Tour #3-Tenting Week
This tour we spent three intense nights in tents...It was a beautiful tour full of green mountains, breathtaking camp spots, challenging experiences and climbs, and of course-much laughter. Here for example is a picture from our camping spot the first night: right on the lake. After the hike mostly uphill, most of us took the plunge into this beautiful lake after setting up our tents.
I absolutely loved the hike this day. The scenery was much different from the glacier/Dachstein tour before:
After surviving our first night in our tents we awoke early the next morning to find quite the change in weather...no more sun. Only the fortunate few of us were able to cook and eat our breakfasts, take down our tents and back up our packs before the intense rain and hail storm began forcing us all to run for shelter in a nearby empty cow barn where we spent some portion of the morning waiting out the storm and sharing a devotion...though the rain never deterred us long. One of the highlights from this day's hike was crossing through (and not over for a change) one of the Alps via an old mine. Camping spot night #2:
Hike Day 3 of the tour (and one of the most humbling for me):
(We went up and over that patch of snow you can see in the right in the middle between the two peaks. We had the option of continuing even higher and summitting the peak to the right, unfortuneately my body was having none of that humbling me very much)
The boys on my team (appropriately named Einheit which means Unity in German, I loved my team as we always did truly stick together and really supported and encouraged each other during each and every hike):
Camping Spot night #3:
On the last day of the this tour we summitted another Alp with a cross at the top and there shared a very heart-felt devotion. Unbeknowst to us, during this devotion all of our leaders secretely left leaving only a first aid kit and instructions for each team to find their own way back to Schladming. This was the longest day of hiking, but also one of my favorites. From the summit, we hiked mostly downhill to a hut for a few hours where we realized just how far away from Schladming we truly were-over 13km. Trying not to be discouraged and keep spirits high we continued on our way and many were relieved when just around 6pm and after hours of walking the Tauernhof vans showed up around the corner to pick up whomever opted for a ride the rest of the way to Schladming. Beginning of the long descent down:
After this challenging tour, we were given one day of rest before heading our for our last and longest tour yet. Unfortuneately my zest for picture taking has declined dramatically thus there will be far less visual aides in the posts to come...This tour began with an intense uphill climb to the Guttenberg Hut which can actually be seen from Tauernhof and has a beautiful view of Schladming and the rest of the valley. I struggled greatly on this hike with my sore feet and blisters but have been blessed with amazing new friends and a great team which supported me all the way to the top. View from the hut with sheep which just chilled around there:
Sunrise at the hut (this is for you Aka):
The second day of the tour I unfortunately had to sit out of and stay back at the hut so that my feet could have one more day to heal, but I very much enjoyed my day of reading and reflection in the grassy fields while awaiting everyone's return. Everyone else did a very long and challenging klattersteig across the ridge of the range which I hear was just absolutely beautiful and amazing, proven by all of their pictures.The next day we set off on another very beautiful hike to a 'nearby' National Forest which overlooked the remarkable green valleys and lakes below:
Just about two hours of hiking after lunch, Martin (the principal) stopped us and announced that the next 40-45 hours would be our time of solo camping in the forest. We each were given a tarp to make a shelter our of to keep us warm and dry, and asked to give up all of our tent stuff and food so that we may fast for the time. These 40+ hours of solitude really challenged us all...you would be surprised how much you learn about yourself when you are sitting inside of your sleeping bag under a tarp listening to the rain fall down (it rained almost continually for the 40+ hours and many of us, myself included, didn't really perfect the tarp shelter and thus got quite wet). I was very grateful for that time of reflection, especially near the end of the program so I thought much about the 5 weeks and all I had learned and what I wanted to change in my life. It was hard though not to let the cold and wetness get to me I must admit though. My leader Julie and I celebrating the end of fasting and solitude with a Lion candy bar.
After being relieved/rescued/gathered from our assigned camping spots and sharing a wonderful lunch of hot soup and bread, we set off for another hike-this one much slower and flatter than any before as we were all weak from not eating and loosing much sleep. We spent the next nights in our actual tents next to yet another beautiful lake and spent the evening around a bonfire at the spot happy just to be around people again and fellowshipping. The next morning we awoke once again to find that our leaders had abandoned us once again with instructions to find our way back to Tauernhof. However, just a few hours into the hike we were surprised to see the Tauernhof vans and our leaders along side the rode. We were all told then to put on our running shoes and load our packs up into the vans, the remainder of the 'hike' was now to be a 12K race to Schladming...What a way to finish the 5 week program which had stretched us all physically, emotionally and spiritually. This race gave us one last opportunity to really push ourselves beyond any limits that we may have set for ourselves and really see how hard and beyond we could go. The route was absolutely amazing and it was fun to encourage others along the way as we passed each other in friendly competition.
Friday....well yesterday we spent wrapping up the program with a final lecture by Martin about the meaning of TRUST and how to truly apply it to our lives. Proverbs 3:5. That night we had our graduation ceremony where we each received our certificate of completion, a group photo, and watched a slideshow that three of the guys had put together. Sarah, Kay, Katie and I awaiting the 'ceremony'-
After many of us went into town for one last hur-ray and stayed up into the wee hours of the morning putting off goodbyes as long as possible.
This morning we all went our separate ways and said goodbyes in intervals. Katie and I stook around as long as possible and got one last ice cream before hopping on the train to Salzburg for the night to meet up with Kay and Sarah before heading off to Switzerland tomorrow.
I absoluetly loved Upward Bound at Tauernhof and have only positive things to say about the program-I learned so much, experienced so many new things, and made amazing life long friends. Blessed is the only word I can think of to truly depict how I feel. If anyone would like to know any specifics from any of the lectures or anything at all from what I've learned and how I've grown, please drop me and email or fb-I would love to share.
Hope life is finding you all well.
Peace
1 Thes 5:16-18
1 comment:
Wow! 40 hrs of solitude and fasting! Go Ashley. I hope you got a chance to journal. Listening to rain on the tent must have been magical. I love the photo of the four of you lifting your bags over your heads. Keep the updates coming!
love-
Jac
PS cute little beanie
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