Life is not a Practice

It snowed last night so this morning I "had" to go and get in an hour of skiing before the tourists arrived.



Started out with max until he had to go off to ski teach but then met Gertrud for a few runs in the powder. After that a quick coffee and then home for 10:30 to be useful.

Max had to go to the slopes to teach so Daniel, Michael Stromer and I went with him. At teh slope we met Stefan Greis. An hour of perfect snow and perfect weather.



At 10:00 there were too many people for my liking so I enjoyed a coffee at a mountain hut and then went home. What a great life.



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

Alison had to work but Rhiannon, Daniel, Max and I drove across the Austrian border to Höfen for a morning of skiing. It was snowing and there was thick cloud so we were skiing by feeling and instinct but it was good fun.


The picture is the view we did not see (borrowed from the homepage of the lift - http://www.reuttener-seilbahnen.at/)

On my last run I managed to catch a tip and ended up on the floor with a big bruise on my leg.

Max and I made use of our season cards, the great snow and the sun to spend the morning skiing at Oberjoch.



Very few people and freshly prepared snow made for very fast runs. Great fun.

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

Daniel was out on his trick skis and Alison and Max at Ski teacher training so I took my touring skis and walked up the Alpspitz.



Near the top the binding broke so I could put my skis on my shoulder and walk half way down the mountain until I reached the middle station where the lift was running.

Still a nice hour out in the fresh air though.

The full size photo is at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2010Snow?authkey=Gv1sRgCJjh1sDPjvSl0gE#5549793767538254530
You can see the broken binding on the ski.

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