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Introducing HTG 10.5

While I’ve got you attention, may I introduce HTG 10.5, the latest batch of modifications to this website. If you’re reading this in your feed reader, drop in and have a look. The major changes are:

• Wider pages to help make reading more comfortable.
• Larger, higher quality photos. The roll-out of larger photos in posts is on-going.
• More delicious white-space between elements.
• Contact form now up and running.
• Less-conspicuous adverts.
• Big red footer to finish things off nicely.

Hope you like both the changes to the site and the podcast.

Last weekend, my sister and I headed to Scotland for a wedding. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to go. Scotland has long been absent from my list of visited countries, so to tick it off was great. It would have been nicer to have spent some more time in the mountains rather than tearing about from one place to another, but in all, it was a very nice weekend. The photo above was taken from the edge of Loch Achray.

We’d travelled to Scotland via the unconventional method of an overnight train, namely, the Caledonian Sleeper. And sleep I did… for a couple of hours.

We arrived in Edinburgh just before 07h00 and were booted off the train shortly after that. We had an hour or so to kill before our next connection, so we wandered the eerily quiet streets. Edinburgh seemed very nice indeed.

Having continued our journey to Pitlochry, my sister and I rested from the chilly breeze in Victoria’s for a not-so-traditional Scottish lunch. The food was thoughtful and wholesome and the cafe itself was very pleasant inside.

The weather was very changable. Brilliant sunshine one minute, heavy rain the next. Even snow was forecast in some areas above 800ft. At least though you could see it coming. There’s something very ‘Norwegian Fjords’ about this photo.

Idyllic scenes of the Scottish Highlands were in abundance. Everything that you imagine to be there; greenery, conifers, craggy rocks and changeable skies full of varying colour were present.

This was the scene from the window of our accommodation, an old and grand mansion. The mountains in the background are the Trossachs with Ben A’an the highest of the peaks.

Will I be going back to Scotland? Certainly! I didn’t get my fill of the beautiful and dramatic scenery, nor did I manage to climb a mountain, such was the rushed nature of the weekend. Scotland is so near, I’d be mad not to explore it some more.

After a few minutes of research, I managed to find out that this was the second event in the Coop Beachtour, a series of seven Beach Volleyball meets. Courts are set up for around four days before being dismantled and moved on. Three days later, normality had returned.

The next event takes place 11-14 June in Locarno before heading on to Geneva, Zug, Winterthur and Bern. Visit the website for more information.

I can’t help but have my vision of what Spain will be like to be influenced by the Club 18-30 TV programmes that graced the tube in the late nineties and early noughties. These shows were fly-on-the-wall docusoaps which documented the Spain that I think I know. My preconceptions can be summarised as follows;

Brits Everywhere

According to ‘Club Med’, I should expect there to be several thousand noisy, anti-social and fat British holiday-makers with their noisy, anti-social and fat children in tow. I should expect these people to wear very little clothing despite the fact they really ought to. I should also expect them to drink vast quantities of lager and make idiots of themselves.

Everything With Chips

What with all the Brits, I should find it difficult finding something authentically Spanish to eat. Instead, perhaps I’d like to try fried eggs with chips, or sausage with chips or a burger with a side-order of chips. If I were to feel my chips needed a certain something extra, I needn’t worry. HP Sauce is in good supply.

Paella

If chips aren’t my thing, Paella is made around the clock and is eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Everyone eats it all the time. Some people don’t stop eating it.

Siesta

The Spanish like to have a nap just after lunch. Everything closes and everyone goes to bed for an hour or so. This I can only assume is because the first five hours on the working day are always overwhelmingly busy and stressful and not because the Spanish are lazy.

The Beach

There’s really nothing to see in the middle of Spain. The only bit worth visiting are the beaches. Once at the beach, sit on it all day, surrounded by thousands of naked, sun burnt strangers. If you can get to the sea, wander around in it for a bit before wondering what the point of all this is. Don’t expect to be able to find your sitting spot when you’re done. It’ll either be lost in a sea of bodies or some Germans will have nicked it.

