Ski Trips - St. Jakob in Defereggental (the Funpark!)

In a previous post, we showed briefly the skiing in St. Jakob in Defereggental (Austria).  A little further than most skiiers in Munich will drive, but wide open slopes and short lines make it a relaxing alternative to the crowded mountains closer to big cities.

Another especially interesting dimension of Defereggental is the "Funpark".  This is basically a long, broad slope that has ramps, jumps, and other possibilities for trick skiing.  Think of your local skateboard halfpipe area at the park - this is the skiing version.  You have to go to a specific lift for it -- the arrow on the map shows you where it's located on the slopes.

This is a pair of good sized snow jumps.  I would see a bunch of snowboarders and skiiers (see the double tracks?) try them, although conservatively.  I tried a jump like this at a different Funpark and fell back on my butt - you have to lean forward more than you'd think. I would see a lot of snowboarders resting uphill from the jumps with their buddies, perhaps getting up the nerve to kick off and tackle the jumps.

Expecially for the snowboarders, St. Jakob has installed skateboard-like handrails to jump up and slide down.  Here you can approach from the right or the left.  I actually saw a skiier do this one!  He was one of those Austrian teenagers that has probably been skiing since he was three years old.  I saw him all day, and he would ski down the easy slopes going backwards, so this guy had chops. 

This one was almost exclusively used by snowboarders.  Maybe because of the curve?  It would theoretically be possible to do this with skiis, right?  You can see a lot of snowboard tracks to the left of the ramp, where people changed their minds at the last minute and changed course to go right of the ramp. 

I didn't see anyone try this particular prop while I was taking the lifts.  But I think it's cool that they installed an entire stairway in the slopes, and am guessing that when the hard-core snowboarders are out there that this is used quite a bit.  I want to see three guys board down this at the same time, one on each section!  It's funny that you can see footprints on the left - did someone wipe out and head back up for another go?

 

Finally, there was this monster jump.  HUGE.  I thought about taking this veeeeery slowly, but chickened out.  Look at the right side of the ramp and you'll see ski marks about halfway up - that come diagonally down from right to left.  These people, like me, started approaching this towering pile of snow and changed their minds, swerving to the left and cutting across the side of the ramp rather than over it!  I did see some people do this, and a professional photographer taking photos.  I'll look for them on the next brochure.  Cool. dude.

Ski Trips - St. Jakob in Defereggental (the slopes)

Skiing is so incredibly convenient in Munich.  You can be at the foot of excellent slopes in 90 minutes within Germany, and if you open up to a 2-3 hour perimeter you get hundreds of options in Austria.

One trip I especially liked was to St. Jakob in Defereggental, in the famous area of Tirol, Austria (also spelled Tyrol).  It's a little farther to drive than most Müncheners will venture -- a little more than 3 hours with a car.  You can see that it is near the narrow stretch of eastern Austria, close to Italy! (Brunico is in Italy on the map.)  Yes, Munich rocks -- you can get to Northern Italy in 3.5 hours.  

Defereggental is smaller than a lot of ski destinations, with "only" 52km of slopes.  Most of them are blue (17km are easy) or red (32km are medium difficulty) rather than black too.  The slopes are a little shorter than the "best" destinations, which is why the far eastern and western lifts are t-bars -- you can do that if it's not too long.  The ski map is below. 

When you factor in the remoteness, size, and the less-than-completely-new lifts, you get two advantages:  it costs less for the day pass, and fewer people are on the slopes with you.  Obviously it's not a fancy schmancy as St. Anton, but check out the photo below.  I took that from the chairlift, at about 9:30 in the morning.  On a Saturday.  Look at the empty piste on the right!

Here's another shot I took from the lift, this time looking back down the mountain.  You see some fellow skiiers, but nobody on the slopes.  I did see a lot of locals that came to ski for an hour our two -- it must be incredible to live in the area.  Get an annual pass, and "stop by" for a couple runs maybe after work, or even at lunch!  Again, this is Saturday in the middle of ski season!  And with less ski traffic, the fresh snow stays longer... almost no ice patches to be found.

The mountains are not quite as majestic as the best in Tirol, but the view is still great.  That Saturday was relatively clear, and you got a good glimpse of the entire valley and surrounding peaks.  And yes, the ski huts had outdoor seating to enjoy your glühwein with the view.  This pic was again taken from a ski lift.  Just a brilliant ride up each time.

