Busy in Austria

All, the Dynafit boots need a better look than my brief take so I took my “first-look” down and will do something with more detail in a few days. Meanwhile, apologies for being so busy touring the huge amount of terrain around here (grin). I’ll report back soon with some details about our recent hut trip and more.

Touring yesterday up near Zillertal. This area has terrific road access because of some ski resorts, but you can tour up past the resorts to a truly vast area of excellent terrain. The initial tours are about 3,000 vertical feet, with as many laps as you care to do.

We’re headed to the famous and historic Kaiser mountains today. Every time we tour around here, the Kaiser are rising in the distance like a mystic land from some fantasy novel, so it’ll be fun to finally get over there with skis.

It’s a strange thing that I haven’t quite figured out, but I seem to have a lot less time here for writing than I do at home (grin). I guess I’ll make up for it in a few days when I’m back in the office — or in the hotel room at the OR show.

The weather here has been fairly good. Lots of wind so not much good snow, but it’s all skiable so it’s been terrific getting out every day. Good testing of the Dynafit Manaslu skis, that’s for sure. And they do help.

And of course, calories rule, so here is another installment of “Guess that Pastry.” Also, any takers on the mystery calories at the end of the race video? Come on you guys, I know some of you are experts at this!

14 Responses to “Busy in Austria”

1. brian harder January 15th, 2008 8:53 am

   Hey Lou,
   I posted a question to you yesterday regarding my F1 boot breakage and I put it with the new boot review. Checking today, that review has vanished along with possible answers. What gives? Is it hiding somewhere?

2. Lewis January 15th, 2008 8:54 am

   Glad you’re having a good time, Lou. OK so based on the nuts on top, I’m going with Nusstorte. I can’t quite tell from the picture; is that a walnut? or a pecan? I might have to ammend my answer to Baumnusstorte. These are getting tougher even for a guy like me who’s much better at pastry than ski mountaneering!
   =L=

3. Lou January 15th, 2008 9:02 am

   Hi Brian, I didn’t have all the info I needed and my timing was off, so the review will appear in a more complete fashion in a few days, instead of a firstlook that was basically a redone press release. Meanwhile, you were saying you broke a pin in the heel unit, correct? Were they old heavily used heel units, or relatively new ones? This is of course an important issue, as the bindings don’t usually break in that way…

4. Lou January 15th, 2008 9:04 am

   Lewis, yes, nusstorte, with a walnut on top!

   Now you need to get the one at the end of the video.

5. Lewis January 15th, 2008 9:13 am

   I’ve had a go at the one at the end of the video but am less confident on that one. I really need to buck up on my pastries. On the other hand, you don’t get to look like me without being somewhat good at pastries! 🙂
   =L=

6. Steve January 15th, 2008 9:16 am

   Lou, my guess on the pastry at the end of the video is ‘Backofen Gmunder Torte’.

7. Lou January 15th, 2008 12:58 pm

   Sachertorte!

   Sachertorte, nothing less!

8. brian harder January 15th, 2008 3:44 pm

   Thanks Lou,

   No, not the binding but the heel lever on the F1 boot. The cross pin that latches into the little groove to provide downhill control is what broke.

9. Lou January 16th, 2008 1:52 am

   Brian, thanks for the clarification! Yeah, the F1 boot, being so minimalist, does seem to require some repair now and then. I’d rather that than it be heavier.

10. sibylle hechtel January 16th, 2008 9:51 am

    Pastry: I’d guess Haßelußtorte, or even more specifically, Haßelnußkremtorte, with the creme layer in the middle.

    I grew up near there (S. Germany) and often visited the Wilde Kaiser as a kid, with my parents. My father did a lot of first ascents there. Ask the older Austrians if they knew, or knew of, Richard Hechtel. A German climbing partner own a hut in the Zillertal; I’ll have to go sometime.

    sibylle

11. Lou January 16th, 2008 10:08 am

    according to my hosts, who are experts on sugar cookery, nusstorte

12. Daniel January 16th, 2008 11:10 am

    I’m totally with Sybille – Haselnusstorte or Haselnusscremetorte, In English that would be Hazelnut (-creme) cake – delicious.

    It’s really cool to read about an area I know quite well from many mountaineering and ski trips, but haven’t visited in a decade.
    Thanks for the blog.
    BTW can you post some pics from the Dachstein trip. ( I learned to ski in Schladming, across the Valley (Ennstal?) and skied the Dachstein a lot)

13. Lee Lau January 16th, 2008 1:45 pm

    Brian,

    That pin does seem to break a lot. I’ve replaced the pin with a framing nail. Annoying when it happens because the boot is then pretty useless for downhill.

    Here’s what andrew mclean uses to fix his F1s when that pin breaks

    http://www.telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=39553&start=45&sid=5c8d69c5f30c3e38b618ac3bdd98827d

14. Poma Roy January 16th, 2008 2:35 pm

    You’re cruel, Lou! Pictures of tasty desserts, and only a promise of on-hill details about the new Dynafit boots. And you’re having fun in Austria.

    So cruel!