FURTHER UP THE MOUNTAIN





The Grey Bits are Still British!



 Now 2/3rds of the way through my first tour in Cyprus and enjoying life to the full (with the
exception of no trials riding) a group of us had just spent a week on Mt Troodos skiing and drinking.
Back to the reality of work and the heat of Cyprus in April I get a phone call late in the month from
my Wing Commander.

 At this time "spoofing" (the art of convincing someone that what you are saying is true, a bit like
 a year long April fools day) is all the rage. I take the phone call and the other end announces
that it is Wing Commander King, a voice I know one of my best friends can "do" 

 " Tony, he says, I'm pleased to tell you, you have been selected to attend such and such Ski
 Instructor's Course"
"Thank you Sir, and by the way Stu, stop ....ing about!"
At lunchtime I pass the Wing Commander coming out of the Mess and give him the standard
salute which he returns but just glares at me..... strange man!

 A week later an official service letter arrives in my "in tray" with all the usual preamble;
Flying Officer A.M.Down has been selected to attend no; 12345 etc Ski Instructor's Course in the
Lebanon between the 28th May 1968 and 21 June 1968 etc etc. I think to myself this is a very
clever "spoof" but I'll pretend I'm not taken in and think how I can arrange a bigger and better
one! ..... Who ever heard of skiing in JUNE, and in the Mediterranean? ..... and on what sand
 dunes?




The Cedars Resort Lebanon

 A couple of days later and my Boss says "Congratulations" but I'm still convinced that Stu has
taken him in as well and just applying a bit more to the game. Another week goes by and then
another official letter with travel instructions and airline tickets from Nicosia to Beirut arrives. Well
if this "is" a spoof the boys are going to a lot of trouble. Same day another guy rings up from one
of the other Squadrons, apparently he is going too....or is he?



Nicosia Airport, now Defunct!





Nicosia Airport after the War


 The first weekend is spent in Beirut, cocktail party at the British Ambassador's, closing down a
beach Chalet courtesy of the US Embassy and night 3 a trip to Casino du Lebanon some 20 miles
up the coast. A very full and entertaining weekend of which the highlight just had to be the Casino.
Our driver arrives and whisks us up the coast and on arrival we are treated like Royalty and
ushered to a front row table by the stage where the cabaret will be after dinner. A very nice meal
with copious ammounts of wine, then the cabaret opens with the full cast of  "singing in the rain"
....... at that point the ceiling opens and the deluge comes down from the overhead pipes striking
the splash tray behind the plants on the edge of the stage...... the backlash covers the entire front
row of the audience!



The Mystery Cedar ?


 Monday morning and a small bus collects us, complete with headache, from our hotel and soon
we are on our way to our unknown destination. We meander up through the hills looking at all the hillside "bench" farming and marvel at the clever use of the land. After a short sleep I awake and we
are now in an area where there has been snow.... a little later we disappear into an ice tunnel and
about an hour later, still in the tunnel, we stop. The driver turns off the engine and motions us to
get out. He points to the wall and we climb the ice steps and emerge into brilliant sunshine...... I
doubt I will ever forget the sight........... over to my left there are some wheels about eigtheen
inches off the snow and cables, dead ahead there is the top of something that looks like an
upturned V. Closer inspection reveals the wheels are the lift!...... and the upturned V is the top of
the hotel and they have TWENTY TWO FEET OF SNOW!!!!!





We Walked to the Top of the Ridge


 The following day the course starts with our 2 instructors, one Norwegian who refuses to speak
English, and the other a Lebanese Army Officer who speaks Arabic and pigeon french..... ffff
fantastic! Yes, we can use the lift and then we walk to the top of the mountain and start from
there. So standing with one leg either side of the ridge its on with the skis, and hey ho! follow me,
 "more benz zee kneezs" We keep this up all morning on the bullet hard ridged ice until about 11
when it softens a little and we get 2 hours of respectable skiing before, the 70+ temps degenerate
the snow into slush and is like skiing in a sugar bowl! No more skiing, so back to the hotel roof
and drinking starts with some very attractive sights of guests in bikinis and ski boots! just think
only 3 more weeks of this at Her Majesty's Expense.



Here they Are! All 40 of Them!


 Well in my Bible there was much talk of "The Cedars of Lebanon" and it's their national flag, and
this place is called the "Cedars Resort", so summoning up all my schoolboy french and a lot of
pointing I try and discover where all these famed trees are. Our Lebanese Captain waved his ski
pole down the valley to the village below where there was a copse of trees "C'est tout!"  so.........
all that's left is a 40 strong copse and the Army have a camp there to protect them!!!


 3 weeks later we are back in Cyprus.




40 Years Later, Demonstrating the "TRUE" Parallel.

Tony Down