Our ski guide is perplexed. One minute he had been advising the three of us about the need to stay together while skiing the trees at Steamboat and the next it is just him and me left.
"What happened to the others?" he asks. "It's a powder day," I reply. "Back home, there are no such things as loyalty or friends on a powder day."
An overnight blizzard had coated the mountains of northern Colorado in 20cm of fresh, light and fluffy powder snow, producing the kind of conditions that even the locals are raving about.
My colleagues also have an added incentive prompting their departure because we've signed up for a deal called First Tracks, where for an extra US$29 (Dh106) on top of the lift ticket, we get to join a select few allowed on the mountain an hour before the official opening time.
With our hour head-start drawing to a close, the others have disappeared, unwilling to cede so much as a nanosecond of potential ski time to the cause of group cohesion. In truth, the only reason why I'm still with our guide is because I'm the slowest.
All this seems to mystify our guide, a veteran Steamboat snowboarding instructor named Tom Barr and who is inevitably and inescapably known as T-Barr.
I explain that my two colleagues are from New Zealand, a place where the prospect of fresh powder prompts an Oklahoma-style land rush as soon as a skifield opens. By lunchtime, there would be barely a square metre of snow left untracked.
It's no wonder T-Barr is baffled by this. Even when Steamboat's lifts open for everyone at 9am, the skifield is so big - 165 named trails on 1,200 hectares - that crowding is never an issue.
All this is emblematic of how it takes a while to adjust to the different scale involved in skiing in the US, where supersizing applies as much to the resorts as to the food. The Rockies, the higher and drier mountains far from the maritime-influenced resorts on the eastern and western seaboards, are another step up again.
The altitude is the first thing to strike us sea-level-dwellers, who find ourselves panting and puffing as we struggle to adjust to the rarified air near the 3,221m summit of the ski area.
It also takes a while to adjust to the presence of trees, with groves of lodgepole pines and aspen reaching right up to the highest parts of the skifield.
This is one of the aspects of skiing for which Steamboat is justly proud but which, as someone who almost always skis above the treeline, I approach with trepidation.
The last time I'd skied trees was when I spent a winter in Indian Kashmir back in the late 1980s, where the trees can be skied with confidence because every summer anything bigger than a twig is gathered by the villagers for winter firewood.
But ever since then, I've harboured a deep-seated fear of tree skiing in any other environment, always imagining that eventually my skis will go under a fallen branch hidden in the powder, with very bad consequences for my lower legs.
But once again, this is just another sign that I haven't fully adjusted to skiing in the Rockies. Steamboat averages about 8.5 metres of snow a year and at this moment, we are advised, there is about a three-metre base of snow in the trees.
The highest any bit of deadfall reaches above the ground is about 1.5 metres which means the trees can be skied with confidence.
It turns out the danger - and the reason why T-Barr was advising us to ski together - comes from a hazard I haven't even anticipated.
Around the pine trees, it's common for a pocket of air to form but be hidden by a thin layer of new snow. Ski too close and you can break through and fall up to eight metres down to the ground, a source of fatalities in the past. Armed with a healthy respect for such hazards, tree skiing still becomes my favourite aspect of skiing at Steamboat. Shielded from the sun and unable to be groomed, the snow tends to stay in better condition for longer and I'm still finding untracked powder days after the last snowfall.
Just as I'm getting accustomed to the skiing at Steamboat, our group heads a few hours down the road to the twinned resorts of Winter Park and Mary Jane. It proves to be yet another step up in scale, being both bigger (1,500 hectares ofskiable terrain, which means the trail map resembles a plate of spaghetti thrown at a wall) and higher (the top tow is a lung-screaming 3,600m).
All this might have been overwhelming if not for the presence of JT, a ski instructor whose 25 years on the mountain have earned him universal recognition just by his initials. For our first morning, we've arranged for him to be our guide.
Two thigh-burning hours later, the sheer scale of this resort is becoming apparent. In that time we've gone down groomed slopes as wide and smooth as a football pitch, threaded tight paths through the powder in the trees and tackled the resort's trademark black-diamond mogul runs, with bumps so big and close together that they resemble a giant inclined car park filled with VW Beetles.
But the really sobering part is that for each run we've been on in those two hours, there are at least another 10 more we have yet to sully with our ski tracks. And not only have we failed to scratch the surface of Winter Park's skiing, we've also failed to even begin to exhaust JT's repertoire of derogatory jokes about snowboarders.
That's the point when JT shepherds us onto the Panoramic Express chairlift, which he informs us is the highest chairlift in North America. Another statistic becomes apparent as we get off the lift at 3,670m: this is also much colder than Steamboat. The lifties' noticeboard says the temperature is -17°F (-25°C), accompanied by a gale that tests the capability of our ski gear.
Ahead of us is Vasquez Cirque, the wildest part of the ski resort and comprising an ungroomed but avalanche-patrolled zone where there is no easy or intermediate terrain and 98 per cent of the terrain gets black diamond status. Fourteen per cent is double black diamond.
But with our noses and fingers beginning to turn blue, we're grateful that JT points us back towards Mary Jane and the shelter of the trees, which reach about two thirds of the way up the slope.
After a couple of stops on the way to gasp for breath and let my quads recover from the high altitude exertion, I arrive to hear JT explaining to others the difference between a vacuum cleaner and a snowboard ("It's where you attach the dirtbag").
After lunch, we farewell JT and head off on our own. After the next few days, we head to Denver for the flight home, feeling as knackered as I can ever remember being after a ski holiday, beaten down by attempts to match the scale of the resort. It's a good knackered, though, as you'd expect from skiing in the land of supersizing.
If you go
The flight Return flights with Etihad Airways (www.etihadairways.com) from Abu Dhabi to Denver cost from Dh5,730, including taxes.
The packages Winter Park resort (www.winterparkresort.com) has seven-day lift passes from US$413 (Dh1,517) and offers accommodation packages from $67 (Dh246) per night, based on two sharing. Every fourth night is free.
jhenzell@thenational.ae
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
'Of Love & War'
Lynsey Addario, Penguin Press
Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
THE%20HOLDOVERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexander%20Payne%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Giamatti%2C%20Da'Vine%20Joy%20Randolph%2C%20Dominic%20Sessa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
8.50pm Benbatl
9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Guardians%20of%20the%20Galaxy%20Vol%203
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJames%20Gunn%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chris%20Pratt%2C%20Zoe%20Saldana%2C%20Dave%20Bautista%2C%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Bradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
