Crookhorn ski-ing 13 February 2012

Monday 13 February


Am at the coach by 06:30 and it is freezing! The gas has done little good, the webasto hasn’t worked and the windscreen is frozen on the inside!
It must have been at least -25 in the night if not colder!
We start the engine in the vain hope it will warm up before we depart at 07:45 but I think we are fighting a losing battle.
We put the gas heater close to the windscreen and go for breakfast.
After breakfast the screen is still frozen inside!
We spray de-icer and scrape the screen but it is not ideal, the visibility is not what we should have but we set off hoping it may warm up.
It doesn’t!
We are supposed to be going to Zauchensee which involves quite a long ride up a gentle slope that will test the engine.
The engine temperature is fine until we start to climb on the motorway and it begins to rise to such a degree that we stop in the hard shoulder. We will have to wait for it to cool down before trying to go any further. A few English coaches go flying by and then a JJ Kavanagh coach stops and the driver comes up to us to see if he can help. He offers to come back for the group once he has dropped off in Schladming and gives me a business card with his number on it. In the end we didn’t need him but if he is ever reading this thank you Ian Norris.
The engine temperature drops so we chance moving on. Steve has kindly decided we shall go to Flachau as it is just off the motorway and an easier resort to reach.
The coach is okay for a few miles but 6km from Flachau the temperature begins to rise and we coax the bus into Flachau. The gauge starts to jump about as we reach the coach park which is not a good sign.
As soon as we stop Brian inspects the engine and to our dismay there is water pouring out from the engine. I quickly turn the engine off and watch as the water continues to drip out. Not good, in fact very bad.
The skiers go off and I start on contingency plans. The quickest way to get the MAN Europe breakdown number (I can’t find it here) is to call home and ask Hollie, after waking her, to go on to the MAN website and fetch me the number.
I then call MAN and explain who I am, what the coach is, where it is and the problem. They promise to call back as soon as possible.
My next call is to David at the hotel to see if he can find a local coach company to take the group back this evening. I end up booking a coach for the return today, taking them swimming this evening and also to the slopes in the morning.
MAN call me back to say that the local garage will call me and arrange for a mechanic to come to the coach. There was some problem about payment as we don’t have an account with MAN but they seem happy enough for me to pay by visa.
The garage call at 10:38 and say the mechanic will be with me within two hours and will be in a yellow van.
It is still -15 and very cold as we sit on the bus to wait. At least we have the gas heater to keep us warm.
But not for long! The bloody thing runs out of gas after about 30 minutes.
Two hours pass and the man in the yellow van is still not here. I have decided to call the garage if he is not here in three hours but am beaten to it when they call me to say he will be here in an hour and a half to two hours.
They are obviously very busy with breakdowns at the moment.
Brian and I wander off for some lunch and find a small cafe where we enjoy schnitzel and chips.
This warms us up for the rest of our wait on the cold coach.
The coach we have hired for tonight is due at 15:30 to pick up the children’s shoes and any belongings left on the coach as well as Brian who will travel back to the hotel with the group.
The coach is from a company called Russegger and turns up on time. Everything is soon passed from one coach to the other and off they go to pick the group up from the other coach park in Flachau.
I am now on my own waiting for the man who can and am feeling a little scared on what the outcome might be. Also a bit concerned that he does actually turn up and I’m not left in a cold lonely bus park! There are not many coaches left now so my chances of a lift out of here are diminishing by the minute.
He turns up and has a look at the damage we have done. He is only a young lad but speaks good English and has a sense of humour. I am freezing, worried and completely cheesed off but he seems to make me feel better with his attitude.
He tops up the engine water with anti-freeze and water and I run the engine. The water is still coming out but he seems to think it is the water pump.
After speaking to his garage about towing me in it is decided I shall follow him and if the engine temperature rises I am to flash him and he will top the water up.
I don’t need to stop during the half hour journey and am pleased when I finally manage to park the coach inside a warm garage.
They will order a water pump and hopefully have it during the morning and then it is fingers crossed whether the engine has cracked. They will start on the repair at 07:30.
I haven’t got the incline to find my way home so think I will try and book into the hotel opposite and spend the night here.
The garage is in the village of Mandling which is a few miles from Schladming but a long way from Pass Leug.
The man at the garage actually calls the hotel and books me a room for the night.
I leave the bus and walk across the road to the Pension Geringer where I am shown to a nice room that is home for tonight.
I haven’t any wash stuff with me so go off in search of some shower gel (there is none in the bathroom) and most importantly a toothbrush.
There is a small cafe/shop by the hotel that sells all that I need although the toothbrush is for 5-8 year olds and is very small, shaped like a dolphin and goes by the name of Blendi!
It is so small I will have to do one tooth at a time!
The restaurant in the hotel doesn’t appear open so I walk to the only other hotel in the village and enjoy a nice dinner and a couple of beers.
There is a Welsh school group staying in the hotel and some of them sing along to a guitar and they are all very good.
Back in my room I have another restless night worrying about the bus and for once in my life am feeling very lonely.