"A fantastic expedition!" A day-to-day account of the feelings and adventures of an Alpine Crossing

M2b Redaktion am 31.03.2006 - 20:00 Uhr

For three days last weekend, the athletes travelled through Germany and Austria to Italy, in the sun, snow, and rain, with all kinds of ups and downs. They didn't always have the feeling the trip would reach its planned goal.
But after 50 bars of chocolate, 60 litres of cola and energy drinks, and 3 metres of athletic tape, the athletes finally arrived, exhausted but happy, at their destination in Kasern.

With the team's collaboration, we were able to reconstruct a brief overview of the daily progress of the Hannibal project, based on notes and on comments recorded during the expedition. Given that the stop button was defective, we have to admit that sometimes we had the impression that the athletes thought they weren't being overheard...


Thursday, 23/03/2006

In the evening, the athletes from Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, and France, some of whom know each other only from competitions, gather at the Hotel Sonnenhof in Ruhpolding. Matthias, the elder of the Bader brothers, has brought his wife Petra and their baby son, born only 13 days before. After brief hellos, the athletes immediately have to make themselves available for interviews with the local press and the cameraman who accompanies the team, Florian Schwarz (Alpine Medienmanufaktur).
Later on, while the athletes are at dinner, Schorsch fills them in on the schedule for the next day.
As soon as dinner is over, our men all disappear into their rooms, so that they'll be ready the next day when the alarm clock rings (at 4 AM). Only Manfred, the team veteran, is not intimidated by the hour they have to get up or by the challenge in store for him the next day, and hangs out a bit longer by the bar...


Friday, 24/03/2006

Breakfast (4:00 AM):
because of an electrical outage, the day starts off with breakfast in a "romantic" ambiance (the only light is from candles and a TV set).

Departure (5:00 AM):
the athletes set off so quickly that the cameraman breaks away from the group after just a few metres and is left behind.

1st peak (5:45 AM):
fuelled by high motivation, the team reaches the first peak, Unternberg
2nd descent (7:15 AM):
the route continues with some difficulties through avalanches of wet snow in the direction of Seegatterl ins Tal. The first small accident occurs: Matthias loses a skin, and Beni falls, cutting his nose slightly and scraping his forearm.
They skate to the first support station. Manfred, from Alto Adige, the only one who is not an expert skater, has to struggle but loses no ground.

1. Support (7:53 AM):
arriving in the large car park atSeegatterl, the team meets up with the support vehicle for the first time on the expedition. A short video is shot and after recovering a bit of energy, the team sets out again (8:00 AM).

3rd Ascent:
from Seegatterl up to the peak of Scheibelberggipfel there is an 800 metre elevation gain, though part of the route uphill is quite level. Still, the seven-minute rest stop has refreshed the team, and they take under an hour to complete the ascent.
According to the O-Ton recordings, two of the athletes run into their first problems here: there is no bathroom on the horizon, and above all, there's no time to take off their racing suits. They are clearly in discomfort.
Nevertheless, they forge on to Steinplatte, and then to Loferer Alm, where unfortunately the way up is not tracked.
For their first true meal (around 11:00) the athletes get something hot to eat on Loferer Alm, then proceed towards the Loferer Talstation (at 11:45).

With the first hike on foot they cover about 5 km, in order to reach the starting point for the ski expedition to Loferer Skihörndl (circa 12:55 Uhr), (at about 12:55), where Christoph meets up with the team and accompanies them. Actually, Christoph was supposed to accompany the cameraman up to the peak of the Skihörndl (about 2286 m, 1.500 Hm) at noon. Unfortunately, however, the car was trapped in the snow before the expedition set out, so they were kept very busy for an hour and a half and no filming could be done.

The last descent of the day from Skihörndl via Rotscharte (at about 3:20 PM) is not tracked, and this requires great physical effort in soft snow conditions. Suddenly, halfway down, the athletes find themselves surrounded by a herd of deer.

Given that the planned descent route is impossible due to snow conditions, the team has to tackle another 5 km on foot in the valley (passing the Wiesensee, at about 4:40 PM), arriving at the Hotel Warmingerhof, Holzfilzen around 5:00 PM.
Later, our men complain of sore feet, since they have suffered for 10 hours inside socks that may have been inadequate for the damp and the heat. Matthias can't walk, his feet are in truly bad shape. The first package of plasters winds up empty in the rubbish bin.

Bedtime (about 8:00 PM):
as usual, Nicolas, Matthias, Martin, Beni and Javier head straight up to their rooms after dinner. Only Schorsch, Christoph, and, of course, Manfred are still downstairs when the journalists and the mayor show up. So the others must be called down from their rooms, even Beni, who was already fast asleep.
They get the photos and interviews out of the way. When it all seems to be over, the athletes would like to go right back to bed, but at this point the mayor announces with a pleased look that he'd like to treat everyone to a beer...seven long minutes drag by as the athletes barely sip their beer, until the mayor, who has drained his glass, decides to take his leave. Everyone hurries back to bed.


Saturday 25/03/2006

Breakfast (4:00 AM) and the withdrawal of Matthias Bader:
unfortunately one night was not enough to heal all the damage to Matthias' feet; he complains of open wounds and is unable to walk. He sadly says goodbye to the team he would have liked to follow to Italy, and is forced to head home with his wife and little son.