Sun

It’s pretty hot in Spain. No it isn’t. It’s very hot. Horribly so.

Dinner is Served… Eventually

As a result or nappy-time earlier in the day, it’s the custom to wait until as late as possible before eating the main meal of the day. Some people like to eat dinner just before they eat breakfast the day after to show off to their friends just how Spanish they really are.

Souvenirs

It is apparently customary after a holiday in Spain to go home with a straw donkey under one arm whilst wearing an enormous hat. The bigger the hat and the shoddier the workmanship on the donkey, the better.

Am I looking forward to going to Spain? I am actually. As odd as it sounds after my sarcastic and baseless tirade, I’m eager to be able to challenge the stereotypes. I actually like being proved wrong. I’d rather know the facts then sound-off without them. Whether I find that I’m wrong or right, you’ll be hearing about it later this year. Even if I find that I am right, it’ll be good to be able to tick another country off of my list. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I’ll have visited 25% of the European states.

If you have no idea what a podcast is, don’t worry! This video will tell you everything you need to know to get started.

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Last Saturday, having been through my usual Saturday morning routine, I went into WorldView Live to see what was going on. Bern was holding it’s usual Saturday market, skiers were still queuing for the lifts at the resorts, everything seemed normal. Except in Brugge that is. Something different was going down.

I quickly discovered that I was watching the start of the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders), an annual UCI ProTour road cycling race. You can see the cyclists waiting at the start at the bottom left of the image. On next image refresh, the race had started and the team cars wee in pursuit.

Although I was only seeing the event in still frames, it was rather exciting. I have a lot of favourite webcam locations, but only very rarely is something interesting actually happening. in the next image, the crowds had been allowed from behind the barriers.

25 minutes later, the crowds had all but vanished and tidy-up was in full swing.

This isn’t the first time the Brugge webcam has been featured on this blog. In December 2007, I managed to capture my mum and sister in the same market square.

Fear not! Here are my top tips for first time flyers.

These tips were originally posted on 28 October 2007 with my account of my first time in a plane. Once you’ve read these tips, you might find it useful to hear how I coped with my first time in the air.

• Don’t panic! It really isn’t that big a deal. As you read this, there are thousands of people up in the air on routine flights.
• Sit by the wing. I’ve read in various places that in the event of turbulence, it’s the most stable part of the aircraft.
• You are very likely to hit turbulence. It’s not that scary. I actually found it rather exciting. Keep your seat-belt on at all times regardless of what other people are doing.
• If something happens that worries you, look around at other people to see how they’re reacting. If they’re behaving normally, all is well.
• Listen to and read all of the safety advice.
• Sit by the window. Even if you don’t think you will now, I can guarantee you will want to look out of the window. The views are amazing, whether it’s a cloudy day or not.
• Take an iPod with you. If you really are terrified, at least you’ll be able to zone out with your favourite music, tv show or film.
• People told me the worst part about flying is the take off and landing. For me, the takeoff was exhilarating and the landing, while bumpy, was pretty non-eventful.
• Banking is fun. Looking out of the window almost straight down to the ground is wicked!
• I discovered to my horror that the lights get switched off inside the plane on night-time landings. They do this so that your eyes become accustomed to the darkness, so that in the event of an emergency, escaping is easier. Conversely, you will be instructed by cabin staff to make sure the window blinds are up for landings. This is so that in the unlikely event something unfortunate occurs, emergency crews can see inside. Anyway, expect the lights to be switched off on night-time landings. It’s normal.
• Chew gum. The descent when coming back home was AWFUL! I wasn’t chewing gum and I felt my head was going to explode. I almost lost my hearing completely and was in absolute agony. Don’t let this happen to you.
• Enjoy it! Doing new things makes life interesting. It gives you stuff to talk about and experiences to share with others.

I hope these tips help you with your first time in the air. If you have questions about flying or if you have further tips you think people might find useful, use the comment box below to get in touch.

