Take a hat

Making our way back Christmas and New Year bring a temporary halt to Ski 'operations'. We do not drive all the way home of course. Our transport of choice could be classed as 'many and varied'. The day starts with the usual panicked departure from the Apartment. Our paying New Year guests will expect the place to be tidy and not littered with the debris created by our 17 day ski trip. Everything has to be Austria clean before we make for the bus, and the bus leaves just after 8am! Once out of the door its a 5 minute walk to the Bus Stop. Wolfgang was our driver for the 15 minute ride through town to the Train Station. After mutual wishing of 'Frohe Weihnachten' and Happy New Year we were last in the queue for the ticket machine. There is something about ticket machines that put people into a state of pure panic and confusion. Perhaps its the fact that people know there is a queue of punters behind them and that a train is due any moment. It is not really a

Checking out the slopes in Gastein Shadows lengthen in Bad Hofgastein Skiline - One day's fun in the sun and snow A week of sunny weather has meant we have had no excuse to take a crafty day off. An extra incentive to get out early, and stay out, is Skiline, a website that tracks every lift that you take and keeps a count of vertical metres. My average is about 10,000 metres a day which is higher than Everest and means I am currently 61st on the website. Sorry, have to go..... The Aeroplan comes into morning view - time to stop? Haitzingalm - Infinity Bar The Kleine Scharte view Meanwhile, the numbers of skiers on the slopes has started to increase and the week-enders have boosted numbers. There is a more urgency to the heavy clomp of ski boots climbing the steps when the local Austrian Saturday morning skiers make their way to the lift. Their approach is extremely purposeful. Certainly do not recommend getting in their way, even before they get on snow.

A Dream Start A Giant Leap - From the Stubnerkogel to Bad Hofgastein H4 to Bad Hofgastein A view to the Schlossalm and the Bad Hofgastein Ski Area Looking North in Gasteinertal On the Weitmoser sixer lift on December 3rd They brought forward the lift opening by one week to November 31st  to take advantage of this years early season snow. We had pre-booked to fly here on the 3rd December so we could only watch on the webcams as the first skiers headed off on the newly groomed pistes. Not sure I would have been fit enough anyway as a windy day tangle with a falling beech tree had left me a bit bruised. However, we were up on the Schlossalm on the 4th December to kick of our season with what they call over here a 'Traumtag' or Dream Day. We bumped into some familiar people, not literally, and it was great to be back on snow. Taking a breather on H1  Sunday Lunch View from the Aeroplan Ski Guides move off - its not always sunny here! New s

A seat with the choir - 26th October 2013 In the cheap seats again Royal Albert Hall in October TW likes to make sure we have the occasional dose of Culture, bit like the winter flu jab. Where better to go than the iconic Royal Albert Hall. It is only an hour in the car, parking is easy and it is a keenly priced £18 for a comfy seat. Very reasonable when you have a top Orchestra, The Royal Philharmonic, and 500 singers to entertain you for the evening. I felt a bit under-dressed when we arrived as the seats next to us were occupied by elegant Ladies in posh frocks. When TW pointed out they were the choir and were the hired help for the evening I felt a lot more comfortable. Sitting alongside the choir is actually not too bad, have just to remember not to stand up when they do. Hearing them sing is also not a problem. Take your seats The programme contained familiar tunes. The warm up was the William Tell Overture. He was a Swiss chap he used to sit an Apple on his son'

Wrapping up in October Life at the top of the Kleine Scharte With the lifts closing for the short break before the ski season starts in December we made the most of the Schlossalm. The next time we will be at the top we will be lumbered with all the ski paraphernalia and will be nervously, or excitedly, making the first turns. A walk down the mountain today is a stroll through the seasons. From a foot of snow on high to sunny pastures below. And then to the village with people sitting out at coffee shops enjoying the warm sun. Its a hard life in the Mountains in October. Footsteps in the snow - walking down in the sunshine Valley Panorama - on the snow line Sitting comfortably to view the valley Untere Haitzinglam - closed until next Summer A circular walk from home to Angertal and back Which way now? Crossing a stream in Autumn Autumn Colours in Bad Hofgastein  A view to the Hohe Tauern On the hill - making the most of the g

 Views from the bike in October 2013  Stunning views on the way to Schwarzach Schwarzach is out of the Gastein Valley on the Salzach River. It's an easy ride down the valley on the cycle path and then through the tunnels at the end. Once out of the valley its an undulating ride through woods and past farms to the small town of Schwarzach. Luckily it has a few Bakerei so it was no trouble to find coffee and a cake. The route home is a little steeper as Schwarzach sits at around 600m Altitude and Bad Hofgastein at 850m but it is still a pleasant ride with great views. Before the tunnels were built at the mouth of the Gastein Valley, in the early seventies, the road took a perilous route high up on the edge of the river gorge. The road is not passable today because of a massive rock fall but it's possible to take a look at the narrow and steep track. It's very good for encouraging vertigo and not much else. There is little chapel about half way, I imagine everyone got

A walk from Gruner Baum (1000m) to Bad Hofgastein (850m) via Poserhohe (1505m)  - 17th October 2013 A welcome sight, the flag is raised at Poserhohe - our lunch stop Poserhohe is not a Mountain Restaurant we visit very often but we do enjoy it when we make the effort. We had decided on one of the less arduous routes so, after a bus ride to Gruner Baum, we walked down towards the Hohenweg and followed the Yellow signpost off and up to the right. The route up is mainly in the forest and seems wild and remote. The walking path is fairly steep and winding and we alternated between this and a rough tractor trail that also zig-zagged up the mountain. Pretty sure I would not want to cycle or drive up, particularly as its currently crossed by fallen trees. It took us about 90 minutes to reach Poserhohe, our lunch stop. It is a lovely old place and it probably has some of the best views in the valley from its outside tables. The views from inside are not bad either. Panoramic Views on