Life is not a Practice

First time out on the mountain bike this year.

+11°C and raining. Perfect mountain biking weather. Max and I were out for a gentle ride around the Grüntensee. Too much snow to go off road so we stuck to the roads.



Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=luokttpiehfdzfxt

Full size picture at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingI#5451085247268731602

It is Saturday and the sun was trying to shine. The temperature was above zero and Jon and I both had time so...

On the racing bikes past Seeg to Hopfen and then on to Füssen. Back through Austria and Pfronten. The photo was taken at the frozen Hopfensee.



The track is at
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=tafktkuunyzqneur

The big version of the above photo is at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingI#5450749099691362658
There you can also see where it was taken. My mobile phone is so clever that it uses the GPS built in to remember where I took the photo.

Just as we crossed back in to Germany Jon said "there is a geocache here!" so quickly did that on the way past.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=51d02b30-9e18-469e-a7fe-7e94b106c8b8

Averaged 25km/h on the whole journey. When you look at the profile you can see why the first half was faster :-) Maximum speed was 54km/h - on those tiny tyres with those useless brakes!

The doctor says I am better after my operation so I went out for a short test ride to check. And yes - everything works. I took it nice and slow up the hills but a racing bike sure moves on the down hills. I averaged 23km/h.



I felt a little less frightened this time out than last time. Must be getting used to the ridiculously thin tyres :-)

The track is at
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=smovqldclsvoflkg

I have been in the hospital in Kaufbeuren since Wednesday and today I was feeling much better so I took a short walk across the snow covered fields.

I had checked http://www.geocaching.com and found a geocache near the hospital - "Aussicht auf Kaufbeuren-Nord" ( http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=1d447996-13bc-4682-a589-dd49a287b222 )

My new mobile phone has a GPS function built in (Nokia E52) so I played around for a bit trying to work out how to use it and then it took me straight to the cache.

The photo shows my "home" of the last few days (the hospital in Kaufbeuren).

The winter must be coming to an end. Yesterday we were cycling and today I was out for an hour skiing in slushy snow. Still better than no skiing at all.

The photo is looking down on Nesselwang which still looks fairly white.

All this years skiing pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/Winter20092010#

My first cycle of 2010 and my first ever ride on a racing bike. Jon and I went out to try our "new" racing bikes round the lake.
The tyres are "very" small and the brakes hard to reach and you go very fast (especially hidden in behind Jon). It is all a little worrying :-)



Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ccqtmbzmdryuonup

Some more pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingI#

Back to work tomorrow so spent 7 hours on the slopes today. In the morning with family including Chris! In the afternoon with Paul



Videos (all of Daniel being crazy)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLnsZTho-nY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xn_9yUkNSQA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo2931miHl0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzOIdORb2Pc

In the afternnon Daniel was off with his friends and managed a backflip. Sorry but no pictures or video.

Another fantastic day out with Angus. New powder snow and sunshine. We were out on the slope for seven hours. 7 hours of fun!

Daniel was out making the piste unsafe with his friends.


Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Y514WcwkI (this one of Max).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8RYb2-V7U0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VE5_yjYRFA (he had just boarded down the steep slope behind him).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoBUHREWwPI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVXuFdl_mrE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJkyKfUmDLM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpotLzVgqCs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwMvbfXLcQQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i608eMmruGY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxlEMkVHaqc

Out snowboarding with my nephews. Great fun including off piste trip out to Bayerstetten.



More photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/Winter20092010#

Videos at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzh4mmlU-qU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbNw0idw41A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5D5pw7egss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JveO69yKYQU

The sort of day that dreams are made of.
30-50 centimeters of powder snow the last few days and blue skies this morning.
Max was off swimming in the Danube http://www.donauschwimmen.de/index.php/fotos/125-fotos-donauschwimmen-2010, Daniel was at church and the ladies were still in bed so I was on my own in fantastic snow.
Actually I was far from alone as there were hundreds of tourists but by judicious use of the lifts I managed to keep away from them and enjoy the powder on the side of the piste.
Great snow, stunning views and fantastic weather!
In the afternoon Daniel and his friends were away enjoying the off piste skiing between the top of the Alpspitz and Pfronten Kappel.

Took Max to the lift to do ski teaching.
Then a few runs on the hard, fast lower slope then up to the top to enjoy the sunshine.



A few pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/Winter20092010#

Out skiing all morning in Oberjoch with Max, Daniel and Thomas from next door. My legs let me know after three hours that they needed a rest.



Some pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/Winter20092010#

Out for a ride with colleagues and friends in South Africa. The temperature was 32°C in the shade so it was a challenge getting up the hills.

Track is at:
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=iyvpvksvmsmltgkp

Some photos at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/Suikerbosrand#

On our last day at Gardasee in 2009. A quick tour up to Pregasina to drink a Cappuccino.



Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=agsokzmvmahlcyfi

Pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/Gardasee2009Day302#