Bugger Brick Laying
by David GL Taylor
Brick Laying
When I left the Army in 1994, there were several courses available to “ease my passage” into civilian life. I could have chosen basic electrics, house maintenance or brick laying. Instead, I asked my boss to enroll me on a ski mountaineering course in the Alps. Amazingly, he agreed and I left the Army on a high. Today, with Parkinson’s, skiing is a distant but special memory which will never leave me.
Skins
Strips that attach to the bottom of the ski to help with ascending slopes. They resemble seal-skin, from which the first ski skins were made and are designed to let the ski slide forwards but not backwards.
Breaking the trail
The arduous task of breaking through the crust of frozen snow with your skis when walking in single file. The person at the front has all the hard work, so after ten minutes they step aside and someone else takes their place.