A weekend on Poland’s mountains can be an arduous task at 20 degrees below zero, but a snowboarding (or snurfing) trip with longtime friends can be an exhilarating experience too. Two of my best friends from boarding school, Ellen and Amer, arrive in Poznan on December 26 morning. We are quite a mix of nationality, Ellen is from Belgium and Amer is from the USA. We haven’t seen each other for the past eight years, that is, since we graduated from college

Ellen landed in Wroclaw the evening before, she had to take a train connection to reach Poznan. She was shocked with the amount of homeless people staying at the Wrocal train station, and tells me she didn’t expect to see such poverty in an European Union member state.

With another friend of ours from Poznan, we begin our journey into the Polish mountains next morning. We are not the only ones taking a city break and heading south. It seems as if, pretty much everyone in Poland is doing the same thing. The two-lane road is packed with cars and we are moving forward at a turtle’s pace.

After hours in the car we finally reach our destination – Duszniki Zdroj – a picturesque town in the Sudety Mountains. We are staying in the “Rondo” guesthouse, which dates back to the times when Poland was under communist rule. In fact, back in those days, “Rondo” (roundabout) was a regime-administered holiday destination for state workers.

Funnily enough, there is no dining hall at the “Rondo” and consequently, we eat meals in a stand-alone dining hall, around ten minutes walk from our guesthouse. With the temperature 15 degrees below zero, we are very content to run inside the dining hall and have our dinner. Just like “Rondo”, the dining hall seems to have stopped in time, and its communist décor is very well preserved.

Next morning, there are new arrivals at the “Rondo” guesthouse. We get to know the friends of friends, who will be staying here with us as well. In the afternoon, we head for Zieleniec, where we snowboard until 4 p.m. We play ‘charades’ throughout the evening.

We retire early, as tomorrow is bound to be a busy day. In Zieleniec again, snowboarding until 4 p.m. Our friend, Mrowa, breaks his leg, getting off a ski lift.

We have a delicious traditional meal at the dining hall. With klopsy (minced meat), mashed potatoes and beetroot salad. Thereafter, everyone takes a power nap in preparation for what turns out to be a very busy evening.

We meet with our holiday crew and head for a Polish-style sled ride. This involves a big sled, with horses pulling a string of small sleds. The temperature is 20 degrees below zero and we warm ourselves with swigs of cytrynowka (lemon flavoured vodka). I am sitting in the very last sled of caravan, together with Ellen, which means we fall off the sled at each turn. After forty minutes of the ride, we stop for a bonfire with sausages and mould wine. I can’t remember when was the last time I had this much fun. I get up with a great deal difficulty on December 30 morning. My body aches with the slightest movement. I am not alone in my misery. Ellen and Amer are feeling the effects of yesterday’s ride to as much as I am.

No snowboarding today. There is no better treatment for an aching body than a sauna. We go to a nearby hotel, where we take a dry sauna session for one hour. I feel like a new person after the suana.

The last day of the year. Going for yet another sled ride and a walk. We just can’t get enough of the snow.

It’s New Year’s Eve and we are climbing a mountain. Our New Year party takes place in a small hut, at the top of a mountain. I am wearing my snowboarding outfit, with a fancy dress over it and, my dancing shoes are in my backpack. We don’t have a flashlight, which adds to the difficulty of climbing, and each time I take one step forward, I slide two steps back. Because we are all in the same boat, it really is great fun. In the hut, there is live music (mainly Rock and Blues) and heaps of traditional Polish food. At midnight, everyone gets outside the hut to admire the fireworks and the breathtaking view from the mountaintop. The party goes on till sunrise.

After a hearty lunch at our favourite dining hall, it is time to drive back to Poznan. On the way back, we stop over in Wroclaw to take a stroll in the city’s old market square and to drop off Ellen and Amer at the airport.

When we reach Poznan, I am ready for the final climb -- to my flat, with all my snowboarding equipment. I can’t wait for our next reunion

--The writer is a lawyer with a passion for photography, kasztelan, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it