Tirol mountain bike holiday

11 - A Polish weekend

A long weekend crammed full of as much mountain biking as our Polish guests could handle. Add good food and good schnapps and this was a great all round long weekend.

Could be Robert doing a wheelie, however, it is just Robert going through a turnstile after a forest section.

Helmet on, check. Camelbak in place, check. Bike ready, check. Let's go.

A foggy morning on the Scheffau bahn. I'm guessing it is going to be quiet up there.

Yep the seat is low but this shot was taken after coming down a set of stairs. It was best to get the seat well out of the way.

Robert managed the top section well, it was only on hitting the bottom section that things started to go a little wrong.

Roots below and branches above. Plenty to keep you concentrating. There was nothing stopping Dariusz's big smile though.

Sometimes it is better to go slowly, especially if you are taking on a switchback that you have never done before.

Dariusz's Santa Cruz looking far more impressive than my Trek hardtail. It was a little lighter though, but only just!

It is important to decide the best route when heading down the steep stuff. Sometimes we will stop for a moment or two and we'll suggest why and where the best route might be.

When people want a photo we will always oblige. Didn't really capture the impressive Wilder Kaiser mountain range behind though. Next time.

Something just isn't right in this photo, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Needless to say there was a short break afterwards.

Out of the woods and the the sun shining down.

If you look closely to the left, there is a marmot den to be seen. Sometimes it is worth slowing down, firstly to see them and secondly not to be too alarmed by the loud whistle they can make.

If you couldn't see the marmot in the other photo, here is a close up version for you.

Enjoying a rest at the end of the days mountain biking. Some great Austrian wine, normally we have the beer but it was a nice change. Try the Zweigelt.

They look more menacing than they really are. Well that's been my experience anyway. Just make sure you there is another member of the grop wearing the red jersey.

Some early morning fog and a hunting treehouse are some of the views you'll get on a climb up on the Scheffau gondola.

For someone that hadn't ridden a great deal, it was nice to see him improve every day on the holiday. Keep the fitness up and he'll be back for more.

An easy start to the day, before heading off into the woods and enjoying some steep, rocky, rooty trails.

A pose from Robert. Some might think he is a fan of the shade black...

Another restaurant, this time serving a good selection of local Tyrolean cheeses.

Keep level pedals and use your legs as springs to help you down the trail.

A moment out for a photo or two.

A bit of XC trails to make you realise the mountains are tougher when you have to pedal up them as well as enjoy the descents.

Sometime when you think a picture is ruinged because you missed the bottom of the wheel, you are pleasantly surprised. Tight cropping is usually good with action shots.

A stereotypical shot. Cyclist with cow in field. She's a beauty isn't she.

An easy river crossing. There is a bridge available however on a hot day, it can be refreshing to plough through the water.

Local baked bread at the Stoeckl alm in Hochsoell.

A local group of school children baked a load of bread on a day trip to Hexenwasser.

A bit more walking. I broke my promise, I've shared these photos.

Winding through a tight section of singletrack with Dariusz close behind Robert.

An obliging cow allows us to photo it. Maybe it just didn't see us through all that hair.