Mountain Marathoning in Lichtenstein

June 6, 2009 - Lichtenstein - LGT Alpin Marathon

1800M elevation gain and 42KM: Trail Running

The LGT Alpin Marathon is held on a beautiful and sometimes brutally challenging course in the tiny and scenic country of Lichtenstein. This wealthy nation is nestled between Switzerland and Austria and contains some stunning alpine terrain, breathtaking views, super nice people, and even a handful of interesting castles to catch the eye. This race takes the standard marathon distance of 42KM(26 miles) and sends most of it uphill. Only the first 10km is comfy and flat - the rest tackles the mountainous terrain that's home to the beauty of Lichtenstein.

We weren't so lucky with the weather gods this year as the race turned into a real soak-fest! The rain never seemed to stop and it got colder as we climbed and the day progressed. I feel for the people who didn't bring a shell or hat. Even with my shell and gloves on, I was soaked and shivering by the time I crossed the finish.

The race opened with a nice and easy flat 10K and then the first big climb (10km itself), which was sometimes runnable but often so steep that walking was in order for all but the elite. I ran the first 10k at an easy pace and just enjoyed the view of the Rhine. Once we started heading up the mountain, I ran until my heart rate was too high (in the 170s) and then switched to a power walk. The rain was at its heaviest at this point, so I just smiled at the appeal of running a marathon up hill in a cold rain and powered on, alternating beween running and walked. Before too long (well, about an hour of climbing), we crossed over a mountain and entered a quick and muddy descent down to Steg to close out the 1/2 marathon section. I love running fast down hills, so I opened it up on the descent, leaping over small stream crossings and smacking my shoes straight into and through endless goopy mud puddles. As I finished out a rippin' descent into Steg, I had it in my mind that the bulk of the climbing was in the bag by this point -- which I later learned is entirely the wrong thing to have in your mind when you reach the half way point in Steg!

The photo below shows the border in yellow. Austria is to the left, Switzerland to the right/bottom. Licthenstein lies in between (and is nearly covered by the race course!).

From Steg (center-right in the photo below), it's a long, long climb (partly runnable with some rolling sections early on) toward the ski town of Malbun. This part of the course is very scenic (especially, I can imagine, when the weather is clear!). The views open up quite nicely as you wind your way around the mountain, into the forest, and then back out for the final upward march of this section. There are some very steep bits, especially the end push to the pass that overlooks Malbun (top of photo just left of center). 30km+ into the race -- this climb hurts and seems to never end. The higher we climbed, the less runnable parts I could find, so I resorted to as fast a hiking pace as I could muster. I really had to deep dig in this section to keep the pace going.


After topping out on the 2nd big climb of the day, the reward is a great view and the feeling that this is the home stretch -- you can see Malbun and soon even hear the Finish Line announcer. This is a cruel joke though. After descending to the edge of town (and I again ran the descent very hard as I raced to the joy, dryness, and warmth of the finish line), you climb back up again high above Malbun and take on a 5km tour of the town that packs a huge punch in tired legs that were expecting an easy push down (and only down!) to the Finish Line. Halfway through this tour, you drop back down toward Malbun and climb up again (toward the top of the Malbun ski lifts).

Finally the climbing ends and you have a rippin' descent to the Finish Line. Good SWAG at the finish (nice technical shirt plus a nice Swarovski wine bottle stopper). Even with my dry post-race clothes on, it took me half an hour to stop shivering. I saw people being treated for hypothermia -- which reinforces the need to take mountain weather seriously.

With the big day of rain, we made countless crossings of small streams and splashed through endless mud. It was a cold, wet, and dirty day of racing and a hell of a great day in the mountains!

I'm looking forward to next year's race, when the weather will hopefully cooperate! Next up, the Graubünden Marathon -- which I just noticed has nearly 900 additional meters of elevation gain over the LGT. Doh!

Making people smile: Running the Zürich Marathon with an Alphorn

Race Date: April 26, 2009
Road Marathon ... and Smile Day
A new Swiss tunnel has opened this year and it goes right under one of my favorite local mountains for biking and running, the Üetliberg. As a part of the tunnel opening ceremony, this year's Zurich Marathon started with a little underground jaunt. Once I heard about this I thought, hey -- I've never ran a marathon that starts with nearly 10KM of tunnel running, so why not give it a go? I signed up several months ago and at Becky's urging finally did a couple long runs to prep for the race. I've been in ski mode since November and aside from the Ötzi race have only been maintenance running since my last ultra toward the end of summer. The couple of long training runs I did for the Zurich Marathon went just fine -- which made me happy because it took several months for my ligament tear from an October running injury to heal. I've done lots of road marathons and really favor trail races now, so I decided that instead of running Zurich for a fast time, I'd run it to entertain people -- with a singular mission: make as many people smile as possible.

