Rainy days and sun days
2nd to 5th August 2023
We’re getting a little bit fed up of the rain. We seem to get one good day, then one mixed and one bloomin’ awful. But, we are doing our best to make the most of it and getting out as much as we can when the weather is fair.
We are back in Leinz in the East Tyrol. For those interested, it is about 120 km, as the crow flies or, for fans of Charlie Brown, 600 km, as Woodstock flies, south of Salzburg.
It’s a farly large town set between the Alps and the Dolomites. We are here for the snowy range of 3,000 metre plus mountains called the Glocknergruppe. But the pesky weather is keeping us in the valleys.
So, we are not ‘up’ (in the mountains), as we has hoped to be, but ‘down’ (in the valleys). Really down... comma, comma, down, dooby-doo down, down in fact. (An oldie but a goodie.)
On a rare dry day we did manage to get out and do another klettersteig (or via ferrata). No blisters this time. This one was up a beautiful gorge a few kilometres east of Lienz.
The start of the gorge. We half expected to turn round and find Bilbo Baggins following along behind.
It was a fun outing though Mrs P found it to be a bit slippery. Klettersteigs are usually dry and high. This one was, in places, quite wet. There was after all quite a lot of water as you can see.
The start of the climb
Mrs P was wearing her hiking boots with vibram soles. Mrs P always wears her hiking boots. Despite them being renowned for being terrible on wet rock. I think it’s her way if saying, “I only go out on sunny days.” Or maybe it’s her way of saying, “I need some new shoes.”
Check out those biceps as Mrs P traverses the glistening wet rock above the raging torrent.
Anyway, this combination of really wet rock and vibram soles caused her some difficulties. I didn’t see it happen and for heaven’s sakes don’t tell her mother (hello Mrs J), but she did slip at one point. I looked down to see her hanging by one hand facing the wrong way high above what we shall, for dramatic effect, call “The Torrent of Death.”
“What is she playing at?” I unhelpfully thought. I’d have shouted, “Stop messing about!” But she wouldn’t have heard over “The Torrent of Death.”
Long story short, you’ve see the muscles on that girl’s arms in the photo, she simply hauled herself back up, grinned at me and carried on. Hard as nails she is.
For those of a delicate nature it is worth remembering that Mrs P was also wearing a harness, helmet and was attached to the cables by not one, but two safety devices. Perhaps a life jacket would’ve been useful too.
What? Me? Slip? Never!
It was a very varied route…
Are we having fun yet?
Slippery when wet.
At least we won’t get wet feet...
…with just one minor barrier that could not be avoided at about the half way point.
… or will we? COLD!
It was a great day out and a great route. It’s called the Klettersteig Pirknerklamm if you fancy giving it a go.
If you want to see a cool video of us on thi sklettersteig just follow this link to my Instagram page
I shall gloss over the following couple of rather wet days after that. Though we did get to visit a Roman museum (we love a good museum and this one was very good). The predominantly outdoor museum of Aguntum is well worth a trip if you are in the area. Cheap too. Just €6 each.
And then it rained again…
He’s not coming out. He’s been a very naughty boy.
…so we went shopping. A trip to the outdoor shops in Europe is often very expensive and this trip was no exception. The main reason we like shopping for outdoor clothes in Europe is e it is possible to buy colourful items, unlike in the UK where the options are; black, grey, green, brown or dark blue.
It was sunny the next day. That’s today, but that’s another story.
