OPC TUESDAY- Skiing

Today we had an extra early wake up (6 am) to get out to the slopes on time. We headed about thirty minutes up the mountain to Mt Ruapehu which is a ski resort that sits on an active volcano. Although there is little threat of an eruption, we were required to watch a safety video and were reminded with numerous signs around the mountain about what to do if the volcano erupts, which was a little scary to me.

Many of the girls had not only never skied but have not seen snow! It was exciting to see everyone enjoy their time in the snow learning a new sport.

The down side was the conditions of the slopes. I chatted with a couple who claimed this was the worst they'd seen the mountain in 50 years. It's been such a mild winter here and they have not gotten nearly the amount of snow they usually do in the dead is winter. Lower on the mountain, the snow was thick slush that was hard to turn in and control my skis but the snow up the mountain was much better! The only problem was, we were so high up and frequently in the clouds which really hindered our visibility. In the states, slopes are surrounded by trees, but in New Zealand the slopes are marked my cliffs and rocks. There was many times I feared I'd be heading off a cliff while making a turn. Luckily I survived with no falls but definitely major soreness!

The girls had a great day on the slopes and many were already making plans of future ski adventures.

Tonight we had an amazing presentation from one of the OPC instructors about caving. We started off watching a brand new documentary about him and his crew finding two new caves in the south island which they are working towards finding a connection. The crew would set off on expeditions lasting anywhere from two weeks to three months and would sometimes be underground for eight days straight! The video footage was amazing of the camp they set up 2000m under the cave and of the cavers climbing and squeezing through holes to find a longer path.

If the group successfully finds the connection of the two caves, it will be the deepest cave in the southern hemisphere and longest cave in the world!

Unfortunately, my group is heading to the caves tomorrow for a full day adventure and I feel more claustrophobic after watching the video but I am excited for the adventure into the underground world!