Life is not a Practice

Sunday and the 20th anniversary of German Reunion.
After a morning of playing Internet, I went out on my race bike. A lovely autumn day so I got a bit carried away and ended up cycling up in to the Austrian mountains and back through Pfronten.

I cycled through Engetal and past this sign

It tells about four boys who in the last days of WWII tried to stop the allied advance and died doing so. It makes you glad to be alive now and not then.
Full size picture at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#5523899703160589122

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

I was sat at my desk late afternoon and my phone rang. Gabi asked "do you want to go for a ride?"
An hour later three of us were on our way to Beichelstein.


Great fun

Pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#5520859300580329858

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

The last day of our four days mountain biking in St. Vigil. Up the mountain for a coffee and then back down as fast as possible :-)



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

My pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.de/neill.hogarth/StVigilDay4#

The third day of our four days mountain biking in St. Vigil. Steep? You don't know what steep is until you have cycled up this trail :-)



Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=qztzrklttnpzyuvq and yes. It really is that steep.

My photos are at http://picasaweb.google.de/neill.hogarth/StVigilDay3#

Jon and Max were along part of the way (between geocaching) and there photos are at
Max: http://picasaweb.google.de/Maximilian.Hogarth/DolomitesDay3?authkey=Gv1sRgCJbD3abnleStEA#
Jon: http://picasaweb.google.com/jon.nesselwang/DollyDay3#

The second day of our four days mountain biking in St. Vigil. Maybe the best ride that I have ever done. Without doubt the best single trail.



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

Photos are at http://picasaweb.google.de/neill.hogarth/StVigilDay2#

The first day of our four days mountain biking in St. Vigil. A "short tour" through the woods of the dolomites to get warm.



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

My pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.de/neill.hogarth/StVigilDay1#

Wanted to go out on my race bike but there was suspiciously little air in the back tyre so I rode around staying near to Nesselwang.



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

A Thursday evening tour to enjoy the sun set and a few meters of climbing.



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

Pictures from http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#5512427033410601282

Monday afternoon. I was on holiday and Jon closes early on Wednesday so we went out on our race bikes.



From Nesselwang we rode to Hopferau and then past the Hopfen See. Non stop on to Füssen for a few photos of the Lechfall (photo above which was very full after all this rain). Then across the border in to Austria and on to Vils. In Vils I got a puncture but luckily I had a puncture repair kit and Jon got the piece of metal out of the tyre (with his teeth).



After repairing the puncture we continued back in to Germany and then through Pfronten back to Jons where I realised that some where along the way I had lost my mobile :-(

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

I didn't take any pictures (beacause I lost my phone) but Jon did and they are at http://picasaweb.google.com/jon.nesselwang/Bike2010#5511995569754757954 Just go right to see the rest.

Five of us out for a ride. It had rained all day but it cleared in the evening for us.


This is a great picture of an Alm just inside Austria that was taken by Max. The water is a large puddle because of all the rain we have had. The original is at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#5511871283737581202 As you can see in the picture, the rain fell as snow in the mountains.

Loads of water in the rivers and stunning views.

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

Pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#

Jon's pictures start here http://picasaweb.google.com/jon.nesselwang/Bike2010#5511844883354688418 Use the arrow to the right to click through them.

Sunday morning geocache with Alison. Despite living here for so many years we had never been up the Höllschlucht before.



We easily found the cache after the 200 meter climb up past the stream. Because we have had so much rain recently, the waterfall was very impressive.

A link to the cache is here http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=2200e03a-d823-409f-b54e-0d3d66fc470a

Photos here http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/Geoaching2010#

It stopped raining in the afternoon so a quick run round the standard training route.


This picture is taken looking East towards Nesselwang. And people ask why I want to live here? The original is at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#5510167697684958354

The same track as here http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jhlzirdtszgkgzqo

Group 2 left early (17:30) heading for the Vilser Alm. I was already in Pfronten (dentists) so they picked me up by the Vils.



It is a steep climb to the Alm but the Mohren (Weizern and Cola) at the top made it all worth while.

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

Photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#

Four Tuesday bikers set off (after a bit of persuasion) up the Alpspitz under thick black clouds.
The weather turned out OK and we cycled up the Engelbergweg to above the Grüne Strich and then down past the Bayern Kurve and the Kronen Hütte.



Christa got nice and wet by falling off in to the biggest puddle she could find.

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

More photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#


Christa just climbed out of the huge puddle behind her :-)

A "Sunday Group 2" tour. Just six of us at a very easy pace. A great day with an amazing lunch (as always when we visit Gabi).



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

Photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#

Out with the Thursday bikers. We all went together as there were only a few from Group 1.


Great picture by Jon

Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jxgmzuvigaxviofj and yes it is really that steep at kilometer 15 (and a single trail!).

Photos are at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV# and Jons photos are at http://picasaweb.google.com/jon.nesselwang/Bike2010#

Sepp wrote a report under the heading Tour 13 19.08.2010 at http://home.allgaeu.org/a3453/2010%20Bike%20Season%20ger.htm

A Tuesday evening. The ground was wet and filthy. Jon and Moni went race biking so Max and I went to see how dirty we could get.



Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=lmsnacyrghhjmufh with a nice steep descent.

Photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#

A Sunday geocache. Started in the wrong place but still managed it.
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=04f9e677-30c4-4f77-a0b2-95b103bbedf6
Got back just in time to walk up the Waterfall path to the Kronenhütte for lunch with the French family and Max. To round things off nicely, we took the summer sledge run down the mountain.


Great photo taken by Max

Photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010Stuff#

Two years ago Heidi and I wanted to cycle to Lindau. The week before I fell off my bike and broke my shoulder blade. So today we tried again. This time Heidi fell off and broke her ankle about 11 kilometers before Lindau.



There were 17 of us in total. The real heroes of the day were the French family. They just got on their bikes and cycled 80kms. Johanna did the whole 100kms!


[photo by Max]

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

As normal Sepp has written a long report about the whole day in German at http://home.allgaeu.org/a3453/2010%20Lindau.htm

Photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010Lindau#

Max wrote a report at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.com/2010/08/wednesday-bodensee-tour.html and his photos are at http://picasaweb.google.com/Maximilian.Hogarth/BodenseeTourAugust?authkey=Gv1sRgCN_6ktyc0q63dw#

Another nice flat tour - just look at the profile especially around 11.7km. I nearly did it but then I fell off.



It was dark by the time we reached the Fichtelhütte but the view of lights as far as you could see was amazing.

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

The pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIII#

Moni Lang has a racing bike so we went out to test it this evening. Nice easy coast round the Grüntensee and then up to faistenoy and Oy. Maria Rain for a few extra meters of climbing.



GPS battery ran out but here is the track from a
previous ride along the same route.

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jhlzirdtszgkgzqo

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