Monday 21 February 2011

Overexerted Under the Sign of Virgo

We are back from a weekend in the mountains, the 2nd of 4 skimountaineering-courses. Everything went fine, no broken bones, lots of chill factor during the first, short tour and nice weather on the 2nd day.

Paula attempting ski-ikebana

Whilst others put on the fake-furs on the skis to walk up the hill, I decided to carry them on the back, the backbag is supposed to carry skis, somehow ...

My backbag contains 1 litre of tea, 1 hooded down gilet, 1 fleece pullover and lots of MARS-bars. After excessive cookie-baking and eating around Christmas, the mountains are the only place where I allow myself to eat chocolate. You need lots of energy when I walk up a mountain through the snow.

Later we all had our skis where they belonged, on our feet.
Before entering the spruce forest.

Half an hour later we reached the larch forest. We learned how to chose the right track on a mountain.
You can tell by the way the trees grow, Mr Paula did not turn the camera in order to make this hill look steep. This hill was steep.

The larch forest was way more comfortable than the spruce forst, less branches on eye-level. We knew we would ski down the mountain we climbed. In the end I channeled my cat-me and looked down the steep hill, not really daring to go down. I can sooooo understand all the cats meowing on any roof/tree/...

In the end we made it down, and I forced Mr Paula to take this photo, so I could show you where we went down. I wish we would have chosen the lighter part in the centre of the photo, the part that ressembles a slope. But we did not. Because we were trained how to avoid expositions where avalanches might come down.

Back home, sitting on the couch I needed to talk it over, why I felt so overexerted. Mr Paula mainly saw the up-side: we made it, and yes, I can make it. No, he did not have fun, downhill in the forest but he was glad we got the chance to exercise this part of skimountaineering.

Imagine yourself going Schuss through this forst!

I still felt overexerted. Mainly because I lost controll once over my skis and went "Schuss", something that I consider an abolute No-No, to lose controll over your skis at any time. Moon under the sign of Virgo(control, safety) is probably not the perfect day to enjoy risc and fun because that's when I end up picturing some scenarios including me, trees and some blood.

All photos: Mr Paula

9 comments:

  1. Fantastic photos, Paula!

    It's storming and about 32 degrees in Brisbane, so I am quite jealous!

    Glad to hear no broken bones, have you ever broken anything skiing??

    xx

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  2. 32° - perfect temperatures for the beach but then again the storm ... probably you experience not the best summer. I am glad Mr Paula documented the day, so I could concentrate on my steps. Luckily I never broke a bone, only hurted my ankle on my way to school, at the boardwalk! 6 week plaster.

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  3. Oh the forest looks beautiful.
    Glad you liked my kugelhopf, that's the first time I've made one and it looked so perfect and it was so tasty. I love copper cake tins.

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  4. Jealous, jealous, jealous.
    For scenery, for skiing,for shussing,just for the activity.
    I got wheelchair ride over to the MRI machine today - big deal I know, but some of us have got to have all the fun.
    Lou

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  5. Mit dem Jungfrau-Mond könntest Du recht haben...
    was bist Du nur für eine Sportskanone! :)
    So was ist ganz schön anstrengend und braucht echt eine gute Kondition...Respekt,Paula!
    Mich müsste man beim dritten Bild schon in der Wildnis zurücklassen...
    Fische Montagsmorgengrüße, Beate

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  6. Looks so beautiful, Mr Paula is a good photographer. The slope of that mountain would've scared me away!

    Seeing these pictures really makes me want to visit Austria, but maybe in the summer. I'm not a fan of the cold.

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  7. wow paula. that is not easy - whether your are using skins on your skis to go uphill or backpacking them. i'm v impressed. way to go girl!

    xo
    janet

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  8. Tabitha, I get the feeling, that recipes turn out much better abroad than in their home-country (japanese bakeries make wonderful danish pastry)

    Louise, I hope they did not force you to drink contrasting liquid? You must have enough strange substances in your blood already! No need to be jealous for my last weekend. Any other weekend yes, but this was really too much! (also see my answer to janet below)

    Beate, ach, hätte man mich nur in der Wildnis zurückgelassen. Dort war's wenigstens gemütlich warm, +1°C, perfekt für Schneehühner und Birkhendl in der Schneehöhle. Aber hier, in Wien, seit Montag -8 bis -10°C und kalter Nordwind. Herr Paula war verblüfft, dass er gestern ohne Probleme zur U-Bahn gelaufen ist, ja, die Kondition wird aufpoliert. Nur mein Mumm, der bleibt weiterhin ein bisserl verzagt.

    Jen, don't visit Austria during winter months! Not only do we wear boring winter coats, not very exciting but it is way too cold outside. Those poor tourists, walking through the City ...
    In the country side it really but only when you exercise. As soon as you slow down, it becomes "insupportable".
    I had fun, when I asked Mr Paula to capture this mountain top and that part of the slope ... (I had this posting on my mind when he took the 2 photos after we left the forst), I wanted to show you the "crazy forst" we conquered

    janet, I have been thinking about your video when you had a great time on the slope. I ended having 2 migraines within 72 hours, that is unusual. The exercise itself was fine, fun and actually quite re-energizing. But I this challange, going down the tree-slalom-slope ... no fun! Also the pressure of the group - I don't function too well as part of a group. Even when there is no real pressure, I sense it. It is difficult for me to change my beat. I want to drink when I am thirsty. Not sooner, not later. Overall this course IS a great experience but in the end it is all a bit too much for me. Call me Paula, the queen of dilly-dally. Paula with a P like in "p"ause :-)

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  9. You have become quite the intrepid exerciser!

    Alas, you aren't rubbing off enough on me. Nevertheless, I thank you and the Mister for the gorgeous photos, and you for the entertaining account!

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