I also wanted to pay tribute to the Swiss for having such a wonderful country and allowing me the privilege of living in it. So, in Jeff-land, this all translated into me running the marathon while carrying a 3-meter long alphorn -- and not just running with it -- but playing mini-concerts for people along the way.

To make things interesting, I decided also run from home to the race start and another hour back home after the race -- for a nice 60km+ day of running. I arrived at the race start happy to be warmed up after an hour of running and bumped into an English mate, Mike, who was running the marathon dressed as the Pink Panther. Mike and I were apparently the only people stepping outside the box into creative/wacky-land as everyone else looked the part of serious runner. It's fun to shake things up. On the way to the race start I found a hill to play on and started what would be an endless series of mini-concerts. Every time the alphorn was spotted, people smiled and cheered -- awesome, it's working.

I fired up the crowd with mini concerts at the tunnel entrance and exits, in the tunnel, and for 4 1/2 hours along the race course. Highlights included passing the various musicians performing for the marathon (there's a great common brotherhood that works quite well only on the connection of music), playing a bit for a quartet of alphorn players performing for the race, and seeing the great reactions of the young and old when I would stop to play for them.

As for running with such an instrument, while it looks super heavy, it weighs only 1kg (2.2 pounds), so the weight wasn't much of a problem. Although, a few hours in and I could definitely feel it! My biggest concern was that I didn't hit anyone!

By the way, I've had this wonderful instrument for a year now and have run, biked, and hiked with it all over Switzerland. A carbon fiber alphorn is a great idea and is custom-made by a very interesting and entertaining gentleman in western (French-Speaking) Switzerland, (Roger Zanetti).My good friend Kate showed up on a bike to cheer and motivate me on a later section of the race, prompting a great observation from another friend's parent (who didn't know me): "I saw some poor chap running with an alphorn while some girl on a bike yelled at him." Ah, perfect -- that's about it -- her "yelling" was very helpful though, because whenever the crowds thinned out I would lose an audience to bring to smiles and my energy would begin to fade.

I had lots of conversations in Swiss German throughout the race -- well, semi-conversations, especially after I learned all the standard questions and practiced my responses in my broken Swiss dialect. People were always quite a bit shocked that I was 1) not Swiss 2) an American, and 3) can actually play the alphorn. They always smiled when we talked and that rocked.

It was a real joy on the finishing straight -- I stopped and played for the large crowd and then crossed the finish line with the alphorn high in the air (a celebration of Switzerland and this great mountain musical instrument, not me). A volunteer at the finish asked me to play for her before she'd give me water -- which I did of course -- and then I walked to cool down playing for people along the lake. One woman was insistent on paying me -- after refusing several times, I finally accepted the money when her gent suggested that it was to buy me a beer. Playing alphorn for a post-race beer -- well, ok.

After enjoying some post-race time with my friends, I got back on my feet and ran another hour home -- with the alphorn on my shoulder the whole time -- getting waves, honks, and smiles from passerbys. Yes, smiles -- it was free to give them and I got such warmth back in return. What a brilliant day!

p.s. Thanks for the photos Howard Brundrett (2nd, 6th, and last from the top)!

Ötzi Alpine Marathon

April 18, 2009 - South Tirol (Naturno, Italy) - Ötzi Alpine Marathon

42km & 3200M elevation gain: Mountain Biking, Trail Running, and Ski Mountaineering Race


I can clearly blame (or credit) Becky on this one as a couple months ago she sent me a link for a video of an alpine triathlon that she thought would be a perfect fit for capturing my imagination and creating yet another mini-obsession. Late one evening I decided to check out the video -- which went something like this ... starts with mountain bike racers (in what looks like the middle of summer) racing away from a picturesque village surrounded by vineyards, cycling up a mountain, shouldering their bikes in a steep technical section, and then racing into another village. Cool -- looks like a fun bike race -- but next you see them trail running up a gorgeous valley, around a lake, and up, up, up. Wow, great duathlon in a mountain setting. That's not all though. Next -- in one of the oddest triathlon transitions I've ever seen -- they run into the second transition zone and trade the trail running shoes for ski boots and Randonee (touring) skis. Next shot has them skiing uphill still wearing summer bike clothes -- now in a full-on winter setting right up to the top of a glacier. 10 seconds into the video and I was already hooked -- once I saw them ski racing up a mountain in bike clothes, I was as good as in South Tirol already.

