Wildstrubel Hike
Three weeks ago I went on a hike with 8 fellow Canadians. It was a 3 day hike which we completed in 2 days, so to say the least it was difficult. We started at an elevation of 1100m, and climbed in one day up to 2800m. That’s almost 2km, purely in elevation gain! Oh boy my legs could feel the pain. The weather was really nice to us, it wasn’t perfectly sunny but the clouds coming and going made it more interesting. We would have a beautiful clear view of the Alps towering above us, and then minutes later, the clouds would roll in and we could barely see the people in front of us, it was crazy!
The most rewarding part of this hike though was definitely the sunset which we witnessed from the hut we were sleeping at. As evening approached, the clouds settled below us so that we were able to look out onto the horizon, see a few mountain peaks poking out of the clouds and watch the sunset. It was just incredible to think that people below us were already covered in darkness and we were here, above the clouds, watching such an incredible sight. An unforgettable moment.
(Incredible picture, incredible moment)Lac des Dix Hike
I tried to get as much hiking in as possible before the season ended, so barely giving my legs enough time to recover I went on another mountain hut hike the following weekend. This time I went on the hike with 3 other boys, which means the conversation often turned to bodily functions and every time we paused for a rest, their inner child would come out and they would play with the rocks, whether building the tallest tower or throwing the furthest. Boys are always boys.
This hike included many amazing parts including: starting off at the world’s 2nd tallest dam (283m, holding 375 million m^3 of water), hiking up 1km in elevation, sleeping at 2900m, seeing the Milky Way from atop the Alps, crossing a glacier, and climbing a 60m ladder over a dangerous pass. Overall it was quite a spectacular hike and we were lucky to have good weather all throughout.
(Me with the Cabane des Dix and le Glacier Cheilon in the background)
(The ladder which brought us over the Pas des Chevres)Oktoberfest, Munich
Before going to Oktoberfest I didn’t have too many expectations, but I guess the thing that surprised me most was how similar to the Calgary Stampede it was. Replace the cowboy boots and hats with lederhosen, the mini donuts with pretzels and the corn dogs with bratwurst. But besides the beer and drinking aspect, it was basically a fair ground, with rides, games and junk food.
One thing I learned from this event – I can’t party for 12 hours straight. We arrived in the beer tents at 8:30am, got our first beer at 9am, and by about 2 in the afternoon we were all ready to pass out. I am just not cut out for continual alcohol consumption. So, after leaving the tents we enjoyed walking around the grounds, watching people pass out everywhere. Even a few emergency stretchers rolled by with people that obviously didn’t know their own limits.
Besides the Oktoberfest shenanigans, we did take some time to see the city of Munich. There are some quite architecturally spectacular buildings in the city, as well as some beautiful parks and so many statues! A lot of lion statues interestingly enough…I don’t know what Munich’s fascination with lions is but there must be some significance there.
So overall: Munich was a success.
(The gang of us doing some touring of Munich on a 7 person bike)
(The gang of us doing some touring of Munich on a 7 person bike)
(I got so sick of Pretzels after this weekend...)
(Enjoying beer early in the morning of Oktoberfest)Work Update
I have now been at work for 3 months, and I can tell that I have begun to be given more responsibility. Since I am a Cost Engineer, my boss and I work on all the projects within the company to help the designers with cost estimations along the way. There are many ongoing projects in Wärtsilä, and I mostly help my boss out with only a few. However last week, he basically told me that I would be the cost engineer representative on one of the projects. Obviously everything that I am assigned I still pass by him, but at the meetings I am the representative for our team. It’s a little nerve wracking because it means that I have a role beyond just sitting on the sidelines listening. It’s a great learning experience, and although terrifying it is good to be trusted with more responsibilities.
Having attended a few important meetings now, I also have begun to notice the male-dominance of my field. A few weeks ago we had a day-long meeting, and out of the 33 people there I was the only female. So when someone was introduced or began speaking they would say “Good day Lady and Gentlemen” looking specifically at me each time. It was very embarrassing. But overall, work is becoming easier, I am adjusting to being in the real world and feeling more comfortable about it.
What’s up Next
I have an exciting three weeks ahead of me. This coming weekend (tomorrow) I will be in PARIS!!! I am sooo incredibly excited! I think Paris was one of the places I was most looking forward to visiting so it is going to be incredible!! And then next weekend I am going to be biking across Luxembourg: from France, through Belgium, stopover in Luxembourg and finishing in Germany. And then 2 weeks from now I am going to enjoy the delights of Berlin!! And then after that I take a 2 week breather before going to Scotland for a week!! Hopefully my wallet can handle all of this traveling…
MISS YOU ALL!!
