Training in snow shoes - for tropical marathons...!

When I woke up this morning at 5:00 it was 10 degrees below zero and very foggy. I filled my knapsack with everything one needs for a tour in the snow: a thermos of hot chocolate, sandwiches, water and headed for the hills, as it were. Here in the valley, it just looks like someone sprinkled powdered sugar everywhere - but as soon as you hit 1000 meters, the snow gets very deep - the best conditions for snow shoe training. Cristal clear air and the clearest of blue skies.

Most of you out there, especially those of you who live in the warmer parts of the globe, might not be able to imagine it, but the Black Forest has a one meter-deep blanket of snow in some parts. That means getting on the ol' snow shoes, a thick daun jacket and heading out for some deep-snow training, something I've been doing the last couple of years to prepare for the Sahara, as snow and sand are amazingly similar elements. Considering the fact that there's no sand in sight, the snow proves to be the next best element. Take one step forward, slip half a step back. It's pretty exhausting! As soon as I found the right remote area with the most virgin snow, I strapped up my knapsack, buckled on the snow shoes, and set out for the highest mountain of the Black Forest, the Feldberg.

The nicest things about today were a unique view of the Swiss Alps to the south, a view one has about twice a year. But nicer still and the biggest motivation to keep on going, kilometer for kilometer in the snow was the view to the southeast - towards Asia, India to be exact - and the view to the southwest, towards Costa Rica. What an awesome and far out feeling to have an icey wind and snow blowing in your face, but to have your mind full of very warm thoughts of marathons in far away tropical places, the hot sun pouring down on your bare skin.

Snow shoes and hot thoughts...