Member Trip report
The Adlerweg
09/22/2019
Trip Report/Photos from Robert.L
Turning 50. That is a milestone indeed and one that I decided needed a little special reward. In recent years I have become an avid outdoor enthusiast and it was time to step up the game and immerse myself in a quality and quantity adventure on the trail – Rain or Shine! I started the trek on Monday July 15th and ended Saturday July August 3rd
Having returned from the TMB Last summer I was energized and ready for something new. I had recently started a new job in the fall of 2018 and on arrival stated I had a 3 week trek planned – and so it was to be accommodated. Not having worked out all the details, it was important to lay the foundation. Soon thereafter I booked a trek through the Austrian Alps – the Adlerweg - Solo.
The Adlerweg is an east to west hike beginning in St. Johan-in-Tirol and ending in St. Anton. The trek has a myriad of variants and I used Alpine Exploratory to map out my itinerary. In true adventure style – I deviated from that itinerary a bit. I sometimes made the day longer or tossed in a peak not far from the intended route. I also managed to stay out of trouble when my skip off the itinerary had me going places maybe I shouldn’t go - I am not a technical climber. I avoided via ferrate but could not evade the occasional ladder or cable assist. I gulped, dug deep and persevered. One thing rang true – I was there for the trail and exploring is what I did. I also got bumped from the trail a few times due to stunning downpours and a necessary time out. The time out was on day 3 of a small heat wave and I’d had enough of 100 degree temps on the trail – it was too hard to stay hydrated. Of my 19 trekking days I completed 16 of them, missing out on the Zugspitze because if there is such a summit – I only saw it in pictures – rain and big clouds dominated my time in the arena. The one day that offered a break was my hike between Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald – it offered views but the summits were stubbornly socked in by the clouds - so in truth – I never saw that peak. Overall most days were sunny – many had a mix of sun and clouds and some days ended on a rainy note – one with a brilliant display of lightening, thunder and hail – other times just thunder and rain – quite a mix and intensity! I only got caught in the rain through the Gaistal – other times I managed to complete the day before the rain. I skipped two days entirely due to an all day forecast of rain. The arena was a great place to skip a day as you have connections via bus or train to the next destination. I lucked out on that front – any place else and I’d have had to suck it up in the rain.
In between the start and finish you take in the natural beauty of the Wilder Kaiser; Gamsberg; Bradenberger Alpen; Rofange Birge; Karwendel; the stunning Gaistal – a deep valley between the Wetterstein Birge and Miemenger Kette; Lechtaler Alpen; with final views overlooking St. Anton and the amazing snow capped mountains of Vewallgruppe. There are more mountains and valleys then I can name – these were the map highlights. I could have spent a week in any one of those areas, yet, I was passing through. I loved it all. My trek consisted of a night in a hotel, a high mountain hut, a mid-elevation pension or gausthaus then back down to a town for a hotel – pretty sweet cycle. Mountain passes rock. My favored were the Eppzirler Scharte where I took in a small herd of Chamois. The other was Hinterbergjoch where I took in wild horses – just amazing. I LOVED all the huts – Lamsenjoch Hutte and Bayreuther Hutte were the best; I swam in three lakes – Hintersteinersee; Zireinersee; Ferchensee (and for those who know me – YES – I went Au Natural – Austrians know the joy of nekkid swimming). My favorite pension was in Hintersteinersee (Pension Maier) and my favorite hotels were in Weidach in Leutasch (hotel Kristal) and Steeg (Hotel Post). Both hotels included not just breakfast as part of my stay – but a five course meal with a glass of prosecco to start – pure brilliance and an awesome way to end a hike. The hotel breakfasts were first rate across the trek. Hut breakfasts – well – they fed you for the journey, lol. I indulged Austrian cuisine across the board and still dropped a stone throughout the trek. It’s slowly coming back, lol.
My favorite “city” was Kufstein where I was able to tour the fortress. Innsbruck was nice – it was where I took the rest day. My favorite little town was Mittenwald – it was here on a rainy day that I went to the violin museum – Mittenwald has a deep history in the art of fabricating violins – pretty sweet displays and a great way to spend a rainy day. My favorite hamlet was Aschau though I did not overnight there – just passed through. My second favorite was Bschlabs – it had such beautiful views. It was also here, the next morning, as I was making my way through to Steeg that I spotted deer. Speaking of wildlife – I saw salamanders, snails, snakes, chamois and deer – lots of birds – and yet – no mountain goats.
And if you’re a data nut – my trajectory was in excess of 320km and 14,000 meters of climbing. This is ‘trail note time and trail note elevation gains’ and excludes the days I took off the trail and the extras I did. I took 1,700 pictures – of course many are duplicates - and I pared that down to a portfolio of around 500. I peeled that back to upload what you see here. These are the best of the best rain or shine – I included it all. Enjoy!
There are 159 photos in Album (Note: Move mouse pointer over larger pic and click on NEXT for better viewing)
Happy Birthday, Joieux Anniversaire Robert. Luciano
What an epic trek through majestic scenery. It looks like the apple strudel and wine got you through some tough days.
Looks like another fantastic trek! Seeing the au naturel pics and your smiling face made the montage uniquely yours. Another trek for my retirement bucket list. What an amazing adventure!
Happy 50th...! WOW...total inspiration. Thank You for the great pics and description. Felt like I was taggin' along.
Robert...what a great way to spend three weeks! Awesome trip and certainly spectacular scenery along the way! Glad you had a wonderful time on this epic trip!