In the first part of my non-skier’s guide to the mountains, I talked about hiking as an option for those who can’t or won’t pony up the dough for skiing or snowboarding. Hiking is a great way to experience the beauty of the mountains. Arguably, it’s actually much easier to appreciate the mountains on foot then it is having experience gear strapped to your feet. Having admired the peaks though, what about something a little more exciting? On my recent trip to the Berner Oberland region of Switzerland, I gave sledging a try.

Before hiring my sledge, I thought of sledging as a kids activity. Indeed, I felt a bit silly being introduced to my brand new wooden sledge and being shown how to steer it. It didn’t take long though to realise that I needn’t have been embarrassed. Sledging in Switzerland has a long history and is enjoyed by kids and adults alike. In fact, I was to discover at my peril that certain sections of the numerous dedicated sledge runs were practically for adults only.

Bob-Run

Having rented my sledge from Mürren’s Sport Centre, I took the funicular to Allmendhubel (1907m) where I found myself at the start of the famous Bob-Run. Over the course of 3km, the run descends 94m back to the funicular base station where inevitably, you will want to buy another ticket back to the top to have another go. This is a good run for beginners. It’s reasonably flat to begin with and, due to the steep drop to the left of the path, you have no option but to learn quickly the art of steering the sledge. I should warn you that the Bob-Run is a multiple use run. Walkers, sledgers, skiers and boarders are all welcome. The Bob-Run is a popular run particularly for skiing beginners or even experienced skiers who are just getting their bearings, so staying alert is vital to avoid a nasty collision. It’s hardly congested though, so you needn’t be put off by this.

While mostly flat and straight, there are some very tight corners and some fairly steep gradients. You will pick up speed pretty quickly and, I hasten to add, you will undoubtedly fall off in dramatic style. I fell off a number of times but did no damage to myself as the snow was light and powdery and cushioned my fall. The scenery, as proven by the photos in this post, was one of the highlights. With some sections of the run too flat to provide any momentum, you have to walk some sections, so you really do get to appreciate the surroundings at your leisure.

Mürren to Gimmelwald

The second run I tried was another 3km run, this time from Mürren to the impossible beautiful and serene village of Gimmelwald (1367m). Again, this is a multiple use run. Luckily, the skiers and boarders aren’t allowed, but the walkers are and, perhaps more worryingly, vehicles are allowed too. I didn’t encounter any walkers, but I did encounter a snow plow, which raced up behind me as I trundled my way down the run. My only option was to dismount my sledge and wade into 1.5m of lying snow so that the plow could pass. This run is perhaps even better for beginners than the Bob-Run. It’s a very calm run with lots of straights and easy corners. Aside from the stunning scenery, what I liked most about this run was the continuous nature of it. Give or take some sections where the snow has built up or the parts where you lose control and end up on your backside, it’s possible to sledge almost non-stop the entire 3km. If it wasn’t good enough already, the destination is quite frankly amazing! Swiss to the bone, unbelievably quiet and in a perfect setting, Gimmelwald is easily one of my favourite places in the whole of Europe.

Getting back to Mürren where you set off is a piece of cake too. A frequent gondola will take you back for only a few Francs.

Eiger Run

At the foot of the famous north wall of the Eiger and much trumpeted as the best option in the area for sledgers, The Eiger Run, while still supremely good fun, was on the whole my least favourite of the three runs. There was far too much walking required between the fast sections. That said, the Eiger Run did provide the biggest thrill ride of the week. At one point, my GPS clocked me at 44kph (30mph) which, for a sledge is pretty good going. These fast sections are full of twisty turns and crests which in my opinion, really aren’t suitable for kids or even inexperienced adults.

Of the 4.5km run, only the small middle section is actually named the Eiger Run. This section is split into two further sections, one easy, the other hard. I, being generally stupid in my endeavours, opted for the hard section. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when I say this section is hard. For almost all of it, I rocketed down the slope along a metaphorical fine line between staying on and tumbling off in a painful fashion. I clung onto that sledge for dear life, that being my only real option, as gravity did it’s thing. The fear, the speed, the folly of it all amounted to enormously good fun. Upon reaching the end of the middle section of the run at the brilliantly named Brandegg, I was grinning from ear to ear. As was an older couple who arrived shortly after me cackling with raucous laughter.

