At the Dachstein!

The Dachstein Massif.  It's been looming in my thoughts for years.   The first major turn point in the X-Alps, and some fine via ferratas.   We almost came here last year, and then didn't.  Too many other places to go.  We did come here a month ago, but the amount of snow still lingering was too much.  We are here now, but this rain...it just keeps coming.

Hopefully this week we will actually get onto, and fly off of, the Dachstein.  In the meantime, there was a little fresh snow on it this morning.  Yikes.

Half a day without rain showers was enough to get into the Silberkarklamm for a low-level day out.  A "klamm" in German is a slot canyon, more or less.  There are quite a few narrow river canyons in the Alps.  In southern Utah, they are usually hidden, hard to find, and require technical climbing gear, and you can only go in dry weather.  Here in the Alps, they are filled with waterfalls, well-advertised, usually with a small entrance fee, and lots of well-built ladders and walkways.  Oh, and they love to build Klettersteig routes up the sheer cliff walls.   So you get to climb a fun route, plus see some cool waterfalls in a naturally scenic spot.  Couldn't be better.

There were 3 short Klettersteigs in the Silberkarklamm.  We did them all, with a stop in between for some soup at a small hut built high up in a cirque above the Klamm.    The one called Rosina was probably the best of the three, but they all had cool sections including some nice cable bridges :)





http://www.bergsteigen.com/klettersteig/steiermark/dachsteingebirge/rosina-klettersteig

http://www.bergsteigen.com/klettersteig/steiermark/dachsteingebirge/hias-klettersteig

http://www.bergsteigen.com/klettersteig/steiermark/dachsteingebirge/siega-klettersteig

I finally got my race wing (thanks Ozone!), and took it for a short flight off the hill behind our campsite.  Just making sure everything feels right before I launch in the race.  Final harness adjustments will be simple and I'll be ready to go on July 2 for the prologue!


















Hey, if you want to follow a guy doing something rather insane, check out the Iron Cowboy doing 50 Ironman Triathlons in 50 States in 50 Days.   He's on Day 15 right now, and each day he spends between 13 and 15 hours Swimming, Biking and Running.  That doesn't leave much time for sleep when you consider his support crew then has to get him to the next STATE by the next day in order to do another Ironman.

http://www.ironcowboy.co/blog

His final race, and I hope he makes it through this crazy challenge, is in Salt Lake City on July 25.  Perhaps if I make it through my own race here in Europe, I'll be home in time to cheer him on at the conclusion of the 50-50-50!    Here's his race schedule and map:   50-50-50 Map