Life is not a Practice

A quick run round the lake on the race bike after work.

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xsavjvjghbbjebbe
19.3km 217m of climb

Another lovely day so once again off on my mountain bike. This time down in to the Wertach valley and then up again and then down again and so on.



Some snow covered patches but mostly just muddy.

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=txidywcmwjpnzwhq
20km 258m of climbing.

Photos at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5866409348860352993?banner=pwa

A week ago I was skiing but finally spring has arrived so I went out for my first ride of the year on my mountain bike - in shorts!



http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=fhsenklcvyjsngwy
22.7km 347 meters of climb 1hr38min.

While on a business trip to nearby Werdingerrode we took a trip on the Brocken Railway (http://www.hsb-wr.de/en/start/) to the top of the Brocken mountain pulled by a narrow gauge engine.

Many years ago when I was in the Royal Signals based in Germany we were always warned that the other side (Russians and East Germans) was sat on the Brocken listening to us.
We visited the building where they had all there listening equipment and the dome that the antennas were in. A quarter of a century ago I would never have believed I would be in the radio dome on the Brocken one day.


This picture was taken inside the dome.

The end of the first April week and time we were cycling. But there is still snow everywhere.
But rather than complain, Max and I went skiing in Oberjoch.
Perfect snow conditions, absolutely no people (no surprise there) and absolutely no visibility.



We had hoped we would come out above the clouds but we were a few hundred meters too low.

Easter Monday and there is still plenty of snow so I went to Unterjoch skiing. Actually went to Jungholz first but they have closed for summer.

Perfect piste and no people.

In the morning a friend rang to ask if I wanted to take her place is a ski race - http://www.alpstern-trophy.net/ - in the afternoon. Sounds like fun so OK.



Turned out it was a relay race - snowboard, ski touring up hill, skiing down hill and then skating. The two ladies in the team did the snowboarding and skiing, their Dad did the skating so I was left with the walking up hill. It was "only" a bit over 300 meters of vertical climb as fast as you could so I don't know why I felt like I was going to be sick when I reached the top and handed the start number to our skier Clara. The schnapps I received helped me get my pulse back down.



One of those things where you think at the time "this is stupid" but it seems more fun the further in the past it is.

Alison was also in a team as the downhill skier in the team.

Out this morning with Alison in the hills around Isny looking for places to position our masts (hard life when you have to work on Sunday :-)



And then this afternoon the first race bike tour of 2013. It was only 7.5°C but was Ok as long as you kept moving.
24.48 km, Total climb 279 Meter so why do my legs ache despite all the spinning this winter?

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

A sunny but cold winters day in Nesselwang.


https://picasaweb.google.com/103827427036815679772/201213Winter#5843286479561381010

and the house covered in snow


https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_CRWFaghvCI/UReGGeIoi7I/AAAAAAAAQEY/KzpkYUzQTUE/s912/CIMG0875.JPG

Out skiing with max this morning. Lots of fresh new snow but still managed to crash and hurt myself - same injury as in St. Anton :-(

Max's log is at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2013/02/nesselwang-powder-skiing_9.html?spref=fb

This morning we sent the two kids off to school and then Alison, Max and I drove to St. Anton in Austria for a days skiing. The weather wasn't perfect but the snow was and there were few people especially on the black runs :-)



In the afternoon we also did a long steep ski trail way out under the mountains. Real adventure but very tiring.



I had three crashes and pulled something during one of them but it was great fun.

Pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/103827427036815679772/201213Winter#

Took the GPS with me and let it write our route. It is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xcdbishtrwxhjxig Nearly 6000m of descent. No wonder my legs hurt!

A morning with great snow and super weather. max and I went to Hahnenkamm in Tirol to go skiing.



The first run we had the entire slope to ourselves and could go as fast as we wanted. Brilliant!



Later we met a few friends and had even more fun.

A hard days work today looking for a way to get the Internet in to the ski arena Grasgehren.
Unfortunately there is fresh snow every where and I had to use my skis to get around. It is a tough life!



Finished at Grasgehren about lunch time and then went round to th Hörnerbahn to check the view from there.



Pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/103827427036815679772/201213Winter

There were hundreds of tourists here today but luckily they all get up late so Max and I enjoyed the empty piste for an hour

Christmas morning. Alison at church and Daniel and Rhiannon in bed so Max and I went to Oberjoch skiing.