Family Blog

On New Year’s Eve the whole world celebrates the fact that a date changes. Let us celebrate the dates on which we change the world.
Akilnathan Logeswaran

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

A week ago we started a bike tour on the Rhine. We started in Karlsruhe where we went by train. The goal for the first tour was Mannheim but after 40 km (25 miles) of rain we gave up and took the train to Mannheim.

Next two days were sunny. First we drove 90 km (56 miles) to Wiesbaden - Schierstein, where we spent the evening at the harbar festival. Next day went to Koblenz and Neuwied (about 115 km or 72 miles). This was the most beautitful part of the Rhine with Loreley and many castles.

The fourth day we wanted to go the Cologne but it rained the whole day. So we took the train again (in Andernach). In the evening we visited an old brewery pub. The last day we went from Cologne to Düsseldorf, the end of our tour (70 km or 44 miles).

“Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."
(Hal Borland)

Stage Eleven

Last Wednesday we continued the Westweg from Hasel, where we stopped last year. After we started we had some problem to find the entrance to the Westweg but after a few detours we were back on track. Part 11 of the Westweg ends in Degerfelden, but our hotel was in Rheinfelden - Herten. The last part to the hotel takes much, much longer as expected. When we reached our goal we were really tired - at last our today's tour was over 35 kilomenter (with detours).

Stage Twelf

The goal of the last part was Basel, Switzerland. This tour was about 15 kilometers, followed by a 11 kilometer sightseeing trip through Old Town of Basel with its wonderful town hall. In the evening we went back by train to our hotel in Rheinfelden-Herten.



On Friday we took the train to Beugen to hike back to Hasel, where we placed our car two days ago. Near Nordschwaben we were back on the Westweg and followed it till Hasel.

Westweg Part 10

This year the base camp of the Vitruvia Mountain Tour was the Lagant Hotel in Brand, Montafon (Austria). Cordula and I arrives on Monday at the hotel because Cordula had a meeting with former colleaques in the Hunsrück.

My first tour on Tuesday was the tour to the Oberzalim hut. One part of this tour is only for experienced hikers but the rest is easy.

The goal for Wednesday is the Mondspitze (1967 m or 6600 ft). You have a wonderful panorama on ths mountain and you can see till the Lake of Constance from it.

On Thursday the tour starts at the Douglas Hut at the Lünersee. At Gafalljoch we pass the border to Switzerland. We follow the Prättigauer Höhenweg and come back to Austria at Gamsluggen (2380 m or 7800 ft). Over Totalp Hut we go back to Douglas Hut.

On Friday we start again at Douglas Hut. First stop is at Totalp Hut before we continue the tour to Schesaplane, with 2965 m (9700 ft) the highest mountain this week.

On Saturday we go back home. It was a sunny week with much fun and nice hikes.

"We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."
(Ellen Goodman)

Because I had some days of vacation left and the weather was fine we decided to continue the Westweg last week. We started in Todtmoos and followed the sign of the Westweg (see Westweg Part 10). Before we reach Hasel (our goal for the first day) we passed a wind park (Windpark Rohrenkopf) which was still under construction.

In the evening we reach Hasel, where we stay overnight. The next day we decided to go back to Todtmoos because the public transportation in the area of the Black Forrest was not a real alternative to come back to our car. Fortunately we had a sunny day as yesterday - a perfect day for hiking.

Westweg Part 7 till 9

Most of the participants go home today and there is only a small group left which starts the tour to the Pizzo Tresero (3594m or 11800ft). We go by car to the Refugio Berni, where we start. The way to the top is difficult and tiring. On the last few meter to the Bivacco Seveso (3420m or 11200ft) there is not really a path and I was happy to reach the hut.

From there it is a small rigde which led to the Pizzo Tresero. But you shouldn't walk on it without climbing equipement, so we go back to the valley. With 7 hours it is the longest tour of the week.

back to: Friday

The starting point for today is again the parket place at Rifugio Forni. The first goal on our tour is the Rifugio Pizzino. After a break we continue to the Passo di Zebru nord (3000m or 9800ft).

On the way back we pass again the Rifugio Forni but decide to continue on a slightly different path.

back to: Thursday | next day: Saturday

We go by car to the Refugio Forni, which is the starting point for our tour today. The first stop is a wonderful lake in 2800m or 9100 ft (Lago della Manzina).

On the way forward to the Monta Confinale we had problem to find a way up the the Bivacco del Piero - the first group found a way, the 2nd group gave up and went back to the lake to wait on the other group.

back to: Wednesday | next day: Friday

Today we took the same cable car as yesterday, but took the tour to the Monte Sobretta, a mountain of a height of 3200m (10,500 ft). We were a group of 17 people and the break on top of the mountain was long enought to get a sunburn.

back to: Tuesday | next day: Thursday