Departure (5:00 AM), first leg:
now there are only seven people skating. For about 5 km until Eisernen Hand the trail is level, and Javier, in particular, complains of sore feet. Javier is wearing his competition boots. It seems, however, that he has chosen them too tight, at least for this demanding expedition. After a while he seems to be doing better, as they continue the ascent, since the physical effort is not as bad as the foot pain, even though this second day is marked by more difficult routes.

2nd leg:
the French athlete Nicolas opens a new track on the slope, reaching Bernkogel in record time. They then proceed to Reiterkogel.
After the peak there is an "stretch that seems never to end, almost all the way to Lengau". It's very cold, snowing, and everyone's feet hurt. For the first time in the recordings you can hear tired panting, the euphoria has faded away.

3rd leg:
after a brief rest stop where the athletes eat and drink (8:20 AM), the path leads them for about 1100 hm up Schusterkogel (2207 m), where they leave behind the cold for equally unbearable heat. Schorsch's recorded comment: "We've almost stopped talking. We've all reached our limit, we're at the threshold of pain". From his tone of voice you can tell he's not exaggerating. It's the last recording of the day.

At Jochberg, near the Pass Thurn, the athletes reach a road. Again there is a hike (about 20 minutes), after which Javier decides to walk without his boots because of the pain (12:15 PM).

After lunch (1:30 PM) they start out again on foot in the direction of Trattenbach. Upon arrival at Trattenbachalm the athletes are too weak to talk. It also seems that Javier can no longer stand the pain; the team is worried that it's going to lose another member. Their only hope is to find him a larger pair of boots for the next day.

Afterwards, Manfred tracks the way at high speed. A short descent is followed by a long climb up the Zweitausender, and after reaching the peak, the team looks across to the Wildgruberkogel. It is so far away that their feet and their entire bodies seem to refuse the idea of continuing at first. The group's motivation falls to the lowest point since the beginning of the expedition. The descent on soft snow once again requires the expenditure of quite a bit of energy. Dusk begins to fall, but there's still a long road ahead.
On the next to last ascent, Martin leads on fast skis, because the daylight is gradually fading away. On the last ascent, total collapse sets in, but they have to struggle against it, since they have to reach the next stop a Neukirchen am Großvenediger. Nicolas, the world ski mountaineering champion (U 23) who seemed perfectly fresh and in fine shape until noon, is begging the others for something to eat and drink and devouring anything he finds.

Towards 7:00 PM the team reaches the well-deserved 4-star Steiger hotel Even in the ski locker, many bars of chocolate, cola, and energy drinks are consumed.

Now the athletes can treat themselves to a brief shower and get changed, because two journalists are already there waiting for an interview. After meeting with the press, posing for photos, and having dinner, as always it's time for bed: 9:30 PM. Only Manfred sticks around for one more beer with the locals (it's important to stock up on minerals...)


Sunday 26/03/2006

3:30 AM (solar time - it's now daylight savings): time to wake up and have breakfast. This time our heroes have even the hotel staff at their service with a buffet breakfast, something the team had to sacrifice until now because of their schedule.

At 4:30 sharp they set out, as they have every morning, with head lamps on the cross-country trail. Instead of the planned 30 minutes, the athletes take an hour and 15 minutes along this trail, because in the dark the route isn't as easy as the hotel owner made it out to be. After many needless twists and turns, the team arrives frustrated at the support vehicle. Despite his new footwear, Javier is in utter pain.
Up to Krimml, "midgets go on foot, men have to wear skis". Which means that the shorter athletes don't sink into the snow and can go on foot, whereas Schorsch, Manfred and Beni need more support from their skis. On Krimmler Hochtal all the possible options are tried out: the "midgets" go on foot, Beni and Schorsch with skins, and Manfred, who as we pointed out, is the only inexpert skater, decides to skate. Apparently he's discovered a new passion.

An hour and a half later, the team reaches Krimmler Tauernhaus, where Manfred, presenting a banknote to the owner, avows that the group is parched and starving. After 50 euros' worth of bread, cheese, lunchmeats and drinks (Beni in particular devours everything within reach, but we already know that...) the athletes hit the trail again for the next ascent. Schorsch: "The last 1000 hm are a long ways off and have to be tracked, but by now we have no strength left". Another descent and then another ascent.

12:30: Schorsch: "It's incredible, only two days ago we were in Ruhpolding. It's crazy! Downhill all the way". After a descent beyond Gemsen, the team skates towards Kasern: they are now closing in on their goal.

Arrival at Kasern (1:30 PM):
the team is welcomed by journalists and passers-by, all enthusiastic that the expedition has been successful in the end.
Schorsch: "We still can't believe it's really over. Right now we still haven't been able to process our impressions of the last few days. And there are really quite a few".


After lunch at Berghotel Kasern, the president of the Valle Aurina Tourist Bureau expresses his admiration for the team. The time has come to go home, nurse injured feet and absorb the experience, fill up on calories and rest... On Monday, at least, since on Tuesday our athletes will all be back in training.


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