Brr. Yesterday’s spontaneous day at the ski resort of Oberwiesenthal was rather wild, so I think the follow-up to last week’s Raglan/NZ New Years post shall have to be postponed in favour of portraying the faces of this frosty trip out east. Starting at 5.30am, ending at 10.30pm, plenty in between.
Arrival at the top of Fichtelberg (East Germany’s tallest mountain, at 1215m). Temperature: -8 degrees celsius, not counting wind chill.
Evoking scenes from ‘Grand Hotel Budapest’, the delightfully renovated Fichtelberg Schwebebahn (cable car) is the oldest of its type in Germany, having opened in 1924. Despite its vintage, it can take up to 44 passengers, and indeed it did, in a very intimate crush.
A view across the border into the Czech Republic in one of the fine breaks that would hit as quickly as they would disappear in a blur of wind-driven snow. Beautiful snow for riding, cheap ski passes (€25 a day) and constantly changing views.
Lifts closing, clothing items beginning to freeze into place. Game over.
Just before we came across a deserted, snow-blocked road, departed on detours and found the windscreen washers were frozen. Special mention goes out to heated seats.