DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS BOOK!!! Unless...

- you are open-minded
- you like to be challenged
- you enjoy teasing your brain
- you are NOT easily offended
- you enjoy questioning your beliefs

If the statements above sound like you, then download:
http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/godsdebris/

If the statements above do not sound like you, then download it and read it anyway. You just might learn something.

Scott Adams (author of the comic Dilbert) published this book 6 years ago and he recently released the book as an online download, yes, for free. It's a quick read, only a couple of hours, but I think you'll agree that it's quite challenging and thought-provoking.

Note that this is a long way from Dilbert....

HIKING THE EIBSEE (click here for pics)

Today Nic and I took the hund out for a little hike around the Eibsee, a small lake that sits at the base of the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain at 2990m above sea level. It's a beautiful setting and only 45 mins drive from home. Check it out on Google Earth if you have it.

EIGER, BY BIKE [See pictures here]

Earlier this summer I had the chance to go to Grindelwald, Switzerland for a couple of days of R & R. The area around Grindelwald is famous for spectacular scenery, including the well known mountains, Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, each at about 4000m high. The Eiger North Face (Nordwand in German) in particular has played host to some of the most dramatic climbing tragedies and adventures and it's famous worldwide. Any picture of the mountain couldn't do it justice - the mountain rises 3000m above the village of Grindelwald, and the north face itself is a single cliff 1900m tall (about 3.5 times the height of Toronto's CN Tower).

Since visiting Grindelwald the first time in 2003, I've wanted to ride the trail up to Kleine Scheidegg which gains about 1/3 of the height to the Eiger peak. This time I had the chance. Except for the first 1km from the hotel down to Grund, the ride was 1100m uphill, with virtually no break from uphill pedaling. I managed the ride in about 2hr 10m from hotel to the top, then about 40mins down, including fixing a popped tire from the overheated brakes.

I didn't venture onto the Eiger North Face, and I don't have the skills nor the kahunas to likely ever do so but it's always fun to dream. In the summertime it's virtual suicide to be on the face, since the warm summer weather sends a constant volley of the loose limestone raining down the face. It's climbed almost exclusively in the cold months, and it's interesting to note that the face was solo climbed in a record 3:54 this past winter by Swiss guide Ueli Steck. Given the technical nature of the face, that's an absolutely stunning time! But speed = safety on this kind of mountain...