MTB Austria and Liechtenstein

I'd visited Liechtenstein before, but on the hike part of the trip, the weather was bad and the snow and landslides prevented the completion of the intended hike in the mountains. So I decided to use up one of the long weekends and have another go. This time, the weather was much much warmer and sunnier.

On one day, I did a bike ride (CX bike this time), starting in Feldkirch (Austria), riding along the Rhine to Vaduz (Liechtenstein), and crossing a few times in to Switzerland. The day started with a bit of a rain shower, but it soon cleared up.

Vaduz is not a massive place (and I don't think it's even the largest town in Liechtenstein) for a capital city. Only took a short walk around the town, but next time must get up to the castle etc.

The second day, I repeated a hike from before, but had much more success. No snow and no landslides this time. It was basically a round trip to/from Malbun (the only ski resort in the country).

The rest of the photos can be seen here.

RJD 2014

Following the trip to Poland and Czech Republic for some mountain biking, I stopped by Leipzig on the way back for an annual rocketry event. This used to be near Eilenburg, but moved to Roitzchjora, which is actually a working airfield (gliding, parachuting etc.), so quite a mix of aerial activities for a rocketry event.

I hadn't taken any rockets, only bike stuff, so was there only to spectate and meet up with the Dutch Rocket Boys.

The rest of the photos are here.

MTB Czech Republic and Poland

Yet another long weekend in Germany, and time for me to tick off another country that I've never visited. I'd been to the Czech Republic years ago, but never Poland.

By chance, I'd heard about the Singltrek pod Smrkem MTB trail centre which starts in the Czech Republic, but the trails cross over in to Poland, so thought I'd give it a go. It's actually designed by a Welshman, and you can certainly see the British trail centre influence there. The trail head has a shop, bar/cafe, showers, etc. and even camping facilities by a lake. And payment is possible in Euros, Czech or Polish currency, which is handy.

There's an Endomondo track of my ride here, which should allow download of a GPX file for the GPS. Click the expand icon in the map to make it easier to see.

The rest of the photos can be seen here.

Arabba - Too Much Snow!!!

My 6th time to the Dolomites skiing, again for the annual snowHeads Birthday Bash pilgrimage, but this time for the 10th birthday! Time flies.

This time was complete carnage. Too much snow, on top of already big snow falls meant that the pass in to and out of Arabba was officially closed. Needed to use snow chains for the first time in several years. And approximately 80% of the people didn't even arrive in Arabba, so had to be put up in hotels in Alleghe and Caprile. Some made it through later in the week, but most didn't.

The first day was no skiing, so basically walking around the village taking photos of snow. Lots of it.

Day 2: No lifts running in Arabba, but they were elsewhere. Arabba really did get much more snow than other villages in the area. So those of us in Arabba made use of available cars, hotel minibus etc. and drove up to Passo Campolongo, where we could ski from. Was a relatively easy day over to San Cassiano and back, with lunch in Ütia Las Vegas. Knowing that we might get stuck on the wrong side of the pass, we had all packed overnight bags. We didn't expect we'd need them, but with avalanche level 5, at night, with that much snow that the sides of the road were collapsing in, there was no way the carabinieri would let us back to Arabba. Fortunately we'd arranged apartments right by the roadblock, that were owned by the hotel we were supposed to be staying in.

Day 3: Since we were at Passo Campolongo, we just skied out from there. Then after 2 pistes, got the call that there was to be a couple of escorted convoys thru the pass. We raced back, but missed the convoy. Alpine security let us and a couple of cars through, and a convoy came the other way, but the carabinieri at the bottom road block were not happy! Sod 'em. We were thru the pass, and they were hardly going to send us back!

Day 4: Finally, 1 lifts and 1 piste opened, but still not linked to Passo Campolongo. Only one thing for it... loop the Burz chairlift and piste back to Arabba all day. I managed 17 laps, but some managed more. Made good use of the new Burz rifugio, and a load of us trekked up the piste to Plan Boè for apres drinks.

Day 5: They finally managed to open enough lifts and pistes to link Arabba to the Sella Ronda, at least in the Corvara direction, although still closed in the Marmolada and Canazei directions. So 3 of us did half a Sella Ronda loop to Selva / Val Gardena, and returned the same way with a diversion in to the Edelweiss valley. It was there, just after getting off the gondola, that we witnessed an avalanche in real time. It was on the other side of the valley, but no danger to us although it looked like it was heading for a drag lift down in the valley we were about to ski in to.

Day 6: Last day. They finally managed to open the links in the Canazei direction. Marmolada still closed, and most of that shut for the season, after an avalanche took out 1 chairlift and 1 draglift. So we did a Sella Ronda clockwise, using the traditional easier route. The run down thru the trees to Selva / Val Gardena from Campitello side are actually pretty good.

All the photos can be found here.

Skiing in Zillertal

I often take a trip down after work on a Friday for a weekend skiing in the Zillertal. Usually that'd be Kaltenbach or Zell am Ziller (or a day in each), but this time I decided to ski a day in Mayrhofen for the first time in several years.

Snow was a bit iffy but still perfectly skiable. A little soft in the sunshine, but better up higher after going up 150er Tux cable car. Definitely want/need to return there when the snow is a bit better. Seems the Dolomites is getting dumped on this year, but it's not quite making it across the border!

On the Sunday, I did the Zillertal Arena, skiing from Zell am Ziller over to Gerlos, and then up to Königsleiten. I'd wanted to get a bit further, but decided to head back. Snow was better over there than Zell am Ziller, which was a bit scratchy. Definitely needed a good stance, and good edges.

Rest of the general 2013-2014 skiing pics are here.