Becky got in on the action too, quickly forming Team Abenteur (German for 'Adventure') with our friends Kate and Kat, while I decided that I wouldn't let a lack of specific training get in the way of going for the solo category. I managed to squeeze in a few ski tours to prep for the ski part, including my most awesome Swiss April Sunday training day ever (road cycling in the morning, kayaking over lunch, running, and then skiing up and down a mountain at sunset). We dusted our bikes off in early April and did a few rides to start the transition from ski season to bike season fitness. Breaking all the rules, I also switched equipment the day before the race as I decided to buy some used ski mountaineering racing skis as I was panicking a bit from checking out the photo gallery from last year's race and seeing everybody in super light race kit! I would be racing on these skis before ever trying them out - cool!

We enjoyed a very scenic 4 hour drive through the Engadine into Italy, passing Stelvio Pass (one of our favorite road bike climbs) and finally arriving in Naturno to find our hotel in the middle of a vineryard in full bloom. Just stunning.


The race briefing was in German and Italian (reminds me of the Blues Brothers line "we got both kinds -- country ... and western", so we caught only bits and pieces here and there, but missed the important stuff like "how do Jeff's skis make it to the start of the ski section and how do the relay members make it up the mountain?". We sorted this out in a mix of English and German with the race organizers after the meeting and enjoyed a free pre-race buffet of -- get this, and I'm not kidding -- local cheeses, sausage, a delicious soup, fruits and red wine. Ah -- racing in Italy -- gotta love it. No paper plates collapsing under the weight of a blob of spaghetti and adorned with stale bread, but nice cheeses, fruits, and endless bottles of wine. And yes, it was only after filling up on cheese, soup, and sausage and a few glasses of wine that I somehow still craved (and ate) a whole pizza with the girls at a local pizzeria and then (and only then) thought that I should take pre-race nutrition more seriously!

By the way, the race organizers were quite surprised to see our group representing the U.S. and U.K. in a race dominated by (well, pretty much solely attended by) Italians, Germans, Austrians, and Swiss.

Morning arrived and I managed to successfully drop off my ski and running gear at what I hoped was the place where it would all get transported for me. I did a little bike warm-up trying to shake off the nerves and settle a stomach that was quite unhappy with the previous evening's gorge-fest. I know better -- I really do -- or I should.

We were racing by 9AM -- during a lap through the village I got my legs spinning, felt ok, and decided to move up through the pack. At 9:05 I was nearly in the lead pack as we approached the start line again and then STOPPED. A full-on STOP. I looked around and quickly noticed that I was the only one surprised that we were coming to a complete stop five minutes into a race.


Ah, the joys of language and me not knowing enough of the one in the part of world I'm living -- apparently this was a warm-up lap. That five minute speech before the warm-up lap (in both German and Italian) probably went something like this: "alright folks, we're gonna do the warm-up lap that you all know about because you've done this before and know what you're doing, but see that poor chap with the stupid grin over there. You know, the one who laughs when we all do but doesn't have a clue why he's laughing or what we're saying. Wait, everyone laugh on 3. 1-2-3 ... ok, now you see him. So that guy will think we're racing during the warm-up lap, so let him pass you, it'll really boost his confidence which we'll later tear apart, and then watch his face when we all get back to the starting line and stop to await the real start."

I grin and bear it and start the 2nd time hoping that this is the real start and not another warm-up/laugh-at-Jeff lap. We skip the village tour part this time and head straight UP (within 2 minutes). Now that I've positioned myself in the front during the warm-up lap, I'm quickly passed by ... well seemingly everyone .. on the climb. I'm stunned at how fast these guys and gals are climbing right from the start -- well, the 2nd start. I also notice that most of them switched out normal mountain bike tires for narrow slicks or semi-slicks and most were on hard-tails, not full suspension rigs (like I was). Now I know -- and yes, I am blatantly throwing excuses out before I even finish telling the story! Anyway, we climb and climb for over an hour - the views rocked. This is wine country and the vines were all in full bloom. It was also a very hot climb -- felt like mid-summer.
I climbed my heart out, redlining the whole way and wishing I had actually trained on the bike for this race (as I knew I was near the back of the pack). The scenery couldn't be beat though.

I kept thinking "my god there are super fit people doing this race." The climb transitioned into a single-track section that involved carrying the bike up some non-rideable sections.

After the single-track, I tried to gain some time by pushing it on the descent, but suffered again on the last long climb to the first transition area.

After a tough 2 hours on the bike I wheeled into the transition zone (right past a cool bell tower) and was happy to hear Kat's cheers as she waited for Becky to hand off the baton in the relay. I managed a quick transition and ran off toward a steep slope to start the run segment.

