Ski Touring Buron

Haven’t touched a pair of touring skies in close to eight years, but a load of people I know have been saying how much fun it is. As it is more or less the equivalent of mountain biking in winter I thought I should give it another try as I have been biking for nearly five years now and I tend to get lazy and fat in winter. Skiing doesn't have the same energy consumption as most of the work is done by the lift.

Borrowed a touring set from a rental shop in Pfronten and set of towards the Buron with Dad today. Up to the mast on that mountain with a load of technical stuff in our rucksacks next to tee and clothes. Going up from the bottom we travelled along the piste nearly all the way. Weird, as normally I would take touring skies to go as far away as possible from a piste. Went up and had a first stop after a short amount of time to take some clothes of. Carried on in the track of some tourers in front of us and reached the un-pisted zone after a while. Met Marlene a short ways before, a work colleague of dads having fun in the sunshine on the ski piste. Going up the last stretch took us nearly as long as all of the rest before, due to it being steeper and more powder snow. We helped a man find his ski and got to the top after zigzagging our way up. Had to shovel our way free to get to the electric hut of the mast and whilst dad did all the electrical work inside I had tee and watched the scenery.

We wanted to carry on up to the Blesse after that, but we couldn't see a way to get there. So instead we took our furs of and skied down the piste and back to the car through deep snow. Really good quality equipment I got for that, was very happy with them.

Track at GPSies and some pictures at Picasa. Dads blog here.

Jon's Gaudy Club

Out skiing with Jons Gaudi Club of the Ski teacher division today. Jon does some formation and coordination skiing for the better skiers to try. We spent two hours skiing everything from close formation to spinning down the ski slope. About 13 people joined in the fun and Jon created a video of the weekly event.

After that Jon, Marnique, Christoph, me and later Lukas went for some Kässpetzle in the Kronenhütte

Snowy Christmas Holidays Day 1

Whew, what a day. Dad had to be saved by the mountain rescue yesterday, as he got stuck in some really deep snow. His full explanation here (141228 Riedberger Horn). I heard about it yesterday evening and after ensuring he was ok and finding out he needed to go back up the next day, offered my help. Wanted to get some fun out of it, too. How many times do you get the chance to walk up the mountain, early in the morning before everybody else with a mountain rescue guide to help.

Dad picked me up at quarter to six this morning and we set of to pick up Klaus, our guide. Got him on the way in Oberstdorg and carried on towards the Riedberger Horn up a pass that you normally have to have snow chains on. As the company has a lot of business to do up there, they are classified as locals who don’t need it, as long as they have 4x4 cars. Reached the bottom of the lift, got all geared up with snow shoes that we had borrowed for this occasion and after a hot chocolate got driven up as near as possible to the top as Tom could get us with his quad. Klaus got taken up first, then me and Dad in the rear. Klaus up front so he could lay the track, as we where the first ones up, then me to harden it and Dad at the end as he was still knackered from the day before. He showed us the trench he got caught in and his touring skies are still in there somewhere, will stay there till spring probably. We reached the top after watching the sun rise on untouched powder snow, to find a biting wind and -15°C air temperature. We didn't stay up there long and picked up the generator Dad had left up there the day before. Reached the mast after another 500 metres and got warmed up in the shade of some frozen trees before getting the generator up and running.

Took a few attempts but we got it running and plugged in to the mast so it could load up the battery’s. Had some tee and cake to celebrate and then went back again. Back up at the Riedberger Horn Tom gave Dad a ring saying that the mast wasn't receiving any electricity. Brilliant, turn back around and after a few attempts got it running properly again. The weather was turning more grey and windy by then, the herald of the big snow storm the weather forecast had predicted for the afternoon. Sprinted back on two broken snow shoes (Dads right and my left), which had occurred somewhere on the way. We got back to the piste and as Klaus had had touring skies and was down a lot faster, he was waiting at the end with the mountain rescue skidoo. Took us both down and after getting everything packed up and the conformation that the mast was charged, took Klaus to Kempten so he could catch the train home.

After a hurried lunch I was rushed back to Nesselwang to get a picture taken so I could apply for an international driving licence in Marktoberdorf for my planned Australia trip. Drove to Marktoberdorf with Johanna, got that settled and on the way back where caught in the middle of predicted snow storm. Proofed interesting, as Johanna has no 4x4 and we where nearly flattened by a truck going uphill near Rückholz.

Reached home, got changed quickly and Johanna drove me near the ski lift where the ski teachers where training for the upcoming New Year demonstration. Skied my part and then went home for some rest before tomorrow.

