Whar have we been up to?

Strange how when things are quiet, it's always more difficult to find time to update the blog? Must be a mindset I suppose. Anyway have decided that today is the day it gets to the top of the 'to-do' list, (one of those lists that never seems to get any shorter however many things you cross off!). Since John's last entry the ice climbing season has really got under way and the Eis Total festival 2010 was a very successful weekend. 160 people officially registered but many more came - there were cars parked up the mountain from all over Europe. Although we were full we did have time, once they had all left on the Sunday morning, to go up to the main practice area and take some photos as you can see. We plan to once again send a report to the UK climbing press asking why no British interest in this ever more popular event. Come on guys - what about 2011?

Now that the main event is over, there is a little more time for other things. There is a lot going on at the Gemeinde (council) at the moment. My friend Andrea and I went to a meeting last week to learn about a new community project for Malta called 'Dorf Service'. It's basically a self help approach to community issues and the meeting was led by a very professional community worker. Within minutes I felt on very familiar ground and the social worker in me was working overtime! I am hoping that some involvement in this project may well serve towards the training and development time I need to retain my registration next year - do the GSCC read German do you think?

We have also found time to follow up on a promise we made to the guys who provide the music for our coach tours and visit their home town,Tamsweg. Expecting a brief visit, we were astonished to be taken on a full scale tour of the area for 5 hours, lunch, coffee stops and finally cider punch and doughnuts all thrown in! They took us to some really lovely places - Preber Lake being one - as well as to their home village where the family had owned the inn on the erstwhile border between Salzburg (then Bavaria) and Austria. Fascinating historical insights! The fact that it has a steam railway as well was an added incentive and John also enjoyed the impromptu visit ot the brand new state of the art Fire Station (although we had to smile when we learned that the super duper computerised system for mapping calls transmitted route information to the fire engines by fax!)

We are currently working on our staffing for the summer and are looking for someone who fancies a summer in Austria working for bed, board and a pittance in exchange for a chance to improve their German and enjoy this wonderful area. Any offers?

In a couple of weeks we are making a flying visit back to the UK for my Mum's 80th birthday party - sadly it will mean missing the Fasching procession here this year but we know our friends at Soisses will be doing a live broadcast again which we will be able to watch. The back here for a few last minute skiers before retuning home for a few weeks to celebrate another birthday - one John is trying to ignore but can't! Hope to catch up with UK friends and contacts then!

No we have not gone into hibernation! Just been a bit busy and got out of the habit of updating this blog.

We had a bit of a quite patch after new year but this weekend is the Ice Climbing Festival here in Malta so the place is nearly full. The weather is perfect for such a crazy activity, that is bloody cold!

Today we had an unexpected invitation to go up to the Fredo Kordon Hutte (1700 m) and try the "taxi" service for tobogganing. We got a phone call early on an overcast afternoon-"the sun is shinning on Stubeck- do you want to try tobogganing?" Silly question, Ros would probably have preferred to stay in the warm but we had been invited and it would have been rude......

The drive up to the hutte was interesting, minus 4 in the valley, minus 10 when we got up there. Right from the start we were driving on compacted snow, if you haven't tried driving on winter tyres you would not imagine it possible. Almost takes the fun out of it The only " moment" was when we met people tobogganing down the road!

We had seen the "taxi" service advertised, seen the vehicle parked when we were last at the Hutte, but never seen it in action. A sort of giant tractor with the widest tracks I have ever seen. The deal is 3 Euros to hire a toboggan 5 Euros for the ride up, a bargain. All the toboggans are tied on behind the tractor, everybody climbs onto the back of the tractor and up the mountain you go. I should have got my camera out before we started as I needed both hands to hold on once we were underway. For the first few minutes we were in cloud and then suddenly in bright sunshine. A sky of the deepest blue and one of the most amazing views I have ever been lucky enough to see. A 360 degree panorama of snow capped mountians floating above the clouds. For once the words "awe inspiring" meant something, it was hard to take in the scale of the scene before us. I could have stayed there for hours but we had guests to feed that evening so we had to get back. Ros took the tractor back down and was offered a seat in the (warm) cab. I regressed to childhood and tried a toboggan. I think the last time was 1963! well ,we don't get much chance in the UK.

Despite no obvious means of steering let alone braking it was great fun. I only crashed twice before gaining some sort of control. To give you some idea of how long the run is it took me about 20 mins to get down and I nearly caught up with the tractor. Not wearing waterproof trousers was a mistake though, a wet behind and minus 10 is not a good combination. Next time I will be prepared and there will be a next time- soon.




John