During the run I was passed by the lead runners in the relay division. The relay teams started an hour behind the soloists and I was floored by how fast the lead runners blew past me. To my defense though, these guys just had to run 12KM and they were done for the day. I had to do the run and still ski up a mountain that looked really far away from the run start.

Aside from a really annoying quad cramp, the run felt fine and at just over an hour, wasn't a big deal. I did have to walk the steep parts though and definitely didn't feel like I had my summer legs. Before long I was running into T2 and searching for my skis. It was a very odd feeling to run out of that transition area in ski boots and biking clothes! I relaxed a bit when my never-tested new skis grabbed into the snow and climbed just fine. The ski course covered 10KM and 1200 meters (3700 feet) of elevation. I was again stunned at how fast so many people were skiing -- especially the relay skiers who zoomed past me like I had my skis on backwards! (come to think of it, maybe I did!).

I did perk up when one of the fast relay guys noticed I was a soloist (and suffering a bit) and said "bravissimo". Hearing the athlete-to-athlete motivation in a mix of languages is one of the wonderful things about living and racing in Europe. This and some other camaraderie banter fed me energy to keep sliding one ski boot in front of the other -- up, up, up.

It was quite a sight to see recreational downhill skiers and boarders zooming down the mountain beside the race course wearing their full winter gear. They stared at us like we were aliens -- cold aliens in funny clothes who didn't quite have the direction of travel on a ski slope figured out.

The higher on the mountain I climbed, the worst the weather got. What started as a sunny day turned into a foggy, snowy mist toward the top. Plus, I could feel the altitude (3000+ meters/9800+feet) making me light-headed and a dull headache. The photographer had camped out on a particularly steep and narrow section near the top. It was so steep that I could barely get my skis to stick. I had to take tiny steps, else I would slide backwards. It was grueling, but an awesome challenge at the same time. I started to get cold and snow was sticking to my arms, but soon I heard the finish line announcer. I pushed on and finally sighted the finish line. I vaguely remember them announcing my arrival in Italian. I saw Becky and Kat and felt a surge of energy that drove me to my first sprint finish on skis. I crossed the finish line and fell to my knees in exhaustion and an emotional release. 5 1/2 hours of hard effort -- in stunningly beautiful mountains -- both of which enrich my soul. Someone threw a blanket on me -- I looked up and saw smiles from Becky and Kat.

I grabbed a shower at the mountaintop hotel where the race finished and made it back outside (this time in proper winter clothes) just in time to cheer Kate on as she finished Team Abenteur's final leg of the relay. The girls did great and had a wonderful time taking on the profi Italians and Austrians. We caught the cable car down to a rockin' post-race party, enjoyed some food, and then drove back down the valley to warmth and a treat of gelado in Naturno.

The race was a super experience -- a perfect event for a multi-sport mountain lover. Now that I've tasted it, I can't wait to go back next year with some proper training under my belt and give it a go again. This time though, I know the trick about the warm-up lap and will be on the lookout for a fellow English speaker to give me some laughs this time!

Thanks for reading!

Jeff

Wrapping up a great year...

After an incredibly fun summer full of exploring all over Switzerland and northern Italy with visitors, it was time to take a break and have some "us" time, so on a beautiful weekend in October we took our first backpacking trip since we've been living in Europe.
The good thing about backpacking in Switzerland is you can pretty much guarantee you'll be alone once the sun starts going down, since the locals tend to not sleep outside (which I must admit is understandable since there are so many charming little hotels and guesthouses all around).
But to us nothing can beat having our little tent perched on the side of a hill with a gorgeous view and surrounded by nothing but nature. We enjoyed some wine-from-a-box (easier to carry in the backpack) in our REI Lexan wine glasses as we watched the moon rise over the mountain. Dinner was Raclette on our new candle-lit Swiss set. What a great evening in the backcountry!
Soon thereafter we travelled back to the U.S. for a visit - I (Buggie) went a little early and as luck would have it I got the chance to fit in a visit to our good Swiss friend there. Of course it was a very active visit including a cycling event through the horse country south of Gainesville. I brought the Alphorn from Switzerland and we used it to help cheer on other riders while taking a break...
I had no idea how beautiful the area near Gainesville is, especially with the moss hanging from the trees...and there actually were some hills there too - a nice surprise!
It was really great to see her and experience a small part of her new life there. We really miss you Martina! But we are happy that you are in such a good PhD program and look forward to your return to Switzerland when you're finished!

