Life is not a Practice

In the morning Moni and I walked up to the big seat in Mittelberg and ate a packed brunch that we had taken with us. The only snow to be seen was on Nesselwang ski slope. By midday the temperature was 10°C.



In the afternoon Caro, Stefano and I walked up to the Enzianstübe for a drink. The Kronenpiste was competely green. After the lift closed we walked down the man made snow covered main piste.

Moni and I walked from Nesselwang up to the summit of the Edelsberg. We saw the sun once we were right at the top but had no view in any direction.



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

We have a radio station on the Grauen Stein and needed to add a radio and antenna. Marlene and I drove as far as we could and then walked over the Riedbergerhorn to the mast. After an hour of work we walked back

I am not a fan of "hiking"; I would much rather be out on one of my bikes. But today it rained all day and I really didn't want to get soaked from the rain and spray off the road again. It was too slippy for a race bike and too dirty for a MTB so I went for a walk up past the Nesselwang Waterfall and past the Kronenhütte.



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



I was using my Garmin pulse band to measure my pulse. All the information was in my GPS and all appeared to be transferred to my mobile phone but there were no calories and no elevation gained shown. Asked for an explanation at https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?354302-Garmin-Connect-showing-0-calories

Photos at https://goo.gl/photos/g74VhzgtnUrDvxuRA

Quick jog up to Stubental to listen to the music.

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

Back in winter I fell in to a ravine in the snow and that was nearly the end of me - see the original story at http://neill.blogger.de/stories/2463603/

A few weeks later Max and I found one of my skis that I had stood up as a marker but the other one was at the bottom of the ravine. See the story at http://neill.blogger.de/stories/2467149/



Back then I set a waymark in my GPS and today I returned to reclaim the second ski. I found it a little down stream of where I had set the other one. Maybe the spring water pushed it downhill.



It was really strange being back in a place that so nearly killed me. The sun was shining and there was just the harmless brook running downhill but it still brought back some nightmare memories of drowning in deep deep snow.

More photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6152831343924761137

After getting the generator nearly all the way to the station yesterday, we today set out on phase two.

Last night we agreed that Klaus from the mountain rescue would accompany me today. Once I explained my problem to Max he said "me too!".


(Photo by Max. Sunrise and I am on the way up the ridge)

Max organised rental snow shoes and sticks and this morning we left at 05:45. Drove to work to pack the petrol, the charger, the cable and everything else and then on to Oberstdorf to pick up Klaus.


(I felt as tired as I look after 2 days of deep steep snow.)

Back up the Riedbergerpass (snow covered and icy but no tourists driving at 5 km/h) to the ski lifts. We met Tom there with the tracked quad and he drove us up to the top of the ski lift from where we once again set off up the ridge. There was no trace of the tracks from yesterday so Klaus broke the trail, Max followed and I came last feeling done in from yesterday.

At the top we stopped for a very short rest (-15°C and a wind are not conducive to long stops) and then carried on down to where I had left the generator yesterday.


(The vegetation in this picture is the tops of stunted trees. This is a small forest and the snow has filled up the space between the trees.)

We broke a trail to the mast and then Max returned and carried the 21kg generator up to the mast without a carrying frame. (Hero).

We now drank tea, ate cake, put on more clothes, fueled the generator and started it, connected the charger to the batteries and generator and left it running. Gave Tom a ring and he confirmed that it was charging.

Set off back across the pass and up to the Riedbergerhorn then Tom rang to say it was no longer working. Turned round in the biting wind and walked back. A red light was on. Stopped generator, started it, stopped, started. Got it running with no red light. Waited 10 minutes to be sure and then walked back down.

One of Max's snow shoes broke on the way up and one of mine on the way down. That just added to the fun.

Klaus had gone ahead with his touring skis and was waiting with the mountain rescue skidoo at the top of the lift to take us back down.

And the batteries are now charged up.

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

Max's blog is at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/ and his (as always amazing) pictures are at https://plus.google.com/photos/102257273463070793435/albums/6077174649141629985/6098356433116069202?pid=6098356433116069202&oid=102257273463070793435

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

For Hermanns 50th birthday we said we would take him to the Roßbergalpe. Today was a bank holiday so Hermann, Heidi, Alison and I walked up to the Grüntenhütte and then, after a beer, on across the shoulder of the Grünten to the Alp.



We left in mist but soon came out in to sunshine and enjoyed views across the clouds to the surrounding mountains.



The lunch at the Alp was fantastic as always.

More photos at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/6035783557911106593