The Autobahn

So the German autobahn is not the ideal road to find yourself stranded on with the cars and lorries hurtling past at unknown speeds.  However, Ivan threw a paddy when we left Stuttgart and decided we should visit the hard shoulder for most of the evening. Having left Stuttgart on a complete high and totally relaxed, we popped in to pick up some shopping, and to buy copious amounts of recommended beers. So fed and stocked up we began a 3 ½ hour journey to Frankenjura. We predicted we would make it at half 6 at the latest, with a rest stop half way for a snack and a widdle. About an hour into the journey we were pottering along the autobahn at our usual 60 mile an hour pace (slow and steady wins the race) whilst chatting to Paul I was concentrating on taking a cool pic of the setting sun through the wing mirror…

Autumn Colours

When Switzerland skipped Autumn and went straight to Winter, we didn’t expect to find the vivid colours of Autumn just across the border in Germany. We only explored a small part of Southern Germany, rich with forests, quaint little villages and rolling meadows. Our first stop was the Black Forest, we hopped between villages and enjoyed a few walks, some cake, and a browse round a picturesque town, here are some of the highlights..

Triberg and its crazy cuckoo clocks, every clock was hand carved with fantastic detail, but i think we nearly choked when we read a price tag that said 11,000 euros!  Triberg also had Germany’s largest waterfall, and for an extra euro you can purchase monkey nuts to feed the squirrels. Only we couldn’t find any squirrels to feed (probably the rains fault), but for most of our walk you could see and hear these very noisy black birds. Turning to Paul i was asking “do you think this bird will want the nut?” Paul only got the words “I doubt” out before the bird swooped down and nearly took my fingers with it! Turns out these birds are nutcracker birds, and it didn’t take long until they had demolished my little bag of nuts.

Cuckoo Clock Crazy

Cuckoo Clock Crazy

Largest German Waterfall, Triberg

Largest German Waterfall, Triberg

Largest German Waterfall, Triberg

Feeding the Nutcracker Birds… by accident!

Oi thats for the squirrels

Black Forest in colour

 

Seriously Switzerland!

This is our second attempt to climb in Chironico and Cresciano this trip. First time = +30 degrees with insect infestations (rookie error, arriving in summer), second time = -4 degrees with wet slushy snow!

But the weather has been impromptu, and we are slightly frustrated with our lack of climbing, the last couple of weeks has been littered with thunder storms, extensive rain during the night, and when you wake in the morning the rain has turned to snow and we are sat in a beautifully cold and wet winter wonderland… beautiful but not ideal for climbing.

Our Brief Stay in Austria

Paul recently wrote a blog post regarding Austria, it can be found on his blog Paultheclimber titled “And So we Venture to Austria” and is a very good read, if you havn’t already read it 🙂 it detailed his climbing success in Silver Park (Silvretta) and the dismal weather in Zillertal hence our very brief stay in Austria.

I therefore don’t want to repeat him too badly so prepare yourselves for lots of photographs….

Austria

The Cloud Line in Silvretta

Recent Road Trip Highlights…

Just some stuff thats really made us smile recently ….

Van Pie – We were having pie withdrawls

Mad Austrian Internet Mushrooms

Aufwiedersehen Switzerland

Climbing in the Snow Gottardo

We have spent over a month now in Magic wood, and we quickly slipped into a lazy routine. Up at mid-day, a bit a sunbathing, wash/swim in the river then climb till dark. Perfect and I think this is the cleanest I have been for the whole trip so far. We have had some brilliant laughs, our friends Mauritz and Matthew kept us entertained for hours with their minstrel sized guitar and hilarious on the spot motivation songs about climbs. There is nothing as funny as climbing a problem with Mauritz providing a live backing track and singing about your effort. However, our musical inspiration has left for home now and we have spent the last week trying to wrap up all our outstanding projects (with little success) it’s too difficult to avoid getting distracted by other climbs. In the last week we also had a lovely treat in the form of a couple of mates popping out to see us; they arrived bearing most of ASDA as a care package, courtesy of the mother ship.

Party Italian Style

Bagni di Masino

I can do a pull up! Only one though so I can’t get too excited yet; I have become so obsessed with trying that I stop at every overhanging ledge to practice, I must look ridiculous to passers-by.

Val Masino Round Two

Veiw from the Van

After chilling out in Ceriola (mainly in the rain) we sadly ended our two week road trip with the Sinclairs and they returned to ‘sunny’ England. The day they left we also left Ceriola and returned to Val Masino for round two of granite climbing in the beautiful valley…. or as it turns out the wet valley.

The first 8 or 9 days in the valley we became hermits hiding from the torrential rain in Ivan and constantly checking forecasts for a dryer hotter place to be, but the weather seemed dull everywhere so we stuck it out. Eventually the weather started to ease and we jumped on the first chance to climb for half an hour before the rain started again.

Gap in the Rain.

Donkey Spotter

Font

Onwards to Font, full of excitement there has been much talk of squeezing in a climb. However, the weather has other plans, rain, rain and some more rain. On arrival we stayed in a little car park in Milly La Foret. We nervously tried to pull Ivan into a parking spot, negotiating a maze of trees; he hit his head and got stuck on some branches. Eventually we attracted the attention of a police officer; she caught us just in time we were completely wedged and about to scrape Ivan’s full length against a sneaky tree. With all three of us negotiating the trees we finally got him parked.

The Big Day

We are finaly ready for the off, we woke up really early and the time seemed to slip away, we only booked the ferry crossing after midnight on the 31^st, as we had no idea if we would be ready in time.

When I was packing the van one of the LED strip lights down the side of the van went out completely, GUTTED! And it felt like a lifetime before Paul and Eric had it fixed again. Once the lights were fixed the water pump would no longer work, seriously not our day!

Loved seeing all our friends and family before we left, good craic as always, however because of our hiccups and extended goodbyes, we almost missed the ferry in true Paul and Kay fashion. But we are now parked in Calais about to spend our first night in the van …