Life is not a Practice

A gentle Sunday ride with the Farinas. From Neselwang to Unterjoch and a coffee. Then on to the Vilsalpsee to enjoy the view. Back down in to Germany and to the Fallmühle for lunch. Finally the last 11 kilometers back to Nesselwang for an ice cream.



Keeping fit is so difficult.



58 kms with 710 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=gxvtektqycmzzdvi

Photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6123509302367272865?sort=1

100 kilometers through the Allgäu and Ausserfern countryside.
Summer in Immenstadt and winter in Tannheimertal. Heidi and I out for six hours on our race bikes.

First to Durach and then along the Iller River to Immenstadt. Coffee and a small lunch in the market place at the castle.



Through Sonthofen and on up the Jochpass. I still needed some time in zone 3 this week so the half hour climb up the Jochpass was the perfect opportunity. Home through the Tannheimer and Ach valleys with a stop for coffee in Tannheim.



My GPS fell off the handlebars at a cattle grid in Achtal which is why there is a break in the track at this point. It bounced down the road but survived (again).

104 km with 1360 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=yrffouicqujgqbix

Pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6123509302367272865

It is Spring and Thursday night so mountain biking. We met at the Alpspitzhalle and followed Wera on a variant of the 7-Weiher-Tour. Rode it backwards and she added in loads of trail variants.



The evening was warm and dry, the snow is almost completely gone and it was a great group of people. And of course, we stopped off for a drink next to a bench with a view.



Fun pure.

26km and 420 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=mxvjrqppyrulbidg

Photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6123509302367272865?sort=1

A quick race bike tour round the lake after work.



22km with 300 meters of climbing. Track is at https://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=rosfqlmhounpdown

Tuesday evening is "Tuesday Bikers" but this evening it was too cold for Jon and Heidi had another date. So it was just me out on my race bike on my own.



37 kms with 430 meters of climbing Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=dddmvxssupuoiuxe

It has been snowing since Friday niht so the mountain is white from top to bottom. The lift is closed for spring so we took our touring skis and walked up to the top station.



At the top the sun came out and we were rewardrd with a snow covered landscape sparking in the sun. The sun stayed out for the descent and then it started snowing again.

My bikes have been to Jon's this week for a complete service. It is great having perfectly maintained bikes. Picked my race bike up this morning - thanks for getting up Jon - and then drove downhill out of the snow.



In Marktoberdorf we parked and then cycled north through Kaltental and then across to Kaufbeuren for a cappucino. From Kaufbeuren back along the wertach valley to the car.

A leisurely 71 kilometers with only 500 meters of climbing. A moving average of over 21km/h. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=rfjrunocwizuanjt

Photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6123509302367272865

The weather forecast was rain, rain and rain but after breakfast it was still dry so Caro and I went for a mountain bike ride to the Allatsee.



There was a storm blowing from the West which helped us get there but made the way back slow and hard work.

40km with 650 meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=hpqtjfymsqlqmygh

More pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/+NeillHogarth/albums/6123509302367272865

A sunny Saturday so in the afternoon I took my road bike out for a spin. Headed away from the mountains and away from the snow. Mostly on road except for a dirty excursion through the woods "Fuchsbau" near Wildpoldsried.



It was a "regenerative energy trip" as I passed solar panels, a wood driven power station, Biogas power plants and wind generators.



Once I reached Sulzberg station I couldn't get excited about the climb to Bodelsberg so I caught the train home.

71km with a thousand meters of climbing. Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=tqzvykiwckumlkqm

Photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6123509302367272865

After work ride through Allgäu

41km and 380 meters of climbing Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=ucbqyzsdoxgrjlld

A sunny Thursday and Max's last day in Europe so we went skiing. Actually Heidi and Max had planned a morning skiing but Julia and I smuggled ourselves in to the outing.



We were at the foot of the lift in Austria when the lift opened and enjoyed 3.5 hours of skiing and a half hour of coffee drinking.



The slopes were empty and the wait at the lift was zero. Great way to spend a morning.

Yesterday I decided to go racing biking so today Caro and I decided to go ski touring. The plan was the Reutter Wanne but when we got to the Untere Alm there was no snow (south slope) so we drove back to the Buron Lift and walked up the Blösse.



At the top we enjoyed the warm sun and a flask of tea before skiing back down.



5km with 540 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=lihfhrxjalgqgvaw

More pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6097506762533868817

That time of year when you have to continually make decisions in life:
- mountain bike,
- snowboard,
- racebike,
- carving skis or
- ski touring.

Today I decided on race biking - the trip to Rome is getting closer. A gentle ride once round the lake with a bit of extra climbing for my training program.

26 km with 450 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=rgrfikoezfwzgyfc

My fourth trip this winter to the Grauen Stein. We have a relay mast up there and wanted to do some upgrades.



The expedition was perfectly planned so we caught the early morning cable car up the mountain with the employees. From there we and our equipment were transported by Skidoo to the end of the valley and then we used our touring skis to ski up to the summit of the mountain.



At 08:40 we were at a height of 1733 meters and looking down on the world as the sun slowly filled the valleys.

About four hours later we were finished with our work and glad too get out of the wind which, despite the sun, was keeping us cool. We loaded up our rucsacs and the generator that was still up there from Christmas ( http://neill.blogger.de/stories/2463609/ ). With all that on our backs we skied back down in to the valley and waited for our "taxi".



It's a tough life but some one has to do it :-)