Wow, to finally be in Garmisch, Germany. So much history you can feel it seeping from the pores of the ground, the trees, the stones. Driving here I was imagining the where this country has come, through WWII and on to the present. Hung out with the Marker engineers this morning, after that we hit an authentic Bavarian restaurant for the biggest juiciest pork chop I’ve ever consumed (thanks Markus and Robert, more on that later), then some Euro driving up to the mountains, and now at a “hut” you reach by a mega cable car, Kreuzeckbahn. Dinner time at Kreuzeck Hutte. I’m at a table with a bunch of crazy Italians and the obligatory journalist from Skiing Magazine who appears to be enjoying the EU Dynafit scene, though jet leg intrudes. More tomorrow after we ski tour. A bit of snow tonight, but the mountains are pretty much covered with a sheet of ice after several weeks without snow, and it’ll take more than the predicted four centimeters to fix that. Dull edged demo skis? Pffffft. Hardcore.
Parking at Kreuzeckbahn, total ski bum style changing clothing in the parking lot. The big mountains are up in the clouds beyond the crags in the photo. I'm up here at the hut you reach via the cable car. Cool new Dynafit stuff being fondled by all the journalists, but I'm sworn to secrecy about it all. Hint, new boots at both ends of the spectrum.
The ski tour is one thing, but they say one has to ski the Kandahar downhill course before leaving and experience a vertical ice skating rink. Best on touring skis for total adrenalin. Preferably at night. Just kidding.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
