A New Year with a difference this time around. 
I decide to go on a Ski Touring trip from the 30th to the 2nd January, based at the Hotel Teifenbach at 2100m, and only approachable with Skins on the ski's or by snowshoeing, this was going to be my first time of Ski touring with several days stringed together.
I can tell you that after 2 days i was knackered!
It seemed that we had an unspoken aim of doing 1000m elevation for each day, I myself had never done 1000m up on skins, let alone 4 days in a row. and so my feet soon found out that my 'Freeride' boots were not really made for such accents... blisters popping up all over the place.
Day three had to be the highlight though, with me battling my mind, fatigue and announcing to the group that I was not fit enough to join them. I was coached on by Jean-Francois (our Mountain guide, great guy!) to join for the first 20-30mins up and see how I felt, I could safely ski down alone from this point if it didn't work out. After 30 mins, with sore heels, the beauty of the surrounding mountains and the group took a hold of me and I was in for the day, and what a day it turned out to be. What started as a fairly easy climb, took us past the tongue of the 'Tiefengletscher' were we could walk into an Ice cave, first time in a natural one for me. Then the steep climb started, with heaving lungs and once or twice popping out of the bindings on the 'Spitzkehri' turns it was hard work, till we got 10m away from the peak, skis off and the last 10m by foot to the top of the 'Chli Bielenhorn'. Yeah made it!... now to ski down...More adventure!
Traversing an iced 45 degree slope was also a first for me, slip and your 50-70m down hill! Here my heartbeat was sky high, and the Bad language was flowing I tell you. But Peter and I made it across to the saddle of the ridge, now it was down the Couloir (another 45-40 degrees) to the waiting open slopes of Powder snow.... was I glad to get down there in one piece.

All in all it was a great start to 2021, a great group, great Mountain guide, and a load of adventures.
(plus another 4000m but over 4 trips ;) )

After all these years of saying I should get up and go for morning jogs “I t’s the best thing for you” I told myself. Well finally I went for two morning jogs this week and one lunchtime jog... and it’s only Thursday!

I had signed up for a beginners course to better my off piste skiing which took place last weekend up in Andermatt.
It had been snowing for a couple of days and didn't stop until Sunday afternoon, perfect. Albeit it was extremely windy on Saturday and -15c on both days!
Nonetheless we had a great group of avid skiers (8) and David, our mountain guide for weekend, were all great and up for it.
It's amazing what a few good tips and a bit of one on one instant feedback can do.... so after an unintentional somersault and a head plant or two in the powder and one or two other crashes in the powder, by Sunday afternoon we were all skiing knee deep in powder!!
​It was fantastic!
Many thanks to Höhenfiber, David and all the group for a great weekend.

vis is about 3-5m in most places but got to be done.