solitary_summer | (no subject) (Reply)

[typed and edited 10-08-2003]

Hiking tour, take two.
Ingolstädter Haus via Diessbachsteig (4 3/4 hrs), back via Weissbach.

Pretty, but hot even up there, unless the wind was blowing.

It was kind of impressive, especially the part where the path climbs up to the plateau at the end of the valley, but I won't remember it the way I remember my tour from last summer, where I met practically no one all day. That had been mine, a private experience, only I had see the clouds pulling away from the mountains just like that... Today - the same path, the same view for all the people who went up there, nothing all that special. But what with the heat and my lack of physical fitness I didn't really dare chose such an obscure path.

I actually bought soup and something to drink at the hut, something of a progress in socialisation for me. And hitched a ride for the last part of the way down.

The new socks apparently messed with my hiking boots, both achilles tendons hurt, especially (and sometimes quite badly) when there was pressure both from the side and back. Never had this problem before, but there's just no way I'm giving up twice on the same hiking tour.

I generally like hiking, but at one point between the sun beating down and me trying not to strain my feet the wrong way, sweat and sunscreen dripping down my face, worrying about getting sunburned to boot, part of me was really asking why I keep doing this...

Except that I hated to find out how truly unfit I'd become... That my body isn't really up to such rather average exertions bothers me more than the few extra kilos. I seriously need to get a little more exercise during the year; I'm not 20 any more...

Sat on the balcony in the evening, watching the moon come up from behind the mountains... full moon, turning the feathery clouds into dark continents and islands with bright shores.

Sound of the bell of a cow grazing, cicadas, train in the distance. Still very warm - sitting outside at 11 pm with only a t-shirt, not feeling even remotely chilly.

Not a breeze stirring.