Hold tight....it's Storytelling Sunday

It's Storytelling Sunday again over at High in the Sky and my contribution is a story from our holidays.

This year was our fourth visit to Kranjska Gora in Slovenia.  It's a ski resort in the winter and a great base for walking and cycling holidays in the summer.  For those of you not sure where it is, Kranjska Gora lies at the top left of Slovenia (previously part of Yugoslavia) very close to the Austrian and Italian borders.

So my story begins on our first visit when the teen wasn't yet a teen.  On the first day we decided to take a chairlift ride to the very top of a mountain, where at the top a reasonably long enough walk for our first day could be taken.  Rob wasn't too keen to be taking the chairlift but we persuaded him it would be OK and managed to get him on it.  Well the look on his face (sheer fear) told us that we were not going to get him onto the second part of the journey, another chairlift right to the top.

Fast forward four years, Rob is still a little nervous but again we persuade him to try again.  This time we are all smiles as we drift silently up the mountainside taking in the views from our four seater chair.  'I don't know what I was worried about' Rob laughs......then the next part of the journey involves a little walk before we get to the chairlift station.  As we turn the corner we are confronted by single seater lifts.  He is sure to bulk at this, but no Rob is the first on.  I am feeling a little nervous myself but I don't have time to think about it too much as we are ushered on and the flimsy bar is pulled down to keep you in.  The seat is so small I can't even fit my rucksack on my lap and desperately hang onto it with one hand while my other hand grimly clings onto the side of the chairlift.



A sedate start at the beginning using the lower chairlift.



Getting a little higher....



I decide that this part of the journey I really don't like, thoughts are running through my head that include what a long way to fall into the rocky ravine it is, if we stopped how would the emergency services rescue us (no really I'm not kidding, health and safety doesn't of seemed to of arrived in Slovenia yet and a helicopter would of swayed the chair around uncontrollably, ) and how cold it is up here and would I be brave enough to let go and put my jumper on......do you think my thoughts were running away with me?.



The higher chairlift.....call this substantial?



Eek.....stop, I want to get off!



I try to take my mind off disasters by trying to take out my camera and taking some photos (again this is difficult as it involves not holding on) but strangely, looking through a lens doesn't seem so scary....until thoughts of dropping it reminds me of how high up we are.



But the views were worth it.



Resting after my ordeal.

The chairlift station is in sight now and anyone that has been on a chairlift will know how they don't stop but you have to be dragged off by the chairlift operator and run out of the way of the next chair coming in.  I breathe a sigh of relief.  After checking with Rob and Nige I find I am the only one not enjoying the trip.  Luckily the walk afterwards boasts unbelievable views from it's summit of Slovenia and it's neighbouring countries of Italy and Austria and I feel glad that we made the journey.......until the return trip.