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PHOTOS © Evans Parent After spending the night asleep with one eye open, I saw – as soon as there was any daylight – that the village still bore the scars of the last armed conflict. Some of the houses were half demolished, and others had gaping holes in their roofs. The ski resort showed fresh scars, as well. When we arrived, we were greeted by semi-abandoned hotels and lifts that hadn’t been used for ages. For one ride up it cost only one dollar per person, payable in cash to the lift attendant. He gave us a gap-toothed smile, putting the money in his pocket as we took our places on the lift. We had no idea of the real price or of the portion of revenue that made its way to the resort proprietor. The lift’s hours were a bit uncertain, as well ; it was closed when we arrived and also closed temporarily in the middle of the day, without any reason that we could see. Lots of things are different in this part of the world but on the slopes, the smiles and chuckles of the Kosovars making their first turns skiing were as open and authentic as those we might find back home. In the past, the resort had seven lifts, while today, only two of them are still functional. From the top of the main lift we had a fantastic view out over the Šar Mountains. Curiously, we didn’t spot a single piece of equipment for maintenance of the trails. <strong>Ski</strong>ers who love corduroy would have been a bit disappointed with the snow conditions ! In spite of everything, I really enjoyed skiing this bumpy surface, which was slightly softened by the sun. Also, on this glorious winter day, what a joy it was to link turn after turn surrounded by gorgeous mountains rising one after another as far as the eye could see. The only lift open when we were there provided access to only four official runs. It was only a tiny part of the mountain, barely 10 percent of the terrain accessible when all lifts were operating. Luckily for us, a short walk along the ridge allowed us to access superb terrain. Conditions were just as great and several other skiers were criss-crossing this part of the ski resort, which was not officially open. 56 | skipresse www.skipresse.com
Actually, it wasn’t really surprising because nothing here seemed to be very official. The four or five bamboo poles that the mountain owns were used to identify the major obstacles. And on the slopes, we didn’t see a single instructor, patroller or staff member. We spent the whole afternoon exploring the slopes of what was previously a superb ski resort. The war changed a lot of things, but neither mountains nor snow were altered by those tragic events. While it’s difficult to predict either the political or economic future of Kosovo, there’s one thing for sure : magnificent mountains with infinite potential are still there. All we can do is hope that in the near future, the facilities will be restored and their access made easier. www.skipresse.com skipresse | 57 Evans Parent is a skierglobetrotter sponsored by Outdoor Research, Prana, Scarpa, Rottefella, Gregory, Darn Though, K2 <strong>Ski</strong>s and Le Yéti boutique. You can follow his latest adventures on his blog at snowchasers.blogspot.com
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