite good at the spine, so I took some pictures of them jumping there.

From the top of Emerald we took Ptarmigan and Crab Apple home and Al and I returned our hired kit. I decided not to have another day on skis just yet, but will definitely try again before we leave. I was amazed by how quickly it all came back, and also by how much I enjoyed the day. If a lesson or two could prevent the skis going off in different directions so much then I might even look acceptable.

We popped round to Andy's parents in the evening to have a quick glass of champagne before going out for some food. None of us had thought about the volume, so were a bit shocked when the first round hardly dented the magnum. Several glasses later we set off for an Italian restaurant called Umberto's, where we had yet another fantastic meal.

Since it was Al's last night, he, Andy and I went to Tex Corleone's, where Max, Jill and Al's other mates were eating. We had a couple of shots of Sambuca to try and wake Andy up, but when that failed he went home. After a beer the party requested a nightclub recommendation. When I offered them a choice of house, hip-hop or cheese they all wanted cheese, so there was only one place to go: Moe Joes.

The night descended into madness in Moe Joes, with a fine selection of Jagermeister, flatliners, other shooters and beer.

Al and I woke up just before 11:00 on Tuesday 4th, uncertain of how the previous evening had ended or how we'd got home. A quick start was out of the question, but by 12:00 Al had sorted out a bus down to Vancouver so I said goodbye to him and set off for the slopes.

I met Stan at the top of the Excelerator chair and we sat there chatting for 20 minutes or so, with no great enthusiasm for the snow. We slid down to Glacier Creek and met up with Andy, then went inside and bumped into Max, Jill and their gang.

Lunch dragged on a bit, as no-one was very keen to get out, but we eventually managed to get up to 7th Heaven via Glacier Express and the Horstman T-Bar. Our apathy soon reappeared and after one run down Cloud Nine we decided to call it a day, so took Green Line, Wishbone and Gandy Dancer down to the village.

Back in the village I wandered off to look for at the prices of skis - ostensibly this was for a friend but after the previous day I was also wondering about buying some for myself...

Ingrid was singing in Garfinkels in the evening, which meant another big night. Her and Dave played a great set then we returned to the Palace with Crystal an Mike Dick and carried on partying until about 05:00.

As a consequence of the previous night, Wednesday 5th was another late start. Bob, Andy, Ingrid and I eventually left the house at about midday and went up Whistler.

It was fun to go riding with Ingrid again, but the conditions weren't particularly inspiring. At the top of Harmony there was a howling gale combined with a whiteout and the runs were so wind-blown that the they were either pure ice or drifted mounds of snow. Yet again I was left feeling that the conditions were better suited to skis than snowboards.

We paused for a couple of beers and some nachos at the Dubh Linn Gate but were all feeling pretty jaded. When we got back to the house I had a couple of hours sleep in the hope that I might make it though another night but didn't feel much better when I woke again. There was no option not to go out again as Mike was hosting a big party at Blacks, with Patrick and Brad playing, so we all dressed up as pimps and whores and set off for yet another crazy night.

The pictures from that night tell the story better than words could.

Although there was snow promised for Thursday 6th, there was none obvious, so we got up slowly again. Andy and I took the 11:30 bus into the village, then he paused for some food at the Roundhouse and I did a couple of runs down to Emerald Express. Snow was beginning to arrive and the pistes were good in places, though the wind was still clearing the loose snow from exposed areas, leaving very hard-packed snow.

I met Matt in the queue for Emerald, then we joined up with Andy at the lightboard. Although Matt and Andy weren't displaying much enthusiasm, I was enjoying riding for the first time since my day on skis. After all the jokes about me coming out as a skier and defecting to the dark side, I was finally taking control and coming to my senses. As a result, I was a lot keener than the other two and had great difficulty convincing them not to head straight down. Eventually they gave in and we took Peak up to the highest point on Whistler.

The chairlift was deserted, as the "Extreme conditions" signs were out and the visibility was terrible. As we dropped down Frontier pass and Highway 86 things improved and by the time we reached Mid-Station the chaps were even up for Dave Murray.

Back at Mid-Station we had another debate about going down and this time I gave in. We took Expressway down but when we reached Garbanzo I had a change of heart and took that back up, leaving the other two to head home. I spent a run or two practising ollies, then dropped into the terrain park to investigate a new curved box-rail which had appeared.

I sat and watched a few people attempting it but no-one managed to ride it, so I moved on down to a new stepper and then over the old faithful box-rail that Andy and I had learnt to rail-slide on.

From the terrain park I headed down to the village and bumped into Mike in Fanatyk, where I was looking at prices for ski-boots. He gave me a lift home then after putting a few pictures on the website I collapsed on a sofa and finished my book, Touching the Void.