Written By Saikal Tursalieva, Grade 10
This year’s Winter Sports Day was a wonderful and chilly experience for BIS high school students. Just the day before they planned to leave for the ski base, Chunkurchak, the city was covered in glistening white snow.
On the morning of the event, the school was bustling with excitement. All the students collected their equipment and got onto the buses to the mountains. Once they got there, students and teachers alike raced up the slope to get to the ski lifts and immediately got to skiing. Not only were the tracks there in an ideal state to ride on, but it also began snowing. It was delightful to sit on the ski lifts and look around as snowflakes swirled around you, drifting down to the slopes only to be brought up again as students raced past.
The crisp mountain air filled the students’ lungs. Even though it was cold and sliced down into their lungs, it was very appreciated compared to the air down in the city which is contaminated by air pollution. The view was incredible, the mountains were covered in snow, sparkling in the light, and wisps of snow were brought up by the breeze, giving the tracks an otherworldly glimpse.
The ski base cafe was instantly filled with shivering teachers and students, grateful to get out of the cold. Steaming cups of hot chocolate and baked goods were bought off the shelves in minutes. Chatter and laughter seeped out into the cold through the opening door. Children waddled through the entrance with noses red from the cold, hair beginning to frost, and big smiles as they spoke of their experiences with their friends.