07/24 - Tamina Canyon

It's said to be a nice and sunny day... so I made some plans for another trip... nothing complicated... it's planned to be a walk of 4 to 5 hours.

I started close to the main station in Bad Ragaz. The way led straight deeper and deeper into the valley... and after a nice walk I reached Alt Bad Pfäfers, the place which is in front of the last part of the canyon with the thermal spring.

Main station Bad Ragaz

Alt Bad Pfäfers

Entrance to the thermal spring

Impressive rocks on both sides... and the way goes on... you can feel that the air is getting warmer as effect of the thermal spring...

Part of the old piping system

After leaving the canyon I'd to walk uphill to cross the canyon over some kinda natural bridge and the way brought me then to Pfäfers where you can see the huge church which is very characteristic for that village.

Uphill

The church in Pfäfers

Rhine valley

Last picture but not the end of the trip

I was about 45 minutes away from my car when my trip came to a sudden end. I slipped, twisted my left foot, fell over and broke both bones of my lower leg. Luckily I wore some good shoes, due to this something worse was avoided.

I ended up - after a flight with a REGA helicopter - in the Kantonsspital Graubünden in Chur where I'd to stay until Sunday.

Planked Poutine Burger

Another way to serve a burger... not in a bun but on a bed of homemade potato wedges, covered with some shredded Swiss Appenzeller and some portwine gravy on top of it... so delicious...

Here´s the whole story...

First step, as always: prepare the paddies and put them back to the fridge

Roasting the pre-cooked wedges

Preparing the gravy... in this case with portwine but you can take whatever you like

The paddies on the grill

Cedar plank with potato wedges and burgers

Topped with some Appenzeller cheese

Ready to be eaten... with gravy all over it

07/22 - Swiss MTB Championship in Balgach, Day 2

After the heavy rainshower on Saturday evening there was still some more rain during the night. Due to this it was unsure if the really spectacular hillside could be used on Sunday... the first races still took the alternative track, really muddy at some parts...

Somes crashes happened at this keypoint...

At one place of the track there was a special VIP area where you could only enter with a special band. Wine and some tasty fingerfood was served there while there was a break of app. 1 hour before the race of the elite women and U23 started.

 

The race started at 12 pm and a few minutes later the first riders came up the hill... first the elite women... then the U23 women

At this time of the day the weather was absolutely perfect... pleasant temperatures... not too hot and most importantly: no rain!

All the people along the track saw great competitions with a lot of action and well deserved winners...

Sarah Koba, leader from the beginning and Swiss Champion 2012

Jolanda Neff - first of the crowd and Swiss Champion 2012 U23

Yes!!

The Elite race started

Thomas Litscher

Nino Schurter - Swiss Champion 2012

Ralf Näf

Florian Vogel

Thomas Litscher riding down the final hillside

Yeah! I´m Swiss Champion!

The full set of pictures can be found on Facebook (public gallery but you´ve to be logged in to your account).