Next stop was the beautiful hills of north Georgia. I wonder if this is the first time a Swiss Alphorn has been heard here...
I always enjoy visiting my parents and their place in the mountains there. The house may be old and just has a few rooms, but it is very cozy. I think this sign says it all...
It was a very nice time together. That weekend, Gustav and I were lucky that a few friends could join us in the mountains for a bike ride...
Actually it was not just any bike ride -- It was the Fourth (almost-)Annual Gaptoberfest! That is: Biking in the Gaps + Oktoberfest in Helen = Great times with great friends :-)

After biking up and down a few of Georgia's famous hills (including our fave, Hawgpain!), we used up any breath we had leftover to share some of the sounds of the Swiss Alps with the Oktoberfest'ers...in the appropriate plaza no less...

It was a really fun time and I hope we can continue to keep the tradition of Gaptoberfest going on every year, as long as we all can continue to ride bikes (which will be forever as long as we can help it!).

Moving on... Every visit to the U.S. tends to include some shopping since you just can't get some "important" items in Switzerland (now you all know what to bring me next time you visit!):
We visited Sam's Club since Mom has a membership, and couldn't get over how huge the store is (you could fit about a thousand European stores in it). The aisles were wide, the selection was overwhelmingly vast... Even the playing cards were oversized!
So to keep the theme we did some post-shopping refreshing with some over-sized beverages :)
The next day was Halloween, which we couldn't wait to share with Gustav's sis and our neice and nephew. Plus it means getting dressed up and forcing strangers to give you candy - so much fun! (the Europeans don't know what they're missing)
As always we really enjoyed seeing everyone and getting to spend some time together. That includes our "furry child"- You'd never guess she is over 15 years old from this picture would you? Playing on the rocks by the river...
There just never seems to be enough time to do everything we want during our visits, but still we enjoyed the time that we did have with you all, and we're glad we can all stay in touch at least "virtually" when we're not in the same country.

Soon after we got back to Zurich, lots of "white stuff" started falling from the sky, and overnight it transformed the area into a winter wonderland... So our friend who is from northern Canada showed me the proper way to make a snowman (we didn't get quite so many chances to practice while growing up in TN!)...
Gustav and I decided at the last minute to take a long weekend trip to Vienna, to take advantage of the fact that we can do just that! It was our first experience on an overnight train, which was great (although a bit cramped!). We really enjoyed checking out the city and its incredibly beautiful buildings, as well as a couple friends we know living there. It was great timing with all the Christmas markets and decorations all around the city, really festive...
When we got back to Zurich it was holiday party time, and we hosted a few of those ourselves, including some Christmas caroling as well as some jazz improv by Jeff and one of the younger guests...
Soon thereafter we got hit by even MORE of that white stuff! It's so different from last year when it didn't snow here all winter (until once in March)...
The good thing was that the white stuff fell in the mountains to, so that meant one thing - It's time to SKI!! So our first day out on the sl0pes was with our good friend from Colorado...
One thing we still can't get over is how people here seem to really appreciate having a good meal. Even if you're at a tiny eatery on the ski slope, they still make your lunch special...
This lunch above is Alpen Macaroni, served with apple sauce, mmm-mmmmm. And topped off with a Carlsberg beer - Their advertising slogan always cracks us up: "Probably the best beer in the world" (well if they're not totally sure, at least they're honest about it!)

Suddenly Christmastime was upon us... We were lucky enough to receive an invitation from our Swiss friend to join her and her parents at their mountain chalet for the holiday. This was our first chance to experience a true Swiss Christmas! We had always heard about how real candles are lit on the Christmas tree, but it was even more amazing to experience it in person...
It was a really special time with our Swiss family who has "adopted" us. We all celebrated on Christmas Eve together with some Fondue Chinoise, which involves cooking your own thinly sliced meats in a buillion, and is the traditional Swiss meal for Christmas Eve.

After the Fondue, the Christmas gifts are opened (on Christmas Eve - typically a single gift per person, usually something hand-made, and specially wrapped with lots of care), then a story is read, sometimes songs are sung around the tree (as you make sure no needles are burning from the candles on it!), and then we all walk through the snow to the village church for the service that ends right at midnight. Christmas Day is then usually spent out in the snow and sunshine, walking or skiing with the family.

The view from the chalet is difficult to describe in words, it's so beautiful...
Thank you so much, unsere Schweizer Mami und Papi, for sharing your holiday time and traditions with us!!
After Christmas we met up with our "Abenteuer" (adventure) friends to do some more ski-touring (better described in our opinion as "ski mountaineering", since after all it usually involves climbing to the top of a mountain, or sometimes more than one, and often has its epic nail-biting moments!). This trip ended up being a great adventure without any problems (nor any helicopter rescues).
We took advantage of the extra holidays to do some version of skiing every day -- ski-touring, skate-skiing, alpine skiing... No matter what the activity, it is always worth travelling the 45 minutes or so from Zurich to the mountains to enjoy the wunderschön views and sunshine...
We especially appreciate the sunshine since it tends to be very foggy in Zurich this time of year. Just another reason to get out and enjoy the beautiful mountains...