The run continues from Brandegg through pretty remote settlements and woodland to Grindelwald Grund station, where you can take the train back up to Kleine Scheidegg if you so choose. This is not before one final flourish from the Eiger Run however. The very last section consists of a wide and steep hill. There’s no real telling as to the correct route down, so you just have to go for it. So I did. The snow was very deep and the gradient only got worse as I descended. There was only one way it was going to end. I overcompensated, the front of the sledge pitched forward into the snow and I followed, head first. When I came to a stop, I looked back to find my sledge was gone. After around five minutes of digging, I managed to find it buried almost a metre into the snow. It was a fitting end to my sledging experience.

Cost

The cost of sledging really does depend on how many times you go down, which runs you use, whether you have half-price transport tickets and where you hire you sledge from.

For a wooden sledge (which I recommend against the metal sledges), you shouldn’t have to spend more than CHF10 for one day’s use. Hiring from the quieter resorts or at lower altitudes is advised as it’s cheaper. Hire from an Intersport shop and you can return the sledge to a more convenient branch rather than have to take it back to the original branch. The hire shop will take the details of a credit card as insurance or, if you don’t have a credit card, will physically take your driving license or passport. This is to prevent you from running off with the sledge.

As for transport, there are a variety of options that I won’t go into here for saving money. I used a Swiss Card which gave me a 50% discount on all the gondolas, trains and funiculars. To give you an example though, the funicular from Mürren to the top of the Bob-Run cost me around CHF3, so even if you only used the Bob-Run and paid the full cost (around CHF6), we’re not looking at a massive expense. Obviously though, you will have to factor in the cost of actually getting to Murren in the first place. Personally, I’d say the transport cost were very reasonable.

In Conclusion

I hope you’ve found these non-skier’s guides to the mountains useful and/or enjoyable to read. If you need ay further information, take a look at the excellent My Jungfrau website which has maps and lots of tips for sledgers amoungst lots of other information on the area I visited. You can always drop me a comment in the box below as well, where I’ll be happy to respond to you on the page or via email.

Have fun in the mountains!

I’ll let you into a secret. Not many people realise this, but you can experience the majesty, excitement and general brilliance of the mountains without specialist knowledge and without spending a fortune on expensive equipment. I’m not a skier, so on a recent trip to the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, I went in search of alternative excursions.

I should probably point out now that I’m in no way an expert on Winter activities, particularly those done in difficult conditions. Seek out professional advice if you’re unsure.

Winter Hiking

This activity combines two of my favourite things; walking and snow. There’s nothing quite like hearing the scrunch of freshly fallen snow under-foot whilst being surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery. On my recent trip to Switzerland, I embarked on two hikes, one pretty easy, the other more difficult and somewhat challenging (for me anyway).

Grütschalp to Mürren

The easy route was a mostly flat 5km walk from Grütschalp station (1486m) to Mürren (1650m) via Winteregg station (1578m). A train line runs along the entire route, so the chances of getting lost or cut off from the outside world is almost impossible. This means, this route is a great way to introduce yourself to walking in the snow. The route hardly ever closes and is routinely cleared each morning, but it is comforting to those unsure about walking around on the side of a mountain that the authorities will close the path if they think it is unsafe. With a good pair of boots and with consideration for time spent staring open-mouthed at the stunning scenery, you should be in Mürren well within two hours. If you need further convincing, take a look at these photos. You only get to properly appreciate such scenes on foot.

Once you’ve tried this route, it’s time to head to the other side of the valley for something a bit more challenging (not on the same day though, it’d kill you).

Männlichen to Wengen

The hike between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg is advertised on various websites with a variety of completion times, distances and difficulty ratings, which seems to suggest the route changes with the seasons. The route I tackled was just over 6km in length, took 2hrs 40mns and was one this hiking novice would describe as taxing. If experiencing true mountain wilderness and challenging yourself to reach difficult goals is your thing, you should try this walk.

