Far West Skier's Guide 2011-2012 - (Page 58)

Bernd enjoys the panoramic view over the Bavarian peaks. A quick tour around Bernd’s home left no doubt about his vocation and his avocation. His cellar served as his mountain equipment warehouse. One wall was home to a dozen pairs of downhill skis, one pair of telemark skis, two pairs of cross-country boards and an odd set of 130-centimeter-long skis used for winter mountaineering. This gear was complemented by fifteen pairs of ski poles, twelve backpacks of various shapes and sizes, 25 pairs of ski boots, eight pairs of snowshoes, four sets of crampons and five ice axes. Whereas his large cellar was adequate for all of Bernd’s mountain equipment, it took two full rooms of his house to accommodate his photography gear. Bernd’s family includes thirteen different cameras, 29 lenses, and nineteen camera bags and rucksacks. By the time you read this article, it will certainly have grown beyond that. Alongside all his equipment are 140,000 slides—neat and well-ordered. Ela is not left out of the loop. She keeps very busy working on layouts for much of Bernd’s work, which so far has included 23 books composed solely of his own photos and 50 additional books to which he has contributed photos. Keeping track of the number of magazines, newspapers, advertising brochures and other publications in which Bernd’s work has appeared is beyond his com- puting skills. Suffice it to say that there are few photographers in the world who have been more industrious and productive in the field of mountain photography than my host, and I felt honored to be his guest. When I first contacted Bernd, asking him for advice about skiing in Germany, he merely said, “Come down to me—I will show you the best skiing my country has to offer." Our first day, Bernd drove us to nearby Garmisch-Partenkirchen, his favorite German ski resort. Garmisch is the German equivalent of Chamonix in France, St. Anton in Austria or Cortina in Italy. It is the grandfather of German skiing, a ski location treated with reverence by even the most atheistic of the New Age snowsports culture. Besides having hosted the Winter Olympic Games in Hitler’s day, Garmisch is the annual venue for the famous January 1 ski-jumping competition, still held on the same jumping hill that was built for those Olympic games. The ski areas that make up the Garmisch region include the Hausberg, Kreuzeck, Eckbauer, Wank and Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. While all five of these lift systems provide reasonably good skiing, the Zugspitze rises head and shoulders above its neighbors in altitude, as well as stature. It was not surprising, then, that Bernd chose to show me this spectacular peak. The charming village of Mittenwald is located approximately 16 kilometers to the southeast of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It is situated in the Valley of the River Isar, on the northern foothills of the Alps. It is famous for the manufacturing of violins, violas and cellos. The newly renovated Violin Museum has a priceless collection. The most significant landmark is the church of Saints Peter and Paul towering over the landscape. Surrounding buildings, decorated with elaborate fresco paintings on the exterior walls makes this historic upper Bavarian village a tourist’s treasure. 58 Far West Skier’s Guide 2O11 - 2O12 / See the Digital Edition of the Far West Skier’s Guide at www.fwsa.org.  http://www.fwsa.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Far West Skier's Guide 2011-2012

Far West Skier's Guide 2011-2012
Contents
The Premiere Digital Edition of the Far West Skier’s Guide Well Received
Board of Directors, Trustees
President’s Message: FWSA Offers Many Benefits, Trips & Activities
FWSA Committee Chairmen and Other Representatives
National Ski Council Federation Serves Councils & Clubs Nationwide
Far West Members Prepare for Winter, 2012
Council Information
Communications: The Key to Success!
Building Your Snowsports Program
FWSA Individual Membership Form
Order Form / Far West Skier’s Guide
FWSA Travel Program
FWRA Board of Directors
FWRA Program
FWRA Silent Auction Donors
FWRA League Race Chairs
FWRA Race Schedule
Race Trophies
FWSA Athletic Scholarship Program
Far West Ski Foundation Objectives
FWSA 2011 Convention
FWSA 2011 Convention Sponsors
Silent Auction & Travel Expo Participants - 2011
Travel Expo/Silent Auction Milestones
Convention Door Prize Donors
2011 Councils’ Man & Woman of the Year
FWSA Service Award Winners
FWSA Safety Person of the Year
FWSA Western Ski Heritage Award
FWSA Club and Council History Recognition
FWSA Snowsports Builder Awards
Charities & Our Communities
2012 FWSA Convention - Ogden, Utah
FWSA Plans Future Conventions
Public Affairs - 2011 Update
Bernd Ritschel & The Bavarian Alps
Lodging Guide
FWSA Council & Club Information
Clubs, Councils & Families Come Together
Regional Ski Shows

Far West Skier's Guide 2011-2012

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