The most exhuasting NYE I've ever had.

The 2 hour car ride to the bottom of the mountain

on the 2 hour hike up the mountain

Along the way...

This New Years, I knew we were going up to a cabin in the Alps with a bunch of people.  But I had no idea it was going to be a 2 hour hike up the mountain to the cabin.   It was great anyways, there were 15 of us who were going to be staying there for 2 1/2 days.  Although the way up nearly killed me w/no breakfast, we made it and feasted once we arrived. There was plenty of food and beer awaiting us once we got there.  It totally felt like camping but in a really nice tent (the cabin), but there was no running water and the toilet was pretty much an out-house.  It was awesome, no technology to distract us, all we had were card games, Risk, and drinking...It was excellent.

We finally reached the cabin. Exhausted and starving.

snack time

The first night we played some games inside, the guys made an ice/snow bar outside and that night we hung out at the ice bar drinking hot glueweine....mmmmm.

glueweine!

The next day we went sledding.  And I learned that I have been missing out, throughout my entire childhood, that I had never gone sledding on a wooden sled! BEST THING EVER.  SOOO much fun, until you get to the bottom after a ten minute ride and realize you have an hour to walk back up again. But totally worth it.

(this was also a pic taken on the way up)

Our mini sledding crew

From the top.  We were above the clouds!  (looked like Greece, but instead of ocean it was air)

faked action shot, but really, it was amazing.

On our hour hike back, the cool lookin sky.

A break at the top, before going half way down again to retrieve a sled.

Almost home.

That night was NYE.  We played more card games to entertain ourselves, and then had Feuerzaugenbowle= Glueweine with a rum soaked sugar cone over it that you set on fire.  Pretty cool.  We set off some fireworks and had plenty of sparklers, it was great!

Our pre-NYE dinner of potato & beef soup

The ice bar, 2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Great people!

Our last day there we spent cleaning up the cabin and relishing the greatness of the past day/eve.  And then the best part: the ride down.
The guys that brought our luggage up said they might be there at 12 to take it back down... but that did not happen.   We had to pack all of our shit onto the sleds and carry it down w/us.  It was hilarious, a bunch of the guys got together and created a makeshift bobsled.  Hahah, it was great, one of the guys attached it to his sled to carry a bunch of bags down.  It was great seeing everyone attempt to get down w/their luggage.  But we made it!  All in one piece, no one hurt!  Exhausted, hungry and ready to get back to civilization.  I think this was the best way I could have spent my New Years outside of Steamboat or NYC. 

Some of the luggage packed.

Ridiculously gorgeous views

Part of the caravan, beginning of the way down.