Winter Training Vacation in Mallnitz

Posted On October 23, 2022

Most of the days with Thomas are kind of a training. We are very happy to see his progress and energy, but sometimes it can be tiring. And it is just the beginning. 

During the winter vacation spent in Mallnitz we also wanted to train for the future competitions. I don’t have many on the list, but I do train to get again in shape. We had a pretty intense week where we combined running, hiking, snowshoeing, walking, sledging and skiing. 

Thomas is our alarm clock in the morning. I can never get up earlier than him (5 AM, 6 AM, 6:30 AM, 7 AM). This was good for us because we had discipline :D. Woke up, had breakfast, prepared the rucksacks and started. Sounds easy, but most of the time we sweated already before leaving the hotel.

First day: Walking

We arrived at the hotel and already went for a walk and trained some altitude difference in the same time. There was no day without having to go up and down. But at least the first day was easier than the rest that came.

Second day: Sledging

We took three sledges with us: one big, one bob and one baby bob. We used only the bobs. The other one is beautiful, big, takes a lot of space in the auto, but it remained dry :)). The sledging slope was about 4 km long and really well prepared. It took us a bit of time to hike up and we were almost in no time down.

It was the first time on a sledge for Thomas and I must admit he did not enjoyed it the full time. I think he was scared about the speed when he was driving face forward. After I turned him to face me, aka face backward, it was much better and he was even laughing. This baby bob is pretty practical: it has belts to fasten the baby and the rope can be used either to pull the sledge up or to hold the sledge and brake it while driving down. Thorsten carried Thomas up, and down one of us was holding his bob and running behind to brake it, while the other one was enjoying a full speed drive for a few meters.

Third day: Hiking to Auernig

After endless discussions if we should or should not hike to Hagener Hütte, we chose to give it a try to Auernig, the so called home mountain from Mallnitz.

It was a beautiful, sunny day and we started it “appropriately”: on an actually closed hiking footpath :D. Hehhhh, we give it a try we said. Well … the path was barely recognisable, full of fallen trees from previous storms, steep and with a lot of snow. We followed some traces we thought they go to the top. They didn’t. Therefore we ended up in snow above the knees, somewhere in the middle of the forrest. It was pretty challenging to find the path again, but we did at some point.

Closer to the top the snow was getting less and the summit was free. Otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to reach it, being too risky with Thomas. Ah Thomas !!! He was sleeping most of the time we were sinking and sweating to find the right track.

On the summit he was more than awake, enjoying the view and even doing some steps at 1903 m. What a life ! Going down was easier since we didn’t get lost anymore. We looked back to the summit and seeing how far it was and steep, I was quite proud of us that we managed to reach the top. 

Fourth day: Trail run on the Sledging path

I miss trail running. When I saw the well prepared sledging slope I was more than happy to train against my enemy, the altitude difference. I ran in the morning up and down the slope once and in the afternoon Thorsten did it four times :D, while I was taking care of Thomas. It felt so good to suffer by running up and feel free and light by running down. Nothing makes me feel so free as trail running does: it is my only way to completely disconnect and clear my brain out. 

Fifth day: Skiing, snowshoeing and walking

Wooow, I didn’t know it can be so tiring to go skiing :)). Until we prepared everything we needed for the day, we were already sweated. Skies, poles, ski shoes, snow shoes, sledge, carrier for Thomas, food, milk, bottles, skiing helmets, skiing glasses, sun cream, etc.

I skied in the morning for about 3 hours and Thorsten in the afternoon. While I was skiing Thorsten did a snow shoes hike with Thomas and we met on the slope and ate together at lunch, then we went down and changed roles. While Thorsten was enjoying a few km on the slopes, I was having a walk with Thomas. It was an intense day, but a very beautiful one. 

Sixth day: Hiking to Hagener Hütte

Initially we decided to do a snowshoeing hike on the skiing slopes: a lot of altitude difference, but safe and a Kaiserschmarrn guaranteed at the top. I was just missing like 5 minutes and in these 5 minutes the plans were changed :D. Thorsten got the phone number of the taxi driver that could take us at a higher point to start the hike. The calm start of the day transformed into a hectic and a bit stressful one: make sandwiches for us, take more warm water, bottles, milk and food for Thomas, make a tee for us in case it will be cold on the way, take more clothes with us and be fast since we had to meet the taxi driver at a certain time. I have to admit it, I was not smiling in the beginning. 

In the beginning we could recognise the path, but at some point we lost it. We ended up on a path that took to another summit, but that one was too steep and far away. Thorsten desperately wanted to reach Hagener Hütte, so we went quer through the snow, without any traces, just a direction. At some point, after myself not being sure we will end up where we wanted, we saw the hut. After another half an our we reached it. It was so windy there and Thomas complained a bit, but as soon as the wind stopped by going down, the hike was enjoyable again. 

Seventh day: walking

We need kind of symmetry: started our vacation with a walk, then ended it in the same way. But this time at the end of the walk a delicious Kaiserschmarren was waiting for us. Thomas was more than delighted :D.

Our winter vacation was full of different sports and fresh air. I must admit it was pretty demanding physically, but definitely worth it. Everything is possible also with babies, it just needs imagination, determination and some (more) effort. It is not always easy, but this offers the little one a nice environment to grow up and doesn’t prevent the parents to do what they like.