Here's a view from one of the huts - the highest one in the area.  It was really cold up here, but there was a good 6 inches of fresh snow, so nobody was complaining.  Because the runs are a bit shorter than usual, if you really motor downhill you'll have a bit of a different pace than other destinations.  Shorter trips down, but shorter intervals on the lifts.  And no waiting in line.  Also, the crowd seems a bit friendlier.  Can you tell I liked this place?

The one gondola was great when the wind started whipping up strongly.  This photo was taken on the way up, and you get a great picture of a local mountain top with fresh show.  You can also see that the village is pretty small -- it doesn't stretch for kilometers like the large resorts.  There are nice (and inexpensive) hotels and pensions in the area, and a handful of restaurants/bars.  not a lot, but just enough.

So Defereggental is NOT the place for socialite skiing, apres ski bunnies, nor for the wannabe racers in the family or those dying for the blackest of the black runs across car-sized moguls.  However, for what it is, it's great:  an inexpensive, relaxed, uncrowded destination that let's you enjoy skiing more than waiting in line.

Skiing in Central Munich

Back in July, we spent a wonderful(ly hot!) day watching Germany crush Argentina in the World Cup. We visited as many venues as possible, and that day chose Siemens Soccer City. Siemens had transformed Wittelsbacherplatz into a beer garden and viewing area for the World Cup¹ matches.

For winter, they did it again....but this time even bigger!    

To coincide with the Alpine Ski World Cup, Siemens built a 40 meter-long (120 feet), 12-meter high (36 feet) ski slope outside their world headquarters, located at Wittelsbacherplatz in Munich.  It's right downtown near the larger Odeonsplatz, next to the Hofgarden and beyond that, the south entrance to the English Garden.

The "ski area" was complete with two "magic carpets" to carry people to the top. Of course there also was the obligatory après ski hut (complete with glühwein, beer, and hearty bavarian food to warm you), and big screen showing the World Cup events. 

 "Magic carpet" ski lift

 
For a little over two weeks, Siemens Snow City was open free to the public. Though you were welcome to bring your own skis and snowboards, sleds were provided for visitors.

According to Siemens' tally, over 50,000 people took a turn down the slope, and over 420 kids participated in free children's ski clinics run by the German Ski Federation. As it was a corporate-sponsored event, there was the usual fanfare....an opening ceremony with children carrying flags of various countries, demonstrations and exhibitions, and the Celebrity Cup race pitting celebrities against Siemens employees to raise money for childrens' charities.

Munich loves sports and the outdoors - cold does not stop Müncheners, it only changes their attire, activities, and beverage choice! This was a fun chance for kids to try out skiing (without the trouble or expense to go to the mountains) and for all the inhabitants to enjoy a taste of winter sports after work or while out shopping. We fit in a few sled runs and a glühwein Saturday before finishing up our shopping before the stores closed for the weekend.

I don't know if it was only tied to World Cups, but I'm hoping Siemens continues putting up these public venues. They do a really impressive job!

poor Elector Maximilian I and his horse are boxed up and hidden from the party!

As you'll see from my spill in the video, it was quite a bumpy ride down!

¹ Known as the "WM" (pronounced "vey-em"), in German lingo. As WM just means World Championship ("Weltmeisterschaft"), you'll hear it attached to multiple sports. For example, we attended the Alpine Ski WM a couple of weeks ago. People usually know which one is going on at the time, so you'll see most headlines or pubs' listing just as "WM" and then the event or teams.

 

Valentine's Weekend Part II - World Cup Skiing

We've been trying to make the most of living in Germany by trying new activities and sampling different aspects of the culture, not just the beer. 

After kicking off Valentine's weekend with a surprisingly fun Cuban - Bavarian fusion concert, Herr J took me down to Garmisch (Garmisch-Partenkirchen) on Sunday for the Women's Downhill event of the World Cup of Alpine Skiing. 

Despite a few previous ski trips with friends in Colorado (in which I stuck to the green slopes and more enjoyed the hot tub and après ski activities than the skiing), I only learned to ski last year. And I'm hooked. But, I'll never be a fast or aggressive skiier...I'm just happy to enjoy the skiing and the gorgeous views. 

