Life is not a Practice

The snow has arrived!Finally the world is white and, only three weeks late, the mountain looks like a christmas card. And of course it took about 2 seconds to convince Caro that we had to go out with our touring skis.



It is over nine months since I was last on skis (https://neill.blogger.de/stories/2491529/). In autumn I bought new ski boots because the ones I bought last year were an absolute disaster. Not once did I use them without a burning sensation in my feet. The new ones are much much better and I could even leave them on once we reached the restaurant at the top.



The reward for our efforts was hot chocolate with cream and cake. After that a fantastic descent through perfect fluffy snow.

What a life!

My GPS didn't seem to work going uphill. I don't know why. But the track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=wkvvdqdkbwxiuzdt

Photos at https://goo.gl/photos/4Kw7T5WpsUTF9bHAA

Quick jog up to Stubental to listen to the music.

Still no winter and still no snow so the mountain bike season has been extended.

Last year I cycled with Max to Sportheim Böck and Christmas Day before the huge lunch. This year there was no Max (he is in the middle of Australia taking photos of kangaroos)

and no lunch :-)

Most of the journey up was in shadow but at the top there was sunshine and great views in to the Alps. Some friends turned up and I enjoyed Cappucino and chocolate cake.



And while I was there I received pictures of Annalena & Daniel in England

and Rhiannon in a temple in Shanghai.


Put on everything I had with me for the descent through the shady forest.

12km and 592 meters of climbing Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=oyovihtzqtasgfkn

A warm sunny day. Late in the afternoon Heidi finished work and rang up to say "want to go mountain biking?" The answer was (of course) yes so we managed a quick 20km. Got a puncture so returned after dark.



Unexpected fun in December.



21km and 257 meters of climbing. Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=qpgufdnwnxjkwqja

Today I had to leave the office and do some real work. Not such a problem when the place you need to go to involves snow covered tracks and a 4 wheel drive Yeti :-)

Another "late autumn" day and Heidi had found a new path that she wanted to show me. We didnÄ't really have a plan as is obvious when you look at the track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=hsmajacrawluydtc We tried many new tracks that turned out to be dead ends and crossed and recrossed our tracks on the moors.



But it was a fun morning.

29km with 492 meters of climbing.

We are currently enjoying an amazing autumn. We have had the first snow in the mountains but now we are back to late summer temperatures.



Heidi needed to buy a voucher from the Falkenstein Hotel so we took our race bikes out for a run. Short trousers and short sleeve tricot. And I was still sweating on my way up the mountain. Unluckily I reset my GPS about half way so have neither distance or climb.



Enjoyed a drink in the sunshine on the terace. Great way to spend a sunny November morning.

Yesterday I was out in Nesselwang. Autumn has definitely happened and it will soon be time to get on the skis.

Another hard day in the office. Spent the morning looking for ways to connect all the locations of a huge company together.

This is a view to an existing mast of ours - Grauen Stein.


Had to stop for some lunch with a view to another station of ours - Grüntenhütte.


And in the afternoon it was more work.


Tough life in the mountains.

It is that time of year again. Beginning of the Spinning season and time to measure my fitness so that I know what to give in as value on the training bikes.

Same procedure as last year (https://neill.blogger.de/stories/2441600/) but this year Heidi and I did it together.



I achieved a slightly better time than last year. 267!

Thursday evening and only three of us - as seems traditional since Wolkenstein.

Wera took us through the Oyer Moos.

Winter is just round the corner so today I was in Nesselwang Fitness Studio for my first spinning of the season. Tomorrow we are going to the Seeg studio.

[Next day] I overdid it yesterday. Could hardly reach my feet to put my socks on this morning :-)

[2 days later] by the evening I was feeling OK and did another hours spinning with no obvious ill effects.

Inge had a fantastic plan and we cycled it today. We started directly on the European Watershed where the waters of the Rhine meet the waters of the Donau. Cycled along fantastic trails to the ruin of Alttrauchburg.

On the way down I went over the handlebars and broke my second helmet in 30 days.



On down in to Wenegntal and then up the Adelegg and on to Alpe Wenger Ecke which was much too full. Over to Eschacker Weiher and lunch in Freitag then back to the cars.

Some one thought it might be nice to cycle home so Hopsing, Heidi and I cycled the 40 kms and 500 meters of cycling home. Of course we didn't take the direct route because Heidi thought it would be good to include "Kreuzbänkle".



Great day with fantastic people!

73km and 1500 meters of climbing.
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=sywlqsfwyyfhkmhy

My pictures are at https://goo.gl/photos/xCYQJLPpjkG1QAP86

Pictures from Inge at https://picasaweb.google.com/SpyderwomanTV/8TourAlttrauchburgSchwarzeGrat031015?authkey=Gv1sRgCPLu99XKqfOiDg&feat=email

Thursday evening but once again only three of us.

Wera had a fun route round Pfronten which we followed.



23km and 430 meters of climbing
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=hgrgmvitwanchqod