Dads blog of this day can be found here and more pictures at Picasa.

First Alpspitze Skiing

Finally it has snowed, as it should in winter. And luckily not just a bit but a lot. A load of traffic jams, car accidents and so on have happened in the area with all the tourists coming to us to ski. And to think we are so lucky and just have to walk for quarter of an hour to get to the lift. Daniel and me left early so we would arrive before most of the people. In the end we where the first on the lift and the first on the piste. Also the first to notice that the piste was full of snow cannon snow. It basically means “snow that will cause an accident due to sudden deceleration”. After we both got down all covered in snow we went right to the top and started of with the real fun of going into powder snow. We spent an hour up there going down next to the piste most of the time.

Once we noticed that there where to many people there we walked back home.

Finally winter is here and it still hasn't stopped snowing.

Christmas Day Biking

Merry Christmas everyone. Weather wise it is absolutely sh**t here at the moment. Normally you would expect the Alps to be covered in a few metres of snow, but once again not this year. Third year in a row by now. Last year Dad and I managed to go skiing in tolerable conditions in Oberstdorf, but even they have no snow this year.

So we got our bikes out in 3°C. I picked up dad on the way and after we had got ourselves dressed up warmly set of up towards Sportheim Böck. Had to get rid of one layer of clothes at the bottom already, as we where sweating and the rest was spent biking up and talking about the world. Once we came out in to the open we where nearly blown over by strong winds, but we powered on. To top that we got some snow a bit over the middle station, but it luckily was only a few centimetres deep. Our tyres had no problem. Reached Sportheim Böck and got a Glühwein and some goulash soup to warm up.

Got everything on we had for the way down and we acctually didn't freeze on the way down. The wind had picked up and was throwing snow in our face, but not to much. Met Caro on the way up and had a small chat. All these weird Turnverein people going biking on Christmas day in rainy conditions. Had a stop in the Explorer hotel for a coffee and then went home for a shower and some turkey later. 

Pictures at Picasa, track at GPSies and Dads blog here. 

Egypt 2014 Video

As I had Daniels GoPro with me on the holiday, I did manage to make a video. It can be found at YouTube. I am not to happy about the quality, it does after all look better uncompressed on my own PC.

Marsa Alam: Day 7 Shaab Abu Dabab (Nummber 4)

After a maximum of four hours of sleep we got up and had some breakfast. Was well needed that and after that out to dive. I only have one dive planned for today and the other two also only did one dive. A Zodiac trip to Shaab Abu Dabab number four this time.

We where a rather large group this time and our guide was Hussein again. Some dolphins where spotted in the bay, so they do tend to be a rather common sight here. Got our things prepared and then went over to the jetty to fully assemble and border the Zodiac. Sharky, the donkey of the diving base which has been standing around the past few days, pulled over our heavy gear.

Whilst getting ready a few of us saw the tail fluke of the local manatee come up, so we can ad that to the seen list, even if it wasn't underwater. Driving out in the Zodiac we had no dolphins but at least three turtles catching air in the flat sea (near to no wind). One of our motors failed, but luckily we had a boat which was being driven by two. Arrived at our dive location and once again there was a safari boat there already. Nearly all the rest of the sea is empty and they just by chance go diving were we want to. Dropped of in to the nice cool sea and dived down to the corals on the sea floor. Once again a really nice dive site down there, lots of up, downs and diving around pinnacles of corals. Saw a Moreen eel, a few puffer fish, some blue spotted stingrays and a lot of butterfly fish.

Unfortunately we had two divers with us which didn't seem to care about the corals. Their most important target was to get a good picture, no mater if they destroy decades or centuries of coral work. Johanna and Jon told them underwater through sign language and pointing to stay clear of the reef and leave the corals alone, but they just ignored them and continued. On the boat we got the felling that they really didn't care about what they where doing. Saddening to hear something like that. Every time I accidentally even touch the corals lightly I hate myself for what I have done.

Back on land after that, took a while getting back with one motor. On land we had some lunch and then cleaned our gear before having a relaxing afternoon. That was our last dive of the holiday, as we have to be dive free at least twenty four hours before we take and air plane. Jon packed a bit already, but I left that for the next day. Had some dinner and then sat down with Michael, Uwe and a couple outside, so we could get eaten by the mosquitoes. Johanna and me went to bed rather early, as we had had little rest from the evening before.

Diving time: 62 min.

Diving depth: 17,3m