Ah well, I guess it was inevitable. Lift queues are as much a feature of the average ski holiday as overpriced hot chocolate and comedy sunburn. Still, I'm not sure the two people standing side by side in front of me really count.
It's our third day of skiing at Roccaraso in Abruzzo and this is the first time we've encountered anything but a straight-through shuffle on to the next chair lift. It's difficult to spot more than a handful of people out enjoying what is arguably some of the best snow I've ever skied. The runs are well maintained but not overly groomed, fresh powder still welcoming first tracks in places. Oh, and the hot chocolate is cheap.
And that's not the only thing that is a bargain. The whole deal was. Booking direct with the accommodation organisation Associazione Albergatori delle 5 Miglia in Abruzzo (associazionealbergatori5miglia.it), we were getting a four-day ski pass in Italy's seventh largest ski area, five nights half-board accommodation and transfers, all for just €280 per person. The offer only applies to midweek visits, since at weekends there are plenty of local visitors. Ryanair sorted the flights into Pescara for about £85 each all in and a pick-up was included in the deal.
Accommodation can be in the resort towns of Roccaraso and Pescocostanzo, or down in the valley in Castel di Sangro. We stayed at Il Tiglio in Castel di Sangro, and welcomed the chance to explore this town and its bars after a hard day's skiing and before one of the B&B's excellent home-cooked dinners. Ski hire was about €15 a day and pasta in restaurants about €6.
Looking out over the "Five Mile Plain" from the highest lift, there's not a sound and I'm fighting an urge to whoop. It's rare that there's not that element of pressure from crowds of skiers behind and in front. Cruising such empty slopes has meant I'm now tackling runs far beyond what I was willing to try in the busy French Alps.
As I swish down, I'm entertained by the mental image of Pope John Paul II whizzing by – this was reputedly his favourite ski resort – robes flapping as he went.
