Cesana ICC - 2009 Part 1

I'm a bit behind on my blogging since we didn't have internet until arriving in Sestriere, Italy, last night, but will do my best to catch up.

I arrived in Munich on Sunday monring, January 18th, after a long flight from SLC. Interesting side note - after chatting with a Utah couple on the first leg, from SLC to ATL, at the very last moment, we learned that my former coworker is married to their daughter! Yep, one of my Provo City coworkers, Scott M., is their son-in-law. Small world, eh?

Anyway, Annie and Caleb picked me up at the airport, and we drove to Innsbruck (about 2 hours) to pick up my sled (I had left it in Austria to avoid the RIDICULOUS baggage fees for it since I was coming back so soon; it can cost up to $600 each way, over and above the airfare!!!).

Then, since training at Cesana didn't start until Tuesday, we drove south into Italy to spend a night in Cortina.

Cortina is home to another track in Italy, but is one that skeleton does not usually get to go to. It's so hazardous that only bobsled, and only the World Cup bobsled at that, races there.

They were supposed to make some modifications this season and host a skeleton World Cup since World Championships are supposed to be held there in 2011; budget problems interfered and the World Cup was canceled. (Long story short - because the Cortina WC was canceled, the Konigssee Europa Cup was canceled and moved to Igls so the WC could race in Konigsee that week instead, and thus we had the 3-run 3-race Igls setup in a previous post.)

Anyway, none of us had been to Cortina, and hear from the bobsledders that it's amazingly beautiful. And it is...

The drive gave hints:


The fog cleared a bit to give glimpses:


We stayed at a hotel, by which a car was plowed in the snow:


and which served me the MOST AMAZING 5-course dinner EVER. If I'm not careful, I'll gain 20 lbs by the time I leave Italy...here is my molten chocolate cupcake:


The dessert the others had:


Mine was better (I shared half with Annie & Caleb):




We also walked around the downtown, where there was an ice festival going on. The sculptures were amazing...PLACEHOLDER FOR PICTURES FROM ANNIE'S CAMERA.

After breakfast, we drove up to look at the track. It's full of snow...not even being operated this year at all.


This corner looks so tight!!!


We drove up this little road tryng to get another angle on the track, and ended up at the top of the ski hill! Up WAY above this castle:


We passed a big woodpile.


We kept driving.


We stopped at the ski area, where it appeared they were prepping for a ski race. Here we are, the valley in the background:


Back down on the road out of town, a shot of where we were. You can see the castle, and above to the right, and ski run. We were off to the side of the highest ski run.


The ski jumps, on the way out.


Interesting retaining walls.