Ischgl Feb
Trip Start
Feb 16, 2006
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36
38
Trip End
Feb 16, 2009
Ischgl,
Austria
Monday, February 19, 2007
Been a while since I written so thought I'd update you with a very exciting email.
Things are still going well here in Austria. I have just moved into another apartment in the town of Galtur (up the road from Ischgl). The family that run it are super nice and speak some English so it makes things a lot easier. The father is also a mountain guide so hopefully if the weather is good next weekend he is going to take us for a hike to a glacier and some back country snowboarding which will be awesome. As some of you probably know I have finally resigned from the Public Service in Oz. I've decided to stay on in Austria until the start of April then return to London to try and earn some decent money. After living in a snow town for like 4 months I can confirm that I will without a doubt be doing another season somewhere at the end of this year a mortgage can wait another few years :0).
Its been an interesting last couple of weeks though, filled with many injuries some a little worse than others. We all went rodelen (tobogganing) the other week and both Simon and I dislocated our shoulders. Simons is quite bad and needed some scans which cost him a small fortune. He has been advised to get an op but no urgency. Mines just the same pops out goes back a few days later all good I'll live. Rodelen was so much fun though, you do it at night under a flood lit 9km run and its insane you go about 70km/h and can barely steer. If you crash your likely to get run over by other party goers.
3
They are the old school wooden sleds which you are meant to sit on and hold a rope. Of course being Aussies we went down lying head first, which could probably account for a few injuries. Think we are going againtonight if the weather clears up its currently snowing again :).
The other injury to report is for our poor Swedish mate Eric who busted his back last week and had to be airlifted to a local hospital. All the boys decided it would be a top idea to build a massive jump up the side of a big wind drift. It got a little out of control and the jump was about 6 foot high by the time "we thought" we had finished. We were hitting the jump at full speed probably around 85km/h but it still wasn't enough height or speed to get on top of the wind drift. After 4 unsuccessful jumps by Nick, Simon and myself Eric our skiing mate
gave it a shot. He unfortunately landed very upright in a hole created by our impacts. He ended up compressing one side of a vertebrae and cracking the other side, not good. He has gone back to Sweden with a cast around his waist :0(. There are
a few photos up to document the event.
Other than that things are going well. Still riding nearly everyday and having a ball I really dont want to leave. We have made quite a few friends and have a really good crew to hang out with (minus Eric of course). We have had some of the best days of the season lately and I finally got to take the plastic off my mountain board. Theres still quite a few storms predicted for the next few weeks so fingers crossed Im waist deep in the stuff for the next month :0).
Well better run its washing day! Hope everyones doing well, send me some news and gossip to keep me entertained.
JB
