Karl
I've been in Austria over the last weekend. Karl, who taught me the basic of what I know about snow, avalanches, kicking steps, windslab, etc when I worked in Austria for a few winters many years ago died last week and his funeral at the weekend so I was off to Mayrhofen briefly.
92 and a bit and was still active in search and rescue a few weeks ago before he was suddenly taken ill.
Great bod and will be sadly missed I was working for him many years ago but you'd never have known it - he always made anyone feel you were working with him.
It was nice to meet up with some of the other people I worked alongside at the time and exchange stories about what has happened to us since and reminisce but saddened by the occasion that made it possible.
Journey was a bit of nightmare on the way back, flight into Gatwick was late and I got stranded at Crewe last night for 5 hours. Crewe is one of those stations were you don't wish to spend any time at, let along 5 hours - first train out in the right direction this morning was a local service that came out of the ark - anyone remember Class 101?
Edit: I discovered on the way back that my passport had expired whilst I was there. Austria were quite happy to let me out. I was envisioning problems getting back into the UK but there wasn't even a bod at passport control[1]
[1] Sort of reminds me of when I cam back from Bulgaria and, realising I was over the alcohol limit, went through the Red Channel at Ringway. Bored customs bod asked me why I was there so I explained. He waved a hand at the Green Channel and muttered 'some of them will be under the limit so you might as well go[2]' .
[2] or rather words to that effect.