It has been a great year. We really enjoyed getting to share some of our life in Switzerland with you, either in person for those of you who came to visit, or at least on here "virtually".

We hope you all had a good year as well, and we wish you all a very
Happy and Healthy New Year!!!


Cheers,
Buggie and Gustav

Oktoberfest!

To top off all the biking and hill-climbing we'd done over the previous two weeks with our friends visiting from Colorado, not to mention replace all the calories and "re-hydrate" ourselves, it was time to head to Munich for the annual Oktoberfest. Our friend Thomas, also from Colorado but now living in Zurich too, joined us as well.

The festive mood started right away when we arrived at the hotel and were offered Bavarian pretzels, mmmm....
We took the subway right from our hotel to Marienplatz, in the main part of Munich. It was a gorgeous blue-sky day...
Since it was such a clear day, we decided to take in some views from a higher point - at the top of a tower in one of the churches... 350 stairs - up, uP, UP - climb, climb, climb! We're never done with climbing!
After we survived the crowded viewing tower, we headed on to the even more crowded Oktoberfest grounds. I couldn't believe how many people were walking around outside, it was jam-packed...
We checked out a few of the tents just to see what it's all about. Those tents are HUGE, and quite festive, with live music, and some have people dancing on tables (already, and it's only noon!).
We escaped back out into the sunshine - It was such a beautiful day to be outside. Plus it was entertaining to see all the different things people wear to this...

Finally we decided we had been at Oktoberfest way too long without having any beer - That's what it's all about after all, right? So we snagged a table for 6 outside and enjoyed our first round. They sell nothing smaller than a liter (called a Mass), so hope you're thirsty...Prost!!

These liters are tough to hold up with one hand, they're so heavy, especially when full. While we struggled holding up our one, we were even more impressed by the beer-server ladies who carry 3-5 in each hand...As it got dark we ventured on, and happened upon Paula's own beer...

One great thing about Oktoberfest is everyone is so friendly - You can become instant friends with strangers. People will just sit down beside you and start talking and laughing right along with you, like this lady did with us...
And before you know it you're all standing on the tables singing old German folk songs together :)
Next the silly hats came out...
At one point they took a break from the ooom-pah music to play some swing music, so we took advantage of the chance to try a little dancing...

With all that beer around (not to mention glühwein), I still had my trusty "climb climb climb" bike water bottle with me at all times (yes with water in it!)... Cheers!

What a fun day with great friends. And a great way to top off their visit here.
Y'all come back anytime!
Prost!
Becky

Italian Adventure - "Not for Girls"

To make sure our friends visiting from Colorado remained "happy campers", we decided to pick up and move camp down to Italy for a few days with hopes of some sunshine and warmer temperatures... and luckily we got just that! We headed toward Lake Como, with destination Bellagio - No, not Las Vegas, and no dancing fountains here, just some beautiful old Italian buildings overlooking the lake and the mountains beyond, which were calling our name...
As always in Italy, the drive to get there was pretty crazy. At times it didn't seem like we could all fit on the tiny road at the same time - somethin's gotta give...
We were relieved to make it there in one piece, and the car too - actually especially the car, since it was brand-new! (our friends bought it through the overseas delivery program)

After we arrived and checked in to our hotel, we threw our stuff into the rooms and immediately headed out to the local bike shop to ask for suggestions on local biking routes. The little cobblestone streets in this town are gorgeous...
The local bike shop owner was very nice and helpful, and immediately got out several maps to show us the local training routes. The landscape around Lake Como is obviously hilly and the best places to ride are away from the busy road that goes around the lake, so of course that meant the best routes involved going uphill (as always!). As he thought about what route would be best to suggest to us, he pondered for a minute, as if trying to decide whether or not to tell us something...
Then he pointed out - "Well, this is the best route, but it's not for girls. It's too hilly and steep. The girls do a different route because this classic one is only for boys. It has a section that is 3km long with an average grade of 23%, so girls can't do it."

Whaaa?? "Not for girls"?? Of course this just made us want to do it more!! (although that does sound pretty tough - 23%? for 3k??)

So the plan was set (even though he kept telling us it was impossible). Paula bought a commemorative jersey for the ride with the assumption that the impossible would be done.

