Life is not a Practice

It snowed in the night so Max and I were stood waiting for the lifts to open in Oberjoch at 08:30. The piste bullys were still at work so we had to wait another quarter of an hour until we could hit the deep snow.



The snow was deep but very heavy - "leg breaker snow" as a local said. I fell over each time I went off piste. Max fell over only once but I had my camera out :-)



More photos at https://picasaweb.google.com/103827427036815679772/Winter201112#

Max and I out early. In to Tannheimertal and then up above the clouds. Perfect pistes with 10cm of new snow on top. A great two hours before the tourists woke up.

And then in the evening I walked up the local mountain with my friends, drank Glühwein and then sledged back down again in the dark.



It really is a tough life in the mountains.

Snow, sun and fun! Another morning out with the boys on our skis. This time we went to the Hahnenkamm ( http://www.reuttener-seilbahnen.at/ )



Max ran out of piste while moving at well over 60kmh. He flew a long way but eventually hit the ground and ended up laughing.



After the skiing some one drove in to the side of our (3 week old) car but no problems. He said sorry and gave a bottle of red wine :-)

More photos at https://picasaweb.google.com/103827427036815679772/Winter201112#

Christmas morning off piste in Austria. The "boys" were out playing. New powder and no people.



We went to the Füssener Jöchl http://lifte-graen.com/

Pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/103827427036815679772/Winter201112#

At last the snow is here so the bike is packed away in the garage and the snow board is out. Was on the slopes with my South African colleague - Grant - today.



Deep, fresh snow and no people. Great fun!

More pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/103827427036815679772/Winter201112#

Alison, Max and I out for two hours skiing. Fantastic snow perfectly prepared, very few people and fantastic weather.



With all the tourists gone we could ski as fast as we wanted with the only danger being that of hitting each other.

Carnival Sunday. In the afternoon we were off to a carnival parade but this morning I was skiing in Nesselwang. Few people and perfect snow. A dream combination.

The weather forecast said "superb weather" and it was right. Max, Daniel and I all went across to Austria for some "serious skiing". Frozen, steep, north facing slopes. By lunch time I was happy to get back in the car even with the boys waiting for me at the bottom of every run.



More photos at https://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2011Winter#

Daniel was off skiing with his friends so I gave him a lift and then stayed at the slopes to ski myself. Nesselwang was bathed in sunshine but the rest of Germany was under the clouds.



Sunshine, top snow and relatively few skiers on the top slope. :-)

Photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2011Winter#

A friend is on his way to India overland and has just reached Dubai.
Reminded me of snowboarding there in 2006.



This "ski hall" is in the middle of the desert. Outside is 40°C and inside you can snow board. Crazy place.



Original photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/neill.hogarth/2011Winter#