alpine meadows and Ferrero Rocher ice cream

From the cracking dry cold of the Sani Pass, Lesotho, to the sunny skies and lush alpine green of Ruhpolding, Germany, with a brief stopover in Cape Town to throw all our kit in the wash and say g'bye to loved ones, these past four days have been a whirlwind.

The 11 days at the top of Sani Pass was certainly a unique experience. One thing's for sure: from it I learned that bucket-washing's not my thing...  particularly in average daily temps of 5 deg Celcius. I'd have killed for a hot shower.

Once down from Sani Top, I took so long in my first shower that I almost dissolved.

We're now in the scenic town of Ruhpolding, where our race will start on Saturday. It's quiet and quaint, with every second shop a coffee shop or bakery, which suits us just fine.
(This evening's most valuable discovery: Ferrero Rocher icecream. OMG!)

Today we took the cable car up to the top of Rauschberg, Ruhpolding's local peak - not notably high (1645m) but with dramatic panoramic views of more than 600 alpine peaks in the region. It even boasts its own touch of modern art - an enormous metal sculpture of "Adam's Hand" leering from the highest point. A little strange perhaps, but the locals seem to like it. (I'm not sure how well Capetonians would take to the idea of Adam's hand - or Eve's for that matter - waving gayly at the world from the top of Table Mountain...)

My "countdown to TransAlps" widget is starting to give me the jitters - there're less than 36 hours to go before Ryan and I start our TransAlpine Run.

I think I need another cappuccino, quick...