We figured some quality carbo-loading was in order in preparation for tomorrow's "impossible" ride, Italian style (or is it Coloradan-style)...
The next day Kelly (on the left below) kept reminding us girls how we'd better not try to follow him on the "boys route", or else...
The good thing is that both the girls' and the boys' route pass by the famous "cycling church" - That is, the shrine of Madonna del Ghisallo, the known as the patroness of cyclists. The tiny church is located at the top of a hill which was made part of the Giro di Lombardia bike race.
Inside there burns an eternal flame for cyclists who have died.
Kelly seemed to think this was a kind of church he could really get into (especially since the "proper" way to get there is by biking up the 10km, 14% hill to it).
It was quite interesting and something I think every cyclist would be interested in experiencing if you come out to cycle in Europe.
After "church" we continued biking, down the hill and making the turn TOWARD the "boys" route - That's right, we're ready to tackle the impossible. We passed the van for the Professional Women Cycling parked on the side of the road - Guess they couldn't go any farther. But that's still no deterrent to us -- On, on, on!
Finally we crossed over some writing on the pavement with the name of the climb: "Muro di Sormano". We must be at the impossible part! But it wasn't steep yet, so we kept going, thinking it must be around the next corner...On and on we went, looking for the 3k/23% section, thinking it must coming up any minute, trying to save our energy as much as possible but with our heartrates sky-high with the anticipation...

Then after about 5k of this, we got to the top of the road and realized we were on the wrong one! We saw the "real" climb down to the side, with painting all over it... Darn!
Well that's ok, we all decided - We'll just ride down it and then back up! (These are our Original-Hillseeker friends after all, that we first started biking with in the mountains of Colorado) As we went down, I made a couple stops to take pictures of the writing on the pavement, since I knew there was no way I'd be able to take them while trying to go back up (only SuperPhotoninja could do something like that).
It showed the times for some riders in past races... Of course no girls' names were on there...
By the time we got to the bottom of this climb we were worn out from all the anticipation and ready to just do it (at least to try). After all, you never know what you can accomplish, especially when someone tells you that you can't! So we were determined to prove the old bike shop owner wrong, no matter what it takes.

And we did - With a smile!! Yay!
It wasn't easy. But it wasn't 23% for 3k either - That was a slight exaggeration. It was over 20% for a lot of it, with a max of 25%, but the average was "just" 17% for 2k.

Anyway here's the picture we took back to the bike shop the next day to prove to the owner that girls can ride up big hills too :)
That night some celebration was in order, Italian style...
...and of course one of the best things from Italy...
The next day was a travel day back to Zurich, with a short side-trip to check out one of the small Italian villages along the way... including a climb (of course!). Seems like I'm always behind Paula, either on the bike or off...
We drove over the St. Gotthard Pass, where the guys had biked over just a few days earlier. The weather had changed a lot since then, and now the grass was covered in ice and there was a fresh dusting of snow all around (and the wind was so cold we could hardly stand out of the car long enough to take this picture):
Back in Switzerland, after conquering the Impossible, we decided some Swiss fondue was in order (always looking for an excuse to have fondue)...
A great way to top off another exciting adventure with our hillseeking friends from Colorado.

Next adventure -- Oktoberfest in Munich... A very different kind of challenge!

Prost,
Becky

Coloradans Tackle the Swiss Alps

The next Swiss Adventure started with a road trip to the next "base camp" of Meiringen (which by the way claims to have invented meringue and has the white stuff all over every local bakery), with an obligatory stop at the local gas station for a nature break along the way... As the last "campers" pointed out - Leave it to the Swiss to make sure the restroom experience is as pleasant as possible...
Ready to ride - "counselor" Gustav made sure to be stocked up with the most important on-ride nutrition (Swiss chocolate, of course)...
We're on the road again! Heading up Gross Scheidegg in the Berner Oberland to see the views of some big famous mountains (esp. the Eiger) at the top - climb, climb, climb...
This is a great climb, with hardly any cars at all on the route... oh, and some pretty amazing scenery as a bonus...
...which helps to take your mind off the little 18-20% grade parts here and there...
What perfectly beautiful weather - we were very lucky.
Made it to the top! And actually got a picture of all of us together (asking for it to be level was obviously too much - must be the altitude)...
The descent was so picture-perfect in spots, it seemed like a painting...
At one point there was a brief stand-off... whatever you do, don't moooooooove.....
But we made it thru all obstacles and ended up having a great ride and a great day!