But this was a great new experience - I think I'd even watch it on TV now! 

We decided to take an early train down to Garmisch, thinking we would beat the crowd on the train that arrived before the event. While we were there in time to get seats, we forgot that most of the Germans would go down a couple hours early - either to ensure being on time, or to enjoy the festivities before the event start. 

Unlike many events I've attended, this one was amazingly well-planned. They had shuttle buses ready at the train station to take people to the slopes. Let me be clear....they had many buses, enough to actually carry everyone there who had arrived on the train. Event planners in Germany do a great job with huge events, though I guess 200 years of Oktoberfest has taught them many lessons in logistics and crowds!

There were various entertainers and bands along the path to the venue, giving it a very festive atmosphere:

 Percussion Band Using Ski Equipment as Instruments    

 

  

The "bouncers" were a great idea! Very clever to distinguish security and make them fun. At the same time, being on stilts gave them a view above the crowd to see better (and be seen). 

We had some time before the event began, and started the morning with some coffee and baguette pizza, listening to the band. These guys were fascinating...I wish I'd brought the camera with video because it's so hard to describe. They had a pretty good bass player and a very large band. Though I just can't understand how (or why) they turned Sweet Home Alabama into a reggae song. They were fun - playing a range of 80s, Oktoberfest/après ski songs, American classics, and a lot of AC/DC. They weren't bad on AC/DC, but You Shook Me All Night Long just doesn't sound right at medium volume...it needs to be just on the border of too loud!

As with most events in Germany, there was a new model car on display, this time Audi's A1. It would be a great city car, and the interior was colorful and reminded me of a Mini Cooper.

The actual viewing area turned out to be a really great venue. Obviously you can't see the entire downhill course from the stands, so it's shown on big screens as the skiiers progress through the course. The great part about watching the screen is that we see their times and how they compare to the leader at each gate. Then we see them come down through the finish line. So, it's the best of both live and TV viewing!  

Lindsey Vonn (USA), 2nd place 

Stacey Cook (USA)  

Lara Gut (Switzerland)  

Tina Maze (Slovenia)    

Macarena Simari Birkner (Argentina)

(I loved Team Argentina's colorful, whimsical uniforms. They remind me a little of the crazy Japanese pop art style wallpaper on Windows 7!)

The announcers were great - they seamlessly switched between German, English, and French. And the music guy had a pretty odd sense of humor. They tried to match the music to the skiier, but sometimes had to just fall back on national stereotypes that weren't quite right. For Argentina's Macarena Simari-Birkner, obviously they played the Macarena (and asked the crowd to dance along!). For her sister Maria Belen Simari-Birkner, somehow they decided to play the Ketchup Song. I guess it was the next Spanish song that tried to gain the popularity of the Macarena, but it was a stretch! For Lindsey Vonn, they played the Mission Impossible Theme; for one of the Swiss competitors, they played a yodeling song about Heidi.  

Regina Mader (Austria)

Not surprisingly, the winner was an Austrian - Elisabeth Goergl. But we were thrilled to see American Lindsey Voss take the silver, ahead of Germany's favorite Maria Riesch. She had quite a large cheering section and seemed to know the course well (she looked so much more comfortable with it than anyone else).

If you've ever skiied in Austria, then you understand why we expect an Austrian to win. At least based on the 10 year olds who are whizzing down the mountain in perfect, effortless form. By the time they're in their 40s, they're bored with the skiing and are the ones you see skiing down a black backwards, or linking together endless chains of 360°s down the slope. Maybe it's nature, maybe it's nurture...but they're just good.

Unfortunately the Men's Downhill training session was cancelled due to poor conditions. However, we warmed up with Glühwein and then amused ourselves in the Milka pavilion. Milka (known as the chocolate with the purple cow) sponsors a team of European skiiers, including Germany's Maria Riesch. For this event, they had a pavilion with a giant inflatable purple cow, and games. There were 5 stations of winter inspired games. We first decided to play the snowball toss (throw foam balls through a target, with a speedometer showing how fast you threw) after Herr J commented that no one seemed to know how to throw a ball here. That's somewhat true, as European sports involve fancy footwork, not throwing. So, most European boys do not grow up knowing how to throw a baseball. However, by age 5 they blow away the typical American kid with their soccer ball tricks. So, I told him he needed to show how it was done. He was impressive, throwing one 85 km/h. (these are soft foam balls, not baseballs) directly through the target. Once I realized they were giving out chocolate to all participants, I decided I would gladly risk public humiliation if choclate was the reward. I got in 2 or 3, so I guess those high school softball days did have a benefit!

