The highs and lows of my first ski trip in Austria

Conall Ó Fátharta hits the slopes as a beginner, in Austria, and discovers the thrill of the descent as well as a true sense of achievement, which make his aches and pains more tolerable and a beer more welcome.

I LIKE mountains. Cover them in snow and put them in a place like Austria and I like them even better.

However, I am more a fan of walking up a mountain slowly, then coming down one at breakneck speed — so it was with more than a sense of trepidation that I took on the slopes around Kirchberg for my first ever ski trip.