Sadly we had to leave Tiny House behind, and do our last trip across to Riniken. It was already a warm morning at 9am, with the promise of 30 degrees plus. I was glad it was the Sprint day and not the Long or Middle.  It was all abuzz with kids everywhere; one of the great things about this event is the cool activities to keep kids busy and happy – including a game where you used an SI stick attached to a fishing pole, to “fish” for controls.  Awesome!

Fishing for controls. Is this what they mean by minnowing?

Ian was first starter at 10am so he set off on the 2 km walk to the start as soon as we arrived, with me following about an hour later.  At home we would grumble about such a long walk; here, it’s an opportunity to stroll along in the sunshine, soaking in the sights as you go.  Maybe you’ll walk through the back lanes of a rustic village, admiring the neat-as-a-pin houses, their gardens resplendent with flowers and vegetables. Or you’ll wander along a forest trail, sharing it with cyclist and hikers, all enjoying the shade and the peace.  Perhaps you’ll cross a fast flowing stream on a high stone bridge, from where you’ll spy an ancient water wheel nestled against a cliff, turning merrily as it has done for centuries.  Or you’ll walk past a field full of sunflowers.  Today we did all those things.  As the church bells chimed, I couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else.

Riniken village

Sunflowers (day 1 hill in background)

Brugg old town

The sprint was held in the old town of Brugg, which was typical of other old European towns – cobbled streets and lanes, courtyards and squares, tiny parks, archways. You have to trust the map.  My run was average – couldn’t see my first control even though it was right under my nose – it kind of blended in to the background, even though it was out in the open. I think I was looking for something less obvious.  Getting used to running on cobbles again, I made my way through the next few controls, overshooting a couple.  At no 9 I turned down a laneway too soon and had to backtrack.  Back on track for the next few, but when I got to the clifftop park abutting the river, I lost my head a bit and minnowed around without reading the map very well.  My time was enough to keep me just off the bottom of the results (as usual) – but I was quite happy to see that I came 12^th of 18 in the overall standings.

Ian on the other hand had a fantastic result today – 2^nd place! He made a 2 minute error, and missed first place by just 2 seconds – but a podium finish in a European event is nothing to be sneezed at.  It brought him up to 10^th overall of 22 competitors.  I’m pleased to say it was a “proper” sprint – nice and technical – and not just a “short”.

Second place!

It’s been a great 3 day event and we’re glad we picked it.  All really well organised and friendly.  And the crepes, which I finally got to sample today, were delicious!

Happy participants – us with Philly and Stephen

We stayed around for the presentations, but didn’t win any spot prizes.  It was time to head south to Morschach, our new home for the next 3 nights.  An easy drive, all on freeways, with mountains, lakes and tunnels to look at.  Morschach is a holiday resort suspended partway up a mountain, reached by a few steep switchbacks.

Scenes from the A3

We are staying on the ground floor of a holiday apartment building. The apartment is actually cleverly designed and has a much more spacious feel than you might imagine. It looks a bit like a shoebox when you first walk in, but when you raise the shutters – WOW.  We look straight out over Lake Lucerne, Mt Rigi and many other peaks – from our garden, just a few metres away.  It is stunning.

Our new home (bottom floor, shuttered)

Our view, 10 steps away from our back door

Garden gazebo

The weather forecast for the next couple of days is not looking great for panoramic views though. We are trying to decide which of the plethora of chairlifts, funiculars, gondolas and cable cars we should take.  If the cloud and rain come in as forecast, it might be none of them.