Life is not a Practice

Boxing Day and it finally snowed. Being a responsible father, I took both sons out for some training in driving safely in winter conditions. Good excuse to get in to the forest and see what a 4x4 Yeti can take. Boys and Toys sort of thing.



Daniel and I met some cars on their sides in a ditch but we managed the trips with no incidents.

Woke up to rain and 3°C. Perfect Christmas Day weather. The last years Max and I have spent Christmas morning skiing but this year there is no snow.

We had agreed to meet this year at 10:00 for a bike ride and sure enough, despite the weather, Max was at the door and ready to go five minutes early.



After 10 minutes of cycling up the mountain we had to stop and take off half the clothes we had on. Surprisingly we met no one on the way up. A few hundred meters before the top the rain turned to snow and we finished the ride on a thin cover of snow.



The hotel at the top of the mountain was open so we ordered two mulled wines and a hot soup. Great! Before cycling back down we put on every item of clothing we had with us - unfortunately we had no ski goggles.



On the way down we met Caro (the neighbour) on her way up so we aren't the only crazy people in town.

We stopped off at the Explorer Hotel for a Cappucino before cycling home.

Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=nkwmuczwhufznytb 10.8km with 600 meters of climbing.

More pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6050786238514201409?authkey=CM6y9qnHhfj9mAE

Max's blog at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2014/12/christmas-day-biking.html

This was my last cycle ride in 2015. The total distance I cycled in 2014 was 4410 kilometre -
1303 km with the mountain bike and 3107 km with the race bike. I think that tells you which I prefer nowadays.

The day after the Christmas Party so a light walk to recover from the late night. Along the side of the mountain to Kappel and then back across the fields against a biting wind.



Finished up with coffee and cake at friends.

8 kilometers. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=mlpiwabtehshvcbd

Today in the fitness studio in Seeg was "St. Nicholas Spinning". From two in the afternoon until seven in the evening we enjoyed five hours of spinning with great music and five fifferent instructors. Great fun.



Afterwards we spent another two hours eating and drinking. A great idea from the fitness studio and a fun way to spend a grey rainy afternoon.

More photos at https://www.facebook.com/provitaseeg/photos/a.523764227704374.1073741825.116965615050906/769769806437147/?type=1&theater

Brunch with friends.
A bike ride above the clouds.
Cappucino
Spinning



The whole of Germany was covered in cloud. Everyone except us. We had beautiful sunshine and could look down on to the clouds below.

30kms and 430 meters of climbing.
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=cdiqgexllimtqhvp

Pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6050786238514201409?authkey=CM6y9qnHhfj9mAE

Every Wednesday I meet with the companies tax advisor. Today, after the meeting, I was driving back to the office and saw this view.

It is November but the weather forecast promised good weather so Heidi and I drove to Memmingen to do a race bike tour. It only takes 30 minutes to get to Memmingen but it put us in an unknown area of Allgäu. I had found a 70 kilometer route in the Internet ( http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jhehzkqqmfoaqqvm ) with over 700 meters of (sometimes steep) climbing.



We passed Schloß Zeil which is the family home of the Earl of Waldburg-Zeil and enjoyed the view from his terrace which has an unbelievable view in to the Alps.



At the end of the tour we cycled in to the center of the ancient city of Memmingen and enjoyed a hot chocolate with Baileys at a cafe next to the town hall.

A great quote to sum up today
"Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth... Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it."
-John Templeton.

78km and 980 meters of climbing.
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=phbygbtgwzzzbbdp

More pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6050786238514201409?authkey=CM6y9qnHhfj9mAE

I had taken a day off work today and the sun was shining so I went out for a ride on the race bike. Up the Ellegg and home via Faistenoy.



31km with 436 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xxhmgdzwgjgahzjy

a tablet PC, 2 pairs of boots, 2 cases, 2 rucsacs, 2 bikes and 2 pairs of skis.

A relaxed November bike ride through Tannheimertal. In the sun it was beautiful. Downhill in the shadows it was very cold. Going down the valley back in to Germany, it was absolutely freezing.



51km with 670 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=mdmtgfrrmeojerrc

Photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6050786238514201409?authkey=CM6y9qnHhfj9mAE

All summer Max has been wanting to cycle up the Grünten. Tomorrow he is skiing ( maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2014/11/stubai-glacier.html ) and next week diving so we went today.



we cycled up the incredibly steep "front side" to the Grüntenhütte and then across the shoulder and through the snow down to the Roßbergalpe. A cheese sandwich and two beers later we cycled back down and home.

43km with over 1000 mters of climbing (most of it in one go).
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ohazxqigmqeelmhh

Photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6050786238514201409?authkey=CM6y9qnHhfj9mAE

Max's blog at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2014/11/gruntenhutte-alpe-rossberg.html

Max's pictures at https://plus.google.com/photos/102257273463070793435/albums/6041584113415203297/6076752222594002146?pid=6076752222594002146&oid=102257273463070793435

I found this and I really like it.
See the full size original at http://qph.is.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-167ee46608f8ec7a7e61dc3146df2279?convert_to_webp=true

Autumn but 20°C. Out all afternoon on my race bike through Allgäu. Rode to Eggenthal and then via Wildpoldsried to Kempten. Max picked me up with the car at McDonalds.

82km and 970 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=zgifgdrhhgmdjnjd

Alison, Max and I hired a sailing yacht this afternoon and went out for an afternoon sailing on the Forgensee.


Picture is by Max - you can tell - it is "artistic".

I love sailing. I love the combination of relaxation and sport. Always have, always will.



At http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=dusnftmighbausdi you can see our track. As you can see we practiced lots of gybes and even more tacks. 11 kms in 2hrs 20 mins.

Great fun! And in the evening I went spinning.

More photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6056014088141952449

Out on my own with my race bike enjoying a sunny evening after an afternoon of rain. The Jochpass road was closed for an old timer race so I rode the first part up the old pass (extremely steep -see the profile at about 40kms) and then was told by a marshall that no more cars would be coming so rode up an empty Jochpass - just me on my own enjoying the scenery. Just as I reached the top they opened the pass again for traffic. The picture shows me reaching the finish line of the race. Just the cheering crowds are missing.



63kms and 925 mters of climbing
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=iwbitzeuddqypgtg