THE JOSH BIRCH SUMMER DIARIES (THE STUFF WE COULD PRINT ANYWAY)...

LINE UK Mountain Command rider Josh Birch, from Bracknell Ski & Snowboard Centre, has headed out to the mountains to get as much time on snow as possible this Summer... but that doesn't mean he can escape his homework! He's sending us news about how he's getting on, read all about it in the below, we'll be updating it regularly so check back! (That's if Josh keeps writing it!)

Sunday 15 July 2007 - Day 1

I woke up at 7 and got ready... there were 3 lifts in all to get to the top... (after) a couple of practice runs we stretched and were sorted into various groups. I got put into Dave Young's group, which was really cool. We had a light day and we just got used to the park. The skiing day finished at 1 and the skate back to the lift was so long and tiring. We played basketball for about an hour and that was awesome. After that Chris and me rushed back to the hotel to get our skates and we went to the skate park. (Later) I watched Green Street with a few of my friends and I then went to Murray's room where we had a chat with pat, after that I went to bed.

Monday 16 July 2007 - Day 2

We got up to the glacier much earlier today so we could get more skiing done. I was really keen to ride well today and I got straight into it in the half-pipe. At first I didn't enjoy the pipe but as I did it more and more and got use to I began to like it a bit better, but one wall of the pipe got far too slushy quickly. When the time was right we started to hit the kickers at first I was just practicing my 360's with different grabs but I decided to spin big and spun some 7's. They weren't going so well so I went back to 360's and learn't them with truck drivers, which I was chuffed about. The kickers began to get slushy and I couldn't make the speed and on one of the hits I hit the knuckle and my knee went into my face! After which I had a rail session then decided to back flip the smaller kickers. First back flip I overshot but the second I landed cleanly. Pretty soon after that we came down the mountain. (Later) we watched Coach Carter in Murray's room and half way through it Chris and me had to go to video analysis. It was good to watch what I had done skiing and what I could do to improve. Soon after that was dinner, it wasn't the best of dinners but nevermind.

Tuesday 17 July 2007 - Day 3

I got up but was really quite tired today. We went up fairly early to find out the park was dead icy and the pipe was closed. We warmed up for a long time as there was not much else to do and once the snow started to get soft we hit the kickers. Today was not my day as I kept falling. After about 4 falls I just had enough and stopped skiing for a bit. We went down earlier than usual today, as it got to slushy to ski. Later on in the evening we went out for Henry's birthday party. I came back quite early as I needed some sleep for the day ahead.

Wednesday 18 July 2007 - Day 4

I woke up at around the same time even though I didn't need too. It was a sort of rest day and the Coach's day off so I didn't make a big effort skiing. I went down to the skate shop which had some really cool stuff in and I came back to the hotel where we had a massive water fight which was so much fun. I had dinner after clearing up the mess we made and after that I played football.

Thursday 19 July 2007 - Day 5

I woke up nice and early preparing for a good day of skiing only to find out the glacier was shut due to the weather conditions causing it not to freeze. In the morning I chilled out for most of it as I was tired but then I went for a trampoline session. We then went to play basketball and did for a few hours. I ended up going for a good long skate with some other guys till around 5. Again after dinner we didn't really do much as we were all tired so we ended up watching a film in Fiona's room. I went to bed after it had finished.

Friday 20 July 2007 - Day 6

Again I woke up to find the glacier was shut. I chilled out in the morning by going back to bed and getting a lie in and after that a few of us went up to the glacier to pick up our skis so we could hot wax them for the comp. We spent a while hot waxing the skis and once we had finished them we went up to the mountains walking. We found a little lake that we all swam in. This killed most of the afternoon for us. When we got back it was dinner and we then were chilled in the evening. No-one was really up for a late night as we had the comp in the morning but we watched another film in Fiona's room then went to bed.

Saturday 21 July 2007 - Day 7

I woke up at 5 in the morning in order to go help set up the Saas Fee Ride comp! We went up the lift where it was all cloudy till we broke through the clouds where it was a nice sunny day for the comp. Setting up took a while and I started to warm up. I was really not feeling the competition, I don't think they should have used the jump they did. I had one hit on the jump and I just decked so I didn't enter the rest. I spent most of the day watching it and I was lucky to meet Henrik Harluat one of the world's best skiers which was cool. We got down from the glacier earlier than most people and we chilled at Popcorn having a drink and then went up to move into my new room.

Sunday 22 July 2007 - Day 8

I got up in the morning tired! I went down to breakfast to see if the glacier was open but it wasn't so I went back to bed. Mostly I skated, did some trampolining etc. In the evening we went to the Alpine bar for a bit but I wanted to get an early night so I headed to bed.

Monday 23 July 2007 - Day 9

I got up after a good night sleep and we went up the mountain early, as we were all keen to ski. I helped my brother and sister, Francis and Ellie, a bit showing them what to do. I was in Dave's group again and we did pipe for most of the morning. It was ok until the clouds started to come in and the visibility was really bad. I came down the mountain and had a nice warm shower and then went down on the Internet. I chilled out for the majority of the afternoon, spent a bit of time on the trampoline etc. I went to play basketball at 3pm but ended up going for a long skate, joining up with Murray later.

Tuesday 24 July 2007 - Day 10

I woke up and went downstairs to see if the mountain was open but I knew it wouldn't be and I was right. I went back to bed until 9 then came down to Webbo's room to go for breakfast in Popcorn. After some skating and trampolining we went on a toboggan run and played mini-golf and later sat on the Internet before bed.

Wednesday 25 July 2007 - Day 10

I got up early and confirmed we could ski today. I went down for breakfast and met the guys, leaving the hotel at 7.30am. We arrived up to find the conditions were good and decided it was going to be a good day! We did pipe but it wasn't shaped properly so I didn't like it. We started doing the kickers but because I wasn't in a jumping mood I decided to hit the rails. At the end it turned out that I got a lot of decent footage and I was one of the last people left up the mountain. Later down the mountain I skated with Henrik before heading for bed hoping for another good day's skiing!

Thursday 26 July 2007 - Day 11

We got up on the mountain early to find the pipe in really nice condition so I worked a lot in that. I then moved on to the hip jump and I was getting very high. I started to hit the kickers a bit but by the time I did they had got too slushy. We were some of the last ones left up the mountain again and as soon as I got in I had to grab a sleep!

More soon...