The route meanders across several ski runs (watch your back) and climbs and descends throughout. You start the walk at 2230m and actually end at a slightly lower altitude of 2061m, but don’t let this fool you. The first 4/5ths of the hike is reasonably flat and descends slowly several hundred metres. The last 5th is spent re-ascending those descended metres via a steep gradient. You’re literally walking in the middle of several pistes. While skiers in their expensive gear descend at speed, you’re walking up in the opposite direction. I had to stop every minute or so to get my breath back and found it hard going. But, the rewarding feeling when I reached Kleine Scheidegg made it all worthwhile.

As opposed to the first hiking route, this route is quite often closed in the winter season. The depth of snow often prevents the pisteurs from clearing the snow safely. Luckily, the route was open when I had planned on tackling it. At least, that’s what I was told. Upon setting off, visibility was very poor, making it feel much more of an adventure. About one hour into the hike, I was all alone. I couldn’t see or hear anything. I was in true mountain wilderness. Then though, came a worrying sight. A came across a section of the route that hadn’t been cleared. Continuing could potentially be dangerous. I was at a section with a steep drop to my left-hand side. One wrong foot and… well, who knows? I had already come quite a long way and was reluctant to walk back, so I waded into the snow. It was waist-deep! It stayed waist-deep for around 20 minutes. At one point, I had to haul myself up a slope using a tree branch. My water-proof boots soon showed they had their limit. It was both hairy and exciting in a might-die-here sort of way.

What lesson can a teach about this? Perhaps, don’t do anything you’re not happy about doing. At least I can say I was happy with my decision to continue. I probably shouldn’t have, but I was feeling pretty daring that day and just went for it.

General Tips

There isn’t much more you need to know about hiking. You can buy specialist hiking equipment if you’re serious about it. I coped just fine though with hiking boots and snowboarding trousers (insulated and waterproof). Equipment aside, you just pay the very reasonable cost of getting to the start of the route (see the My Jungfrau website for fares and timetables, plus tonnes of other information on the area). I would say water, food, piste maps and a mobile phone are essential. Make sure you save your hotel phone number and local SOS phone numbers into your phone before you set off, just in case. If you’re keen to hike but you don’t feel very confident about doing it alone, there are planned group hikes and snow-shoe hikes throughout the season. Check local information for details.

Oh, and probably the most important tip; follow the markers. They’re every 20-30 metres, so getting lost is very unlikely.

If you’ve got any more tips or if you’ve got questions, please drop a comment into the box.

In part two of the Non-Skiers Guide to the Mountains, I prove that sledging is a great, inexpensive way for thrill-seeking non-skiing adults (and kids) to tear up the slopes.

What a week it’s been! This is the 7th day that we’ve had snow on the ground after the worst series of snow storms the UK has seen for nearly 20 years. Schools have been shut most of the week, millions have been bunking off work and on Monday, London ground to a complete halt, making headlines around the world. Shops have been closing at lunchtimes or not opening at all while bus and train services have been cancelled.

While many have had their lives seriously disrupted by the wintry conditions, life for me has been reasonably normal. Unlike some, I’ve been into work on time, every day. I normally get to and from work by bus or car, but this week I’ve mostly walked. As a result, I’ve walked 15.96miles (25.69km) more than I would have done normally. Work has been a bit of nightmare what with staff shortages. I work in the office of a major retailer, but I’ve spent most of the week on the shop floor covering for people who couldn’t get in. On Friday, there was so few of us, we had to close our biggest floor and run the smaller ground floor only. It was very eerie standing alone in the middle of a darkened shop floor at one of the peak trading periods of the week.

Right now, the snow’s slowly thawing, although it’s too slow for it to vanish completely before the next weather systems sweep in over the next few days, potentially delivering another 20cm of snow to most of the country.

I’m really enjoying living in snowy conditions, so bring it on!