Maribor! Friday, June 14—By Kelsie Hill

On Friday morning, we weren't sure as to what we should expect. Maribor welcomed our busload with its green scenery and sport inspired stadiums. After breakfast, we were lead to a mountain just across from Hotel Dras. We rode ski lifts up the mountain in pairs and were greeted with a magnificent view of the city. 

Ski lifts and alpine slides

Panorama view of Maribor and surrounding areas

Next came confusion, as we were taken to wooden beams and harnesses. The girls were split in half and harnessed up. There were two main attractions that awaited us. One was a tall wooden pole with metal stakes in it, which were used to climb to the top. One by one, we climbed the wooden pole, some failing and others prevailing to stand on the very top. The other event was nearby, where we were harnessed in and connected to ropes. On the operator's command, the rest of the girls took a rope and ran with it in order to suspend a teammate high in the air. On three, she let a rope go and dropped, left swinging until she came to a stop. 

Sierra getting in her harness

Narae conquered the pole!

Kelsie on  her way up the swing...3, 2, 1, PULL!

We were all then provided lunch of delicious sausage and salad, then guided to things that looked like yellow go-carts. They were connected to silver railings that winded down the mountain, an alpine slide! We each raced down the mountain; an exhilarating experience. 

Kelsie on the alpine slide

After, we prepared for our matches. Both teams began to play more fluidly and mesh better than the previous matches. Following that, we all got ready for dinner. We found ourselves in gondolas that carried us even higher than the ski lifts had earlier. The view was breath taking, extremely vast, and indescribable. We shared a delicious meal over the city of Maribor before returning to our rooms for a night of well-deserved rest.

Beautiful View