In The Dutch Mountains

P1030704Panasonic DMC-GM1 (46mm, f/11, 1/640 sec, ISO200)

Ok. These images are not taken in the Netherlands! The title is misleading but not completely wrong. More about it later.

I took these images this week in Ramsau, Styria, Austria. Ramsau am Dachstein is by far the best location when it comes to XC-skiing in Austria and I think it is among the best in Europe. A wonderful place!

P1030706Panasonic DMC-GM1 (55mm, f/11, 1/640 sec, ISO200)
P1030684Panasonic DMC-GM1 (14mm, f/3.5, 1/1250 sec, ISO200)

We come here once a year for many many years now to spend a couple of days in the Mountains. Unlike home the xc skiing trails just pass our apartment. You just take your skis and start running. And unlike home there is winter. The day we arrived there even was some snowfall!

Beside a couple of cold days there was no real winter in the Eastern part of Austria. There was a record snowfall of almost 2 meters in one weekend in the South and partly in the West but around Vienna there was nothing. In general it was one of the warmest winters in Austria of all times. Global warming? If global warming means warm winters and wet summers here I have to leave!

P1030712Panasonic DMC-GM1 (69mm, f/8, 1/500 sec, ISO200)
P1030759Panasonic DMC-GM1 (61mm, f/6.3, 1/320 sec, ISO200)
P1030765Panasonic DMC-GM1 (140mm, f/10, 1/400 sec, ISO200)

Enough! We had a great time. Focus was on XC skiing but I managed to take some pictures too. Like in January I took only my Panasonic GM1. I chose the GM1 because it is so compact but mainly because of convenience. With it’s kit zoom or the fantastic 1.8/17mm attached it is small enough to take it with me while skiing. And with the great 14-140mm zoom I almost can substitute my full frame DSLR with the 24-70 and the 70-200 plus converter! I’m looking forward to take this combo with me when climbing mountains. A super light, super compact but high quality one lens solution. It’s just perfect for that!

Back to the dutch mountains: It’s a song written by the dutch band The Nits. Of course there are no mountains in the Netherlands. But there are a lot of tourists from the Netherlands visiting Austria, making our Alps the dutch mountains. “Mooie Vakantie!”

P1030771Panasonic DMC-GM1 (140mm, f/8, 1/500 sec, ISO200)