 Fresh melted Milka chocolate!!Of course, we played the other games to get chocolate as well....a video ski simulator, a timed word game matching up words to a yodel, and an old fashioned "video game" where you lead a probe through a winding path and try not to touch the sides.

Plus, it was another lovely day in the mountains! 

Munich Winter Sports

Germans (and Müncheners, in particular) spend as much time outside as possible.  In summer and winter, the English Garden is crowded and there are major traffic jams out of the city on Friday nights and back in on Sundays to the lakes and mountains. Having an appropriate amount of fresh air ("frischer Luft") is an important part of daily life, and a very frequent source of office conflict over opening the windows in winter!

So, it's no surprise that sports still go on in the winter. Not only sledding, skiing, ice skating and the other snowy sports, but also the ones we think of as summer sports.

Soccer....

 

American Football....
(we stumbled upon the end of the Starnberg Argonauts' practice and Herr J joined in to show them some perfect spirals)

Biking, walking dogs/children, and running....

 

and even Surfing....
(surfers catch the wave on the Eisbach year round)

 

Hi-Tech Clothes

Germans take their free time activities very seriously.  Their hours spent on cars, sports, or any hobby are focused and dedicated.  Combine this with their appreciation for technology, and you get some great products.

In this case, it's the lowly sock that they have elevated to a sophisticated tool (well, relatively speaking of course).  I bought these for the hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro, and wore them recently with Frau A on a winter walk through the snow to the monastery at Andechs.

Check 'em out below.  They are fitted for right and left feet (and have the R and L to let you know which is which) and of course have the latest heat-trapping, moisture-wicking materials and specially designed knit pattern (including tiny strands of silver to keep feet smelling nicer).  But the icing on the cake is integrated rubber beads woven into the inside of the top of the sock. 

Why? 

Well, winter hiking is common here, so these are designed so that you can pull the socks over your long underwear and the rubber beads cling and help them stay up -- maximizing heat retention and preventing bunching in your [naturally, also high-tech] hiking boots.

Diver Down

Frau A and I are basically integrating our portfolio of fun activities.  I have done more hiking and skiing in the past... then she took a ski course last winter and now asks to go on the black diamond slopes!  We now hit the hiking trails together too (and she loves window shopping at the North Face and Columbia stores for outdoor fashions).  Likewise, she has had her open water SCUBA diving card for many years, and logged dozens & dozens of dives... so I signed up for the course to get my open water certification.

In the last two weekends, I took the practical portion of the course -- the tests in open water.  Of course, open water means in-a-lake here in Munich.  Officially, we were diving "at altitude" (over 600 meters here) rather than sea level, so the dive tables are technically not valid.  But since I live here, they consider my body to have acclimated, so no problem.

The issue was the timing.  Late October.  The water was 12 degrees C (54 degrees F)!  My class (four students in total) not only put on the thickest wetsuits available, but put another "shorty" wetsuit on over them!  Once we got in, it wasn't too bad, actually.  Water quality is excellent here - really clear - but you can kick up a lot of sediment when swimming near the bottom.

Here is a photo of my instructor (standing, in the lighter jacket) talking with other instrutors already in the water.  Looks cold, huh?  This was at Starnberger See the first weekend.  On a clear day, you can see the Alps in the background, but there were too many clouds on that morning.

The second weekend we went to a small lake/large pond called Echinger Weiher.  At least the water was warmer than the air, as you can see by the mist.  Some people have seen catfish over 3 feet long here, but nothing that day.  What was neat was the plants at the bottom give off some gas that looks like fog in the water.  They do claim to have a "wreck" to see as well - an Ikea shopping cart that someone threw in!  But we missed that as well, because we had a bunch of tests to do.  Maybe next time.

 
Well, I passed and have the open water card now.  I'll try to keep up with Frau A on holiday when we will do some diving.  Hope to post some pics of that too for a future post.