Awoke this morning to rain. How unusual. It usually rains every night, not in the morning. The forecast was not looking good anywhere really. No point sitting at home wasting a day, so we decided to hike up to the Reiteralm and the Spiegelsee, a hike not far from the apartment. Well, when I say not far, it is not far as the crow flies, but took us about 45 minutes to drive up this narrow winding road up the mountain for the start of the hike. We spent most of the drive in cloud and had resigned ourselves to doing the hike in cloud as well. But we have rain jackets and waterproof hiking boots so we have come prepared for some wet weather hikes.
We started the hike not really knowing anything about it other than it would take about 3.5hrs. What I didn't realise was that we would only be hiking 5km which should tell you just how difficult the hike was. Scrambling up a steep rocky path that seemed to go on forever. But the surprise for us was that the weather cleared on and off and it was quite a nice day in the end.
When we got back to the car at the end of the hike, we stayed at the Reiteralm and had a cold beer and a lovely lunch before heading back home.
Ray had a Nanny nap when we got home and was then ready to head out again for a drive. What was supposed to be a short 30 minute drive turned into 3 hours. It is light here until about 9.30 at night, so there is so much daylight to be out an about doing stuff. And so much beautiful country to explore.
15th August
Had a late start today. Took us a while to find somewhere where the weather was going to be ok. About the only place in Austria that was going to fine and sunny. So off we headed for the Hochkonig mountain range (Hochkonig means High King). Again via narrow twisty roads but this time through a couple of valleys and not up high. We drove to Arthurhaus, a restaurant/cafe/farm for the start of the hike. And what a beautiful setting! Hiking at the base of the majestic Hochkonig.
As with all the hikes, you hike from hut to hut or alm to alm. Alms are usually found nearer the start of hikes and huts are found in the mountain areas, usually as an end point for a hike. Alms only serve food and drink while the huts also provide dormitory accommodation for those hikers that hike for days on end which they call 'hut to hut' hikes. And if any of you get to experience the mountains as they do over here, you will understand why they do it in such a big way. The views are amazing. There is absolute peace and quiet. The only sound to break the silence is the sound of water falling over the mountainside behind you or the sound of a cow bell rising up from the valley below. And it is this peace and solitude that draws you back again and again and lets you wander the trails without any thought to time.
The hike today had some steep climbs but was relatively easy compared to yesterday. Covered a greater distance but still hiked for 3.5 hrs with the Hochkonig on one side of us and the valley on the other. Pure magic.
Not sure what is on the cards for tomorrow. Weather not looking good anywhere. So it will have to be a low level hike or maybe some shopping.
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