Exploring

Life is living for the moment and making the most of time, taking advantage of what nature has to offer right on your doorstep. When the next beach is far away and there is not a single windy spot nearby, it would be a waste of time not to go and check out the surroundings. With my current residence being a small village in the Alps, quality windsurfing sessions are a rare occurrence. So one sunny Sunday morning, I grabbed my bike and went up the nearest mountain. At about 800 metres, all bike trails come to an end and you have to start walking and climbing. I was surprised to walk through fields of snow in mid-June.
The "Benediktenwand" is about 1800m high. It is basically a wall of exposed rocks covered in grass and conifers. From a certain height onwards, you kind of feel like being above everything. However, these hiking tours are getting so popular these days that I found it a bit too crowded, especially at the summit.
When you arrive at the top you also get a nice view on the Walchensee which you can see in the background of the following photo:
It is also nice to be on the same level as most clouds are, or even higher.
On another day I went to "Achensee", which is in Austria. I climbed this hill as it wasn't windy at all when I arrived. It got a bit windy later so I had to hurry down the slope to get on the water.
When I cross the Alps, I can get to Lake Garda in about 3 and a half hours. The setting is a lot different here with warmer temperatures and a more Mediterranean looking vegetation.
 This is Torbole, situated at the Northern end of the lake:
I really like to come here when the weather is bad on the Northern side of the Alps. The atmosphere is a mix of Italian, Bavarian and international influences. The spots are busy but windsurfing still seems to be really alive down there. So even if the Alps are not the best place for windsurfing, there is still loads to do and to explore. And if you are willing to drive you can often find a spot that's windy in order to get out on the water at least once a week.

Comments

antoine said…
Salut Mathias,
Il est excelent ton blog. On se voit très vite a Torbole ou plus au nord !!
Antoine
30 June 2013 at 21:21
Mathias Genkel said…
Salut Antoine,

c'est cool d'avoir de tes nouvelles. Je serai au lac de Garde à partir du 13 ou 20 juillet. Peut-être le week-end prochain pour un jour. Tu y vas quand? Tiens-moi au courant !!
1 July 2013 at 21:01
Mathias Genkel said…
D'ailleurs, tu es sur facebook ?
1 July 2013 at 21:03
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