Life is not a Practice

Alison and Max were out at ski teacher training again and I had to take Rhiannon to Pfronten and pick her up an hour later. So I spent the hour on the Pfronten-Steinach ski lift. It was a bit of a challenge because they will only let snowboarders ride the lift with their back foot out of the binding which I am not good at. Luckily a young lady on a snowboard took pity on me and rode the lift with me and kept telling me "you're doing great, just relax."



Today it is only -3°C so I was much too warm in my three layers of clothing :-)

When we got back to Nesselwang I went for a few runs there as well but there were far too many people and only the one lift open.

Yes! The beginning of December and the ski lift opened for the winter in Nesselwang. Lots of powder snow and all the snow cannons are hard at work on the main piste.



Max, Daniel and I were out carving, trick skiing and snowboarding respectively. We were amongst the first 10 on the lift this season. Only had an hour as Daniel had to go to Augsburg but what an hour.

Winter has arrived! This picture was taken at -8°C

It was in November that I finished cycling this year. And it is in November that I have begun skiing. The lifts are not yet open but there was snow enough on the ground. Daniel was out practicing with his trick skis yesterday and Alison and Max were at ski teacher training today so I took my touring skis and walked up the Alpspitz.



The mountain difinitely gets higher and steeper each year.

This morning it was grey and overcast in Nesselwang but when Rhiannon and I walked up to the Hündelskopfhütte to do a geocache we came out above the clouds.
Enjoyed the view and finding the cache.


This picture shows the twin ruins of Frei & Eisenberg showing as an island above the clouds.

Cache details at http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=0c3d661f-f7f1-4fa8-9ba0-ef369215f71a



The rest of the photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010Stuff#

It is November but no one has told the weather. A few weeks ago we had snow, colleagues were out on langlauf skis and with the touring skis in the mountains.

But today it is warm so I was off on my racing bike again. Rode to Görisried on the east side of the Wertach and then back on the west side. 30kms of gently rolling hills.

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

And then in the afternoon Tom rang and asked if I wanted to go and help him mount antennas on the Grünten.



we were up there for late afternoon and sunset. Wow!

Life seems to have been busy the last two weeks. I have achieved a lot but have done NO cycling.
Today the sun was shining and the temperature was above zero so I took the race bike out for a morning tour round the Grüntensee.


The picture was taken in the same place as the one taken on my last ride. Amazing how quickly the trees lose their leaves.

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

In the evening we had a party in the woods. The woods are called Knochenstampf (the bone grinder) so are very suitable for a Halloween party. Great evening with the French's and Sontheim's (and Arnold).

A few pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010Stuff#



Jon also took photos which are at http://picasaweb.google.com/jon.nesselwang/October2010#

Spent the day writing the final paper for my honours degree. Well nearly the whole day - took an hour out to go out on the race bike.
Left in thick mist but climbed out above it in Oy.


Full size picture at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010CyclingIV#5527261420523790738

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

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#