The next day was Sunday and after the previous day's challenge the group was totally energized and ready to tackle another big adventure...
Well, at least their minds were on cycling (the UCI Road World Championships)...
With the hopes to create a spark and some energy for more "climb, climb, climb"ing, some cappuccinos were in order...
Luckily the caffeine did the trick, and the group was off to head uphill again. Today's challenge was Gotthard Pass - a classic Swiss climb complete with non-stop cobblestones toward the top (even with some grades up to 12%!)...
Despite the bumping around, we made it to that top too - Yahoo! Almost in Italy, the signs switch to Italian (they say "ore" for hour), and passing cyclists say "Ciao" (although we were the only crazy cyclists up there at this time)...
That night it was time for some major carbo-loading to prepare for the big riding the next day...
The next morning we woke up to some looooooow temps, and frost all over the car, but that didn't stop these campers from riding -- After all they're tough Coloradans!
It ended up being another perfectly clear day - Susten Pass was gorgeous...
Pass #1 down -- Yeah!
The view from the top was stunning...
Couldn't see all this last time we were riding here a few weeks ago (when it was 7pm and almost dark!)...
Next was Grimsel Pass. One of our fave sections is when bikes have their own road to bypass a tunnel, so no cars - just us...
Lots of beautiful scenery to distract one from various "discomforts" while climbing here...
No discomforts evident for "Team Swiss" here though! (or maybe just riding high on endorphins)
Course maybe it's cuz this time I only did one pass and drove support for the rest (it was quite efficient, getting 5,000 ft elev in just 16 miles!). Gotta hand it to Paula - She did the full Silver Route from the Alpenbrevet, with 11,500 ft elevation over three passes. And Di tackled two huge passes with a never-ending smile. Cold temps at the tops and freeeeeezing wind on the descents? No problem for these Coloradans. Hopp, hopp, hopp -- Great job!!

The view from the top of Grimsel Pass is one of my favorites, where you can see the full Grimsel descent plus the next climb winding its way up Furka Pass in the distance...
The gals tackled the final climb with non-stop gusto and still saved some energy for smiles at the top... Way to go!!!
Meanwhile the "accelerated camper" guys enjoyed their own Swiss adventure by tackling the "Gold Route" of the Alpenbrevet - All 17,500 ft elevation gain of it! With it being almost October the daylight is quite a bit more sparse which meant a finish in the dark and fog...
...but of course that made it all even more epic - What a day!
We were so lucky to have such perfectly clear, beautiful weather to enjoy one of the last good biking days in the Swiss Alps this season. Now next stop is Italy, Lake Como area, where we are hoping for some warmer temps... We'll see if that plan works!

Ciao,
Buggy

P.S. Thanks for all your comments on the previous post!!

"Hillseeker Camp" - The Coloradans Have Arrived

Our next set of "Hillseeker campers" have arrived! All bright-eyed and excited, ready to find some Swiss hills to climb, climb, climb...
Well not all campers were bright-eyed -- Jet lag tends to have its way sometimes...
Day 1 started out as usual, with a bit of scenery-filled yoga...
...then moved right to the chocolate-loading phase (similar to carbo-loading, but Swiss style). Now we're ready to RIDE!
Happy campers were ready to hit the hills... including special guest "counselor" FitnessFrau Kate...
Since the Day 1 ride was just a warm-up shake-down ride, we kept the 17%-grade climbs limited to just a couple. Good thing is these folks come from Colorado so they're no strangers to going uphill either...
but they obviously don't see marshmallow farms in Colorado, based on this reaction!
After the ride, what better recovery snack is there than Nutella on fresh bread (oh yeah and recovery beverage of course)...
Thanks to quality recovery snacks like that, the "campers" were ready to ride again the next day - This time "commuter style"...
It wouldn't be a real Switzerland experience without recycling, so that was the first stop...
Then we were off riding down the local bike path....
...First stop: Bike shop - Where else? (I swear I don't get a commission for bringing campers/visitors there, although maybe I should!) Now this is the ultimate Swiss souvenir:
Udderly cool ;)
Next stop.... You guessed it - Chocolate Factory! Guests seem to get a bit overwhelmed by all the choices there - It's just chocolate, chocolate, chocolate everywhere you look - How could anyone focus...
We topped off Day 2 with a flat (really!) but quite windy ride into the city to do some sight-seeing, on what turned out to be a nice evening...
Tomorrow we're off to the Berner Oberland to test out the Gross Scheidegg route again (the climb that rewards with view of Eiger + two other major mtns), and then the "Swiss Triple Bypass" after that... That is, as long as the early-winter snow stays away up high (even without snow I think it'll be pretty cold up there, brrrrrr). We'll see how it goes!

Cheers,
Buggy