More of Graz and more hiking

Really exciting weekend is unfortunately coming to a close! I had a great time doing various things with my host family now that fall is coming!

On Saturday I went to swim practice at 7:00 and afterwards my host family and I drove to a specialty Asics shoe store to buy some good quality running shoes to begin training for a half marathon! I was hesitant at first to buy €115 shoes, but I did and am really glad because they are very nice to run in and the pains in my ankles are gone! Afterwards we drove to Graz to run some errands and to start moving some of my host sister’s things into her apartment because she is beginning her studies there in October. I got to see how college living spaces are different from that in the US. She is sharing an apartment with a kitchen and large bathroom, unlike that of typical college dormitories. Anyways, we had a lunch in the apartment and afterwards did some shopping in the malls of Graz. I checked out some electronics stores with Wolfgang and had a huge ice cream in a café. I also bought a pair of jeans, so I should be all set for fall now. We also went to IKEA which is a huge furniture/home improvement store that comes from Sweden to get some more things for the apartment. I was totally worn out by then and ready to take a nap! But no, I made myself go on a run to try out the new shoes and I’m really glad I did because they feel great.

Mall in Graz

My €115 Asics!

Then today I woke up early again at 6:00 to go on a morning hike with Wolfgang. We had to drive a ways (about 45 minutes) and up to an elevation of 1800m just to begin our hike. This one was immediately more difficult than the one 2 weeks ago or Tauplitz last weekend because of the steepness and slippery snow covered rocks. What I liked about this mountain better however, was that after just 20 minutes of hiking we cleared the tree line and could see more of the rocks and drop offs. Also, being at that height, we unfortunately hiked into a cloud of fog and couldn’t see more than 50 meters in any direction and got soaked from the cloud. Even at the top where the sun should evaporate most of that moisture, it was foggy. We hit the summit at about 2300m and found an Alpenhaus where we ate a snack and rested for a bit. More people began coming up the trail by mid morning as well. Going down wasn’t easy but the hike was well worth it. We got some nice views of the lower part of the mountains which was cool too.

Beginning of the Hike. That mountain was our goal

Mountain water is super clean

What most of the hike was like

YEDI!!!

The Alpenhaus

The way coming down was really nice

That is the cloud we were in

Even though I have only been in this kind of mountainous region for really a month, I love the landscape. These hikes are so incredible to be thousands of meters in the air and get amazing views. I find it interesting that the airplanes flying at 30000 ft are usually silent to us on the ground can be heard at the tops of mountains. Or that on the right day on a summit, one can look about and see the clouds from above. Or how at the peak, it may be below freezing with wind chill but I can be in jeans and a tshirt and still be hot from the ascent. I have much to see and I am greatly looking forward to it!