First day, first lesson from the waiter: coffee in Austria, especially in Vienna: "one-third religion, two-thirds science". The number of variants is astonishing.
The Viennese Forest
My biggest reduction in weight this year: Crocks (6 oz) replaced by 1 oz DIY sandals. Worked like a charm.
"Closed for lack of staff." You always had to expect that Covid would come in the way.
"At this place the last wolf of Lower Austria was killed." Sadly, we have never learned to live with predators.
Drinking water for Vienna.
Slow worm.
Cistercian monastery in Neuberg (Mürz) in Styria.
Most things in the world are not going kaput through use, but through cleaning.
Certainly not a slow worm.
A whole group of ibexes. This is a wide-angle lens and none has realy shied away.
This was breakfast time! Jolly hikers from Eastern Europe.
According to legend, the discovery of the iron deposits at Erzberg is due to the knowledge of a water man. He lived in a grotto and was captured by the inhabitants near Lake Leopoldstein. In order to buy his freedom again, he offered "gold for ten years, silver for a hundred years or iron forever". The clever people of Eisenerz are said to have chosen the latter, whereupon the water sprite showed them the Erzberg.
Iron ore has been mined at Erzberg since at least the 11th century.
Pyrite is opaque in any form and develops predominantly idiomorphic crystals in the form of cubes. Wikipedia
Radmer an der Stube.
Food, calories, always on the mind.
No covered public space in the campground. Once again, a church has to fill in.
Pizzoccheri - just the right thing for hungry hikers.
A group of hunters and two other hikers invited me for lunch.
A table, a bench, pure luxury in the evening.
With a small pack on the trail, everything is reduced to the bare essentials. Here: carbs (rusk), fat (mayonnaise) and protein (bacon) = lunch time. As a rule of thumb: the fatter the better.
A real breakfast for a change as opposed to cookies and instant coffee.
Tyrolean gray cheese bread and a beer for supper. That was all there was and it was good.
Perceived half of the calories came from pasta.
The Austrian Empire, with an area of 698,700 km², was the second largest political entity after the Russian Empire. Wikipedia
Cows are the epitome of stoism.
Often there is no drain plug for the small laundry.
A plastic bag from the grocery store is a temporary remedy.
Soaking.
Interesting to learn how long waste will last in nature: Cigarette butt = 5, plastic bottle = 300, aluminum can = 500, glass bottle = 4000 years.
Jiggy music from Styria.
Again, horses seek intimacy with people. Cows don't do that.
Wet grass is the worst. Not 20 paces and the feet are soaked. And wet feet/socks are the straight way for blisters.
"Attention traps! Please stay on the paths!" A surefire way to keep people on track.
Another example for an effective communication: "Attention free ranging bull! Do not enter pasture." Who would dare?
Drying was often the order of the day at noon. Dew at night is practically as bad as rain.
Who would have thought that? At home (Bavaria), unfortunately, they are destroyed straight away.
The view down into the Gailtal (Austria), from the Gailtaler High Trail towards Arnoldstein, the A2 highway, the Karawanken (1500m+) and beyond them the Julian Alps with the Mangart (2677m) - the border between Italy and Slovenia - to the right of the center of the picture.
Pressegger Lake, my next destination for the night. But before that, there was a hefty thunderstorm, within a quarter of an hour.
No self respecting travelogue without a selfie these days(?)
About 500 to 600 KM difference.
„Yield to temptation… it may not pass your way again!“ Robert A. Heinlein
Caring for his animals. No factory farming.
Donkeys as herd guard animals. Who would have thought this?
If you don't have to walk up it always gets crowded.
A cheese dairy in the mountains.
Another old cheese dairy,
converted into a Rifugio for hikers.
Be prepared! "For family reasons the Rifugio opens tomorrow."
Fortunately, they didn't lock the door and so I was able to help myself.
There is weather that is so dreadfully miserable that one is grateful to be able to look at it from the indoors.
The next day everything was fine again.
Marble - 60% of the world' s production goes to China these days.
One of three German-speaking enclaves that migrants from Carinthia brought to Italy in the Middle Ages.
Without problems I understood the old man on the street, speaking Tischlbongarian.
Six-meter high Christ on a wooden cross weighing 3 tons with a height of 12 meters.
Wished I had seen such a sign at the beginning of the trail and not just at the other end, after a very very unpleasant stretch.
Wolayersee, Carnic High Trail.
A shepherd's life in modern times.
The lead stallion? Enjoying the view?
The beginning of the Dolomites for me. Just shy of Sexten.
The Dolomites, rugged and wild.
Three Peaks of Lavaredo. With remnants of war.
And a lot of people. Many more than I would have preferred.
From afar, the trail looked tempting, but the map revealed that the descent was peppered with via ferrata.
In the center, 2262m, I think, was my overnight camp site.
Looking back at Lake Sorapiss (1925m)
Another eyesore of the mountains.
The Tofana group (3244m) above Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Water, in all varieties along the trail.
Sometimes it is awkward to get drinking water.
In many places in the Italian Alps, drinking water is only available for cash.
Although the appropriate technology is installed and working.
What kind of service for members is this? Not to mention the plastic waste from the bottles.
A different area - a different way of looking at things.
The other world. 5! Stars. Maybe quite nice but not my collar size.
And for this campsite I went an extra detour. Man was I sour!
Not really inviting for wild tenting.
Splitting wood for the stove.
Not electrified, yet just as effective as a cattle grid(?)
The mountains that tower over the Cortina Valley, The king of the Dolomites: Monte Antelao (3.264 m) to the right.
The place where I lost my cool a bit already wanting to terminate the trip. People everywhere. Selfies galore.
Cortina d'Ampezzo.
The Antelao at daylight, on the right of the picture. And in the valley bottom in front (not visible): San Vito del Cadore.
Sadly, motorcyclists also enjoy themselves in the mountains. And fill even distant alpine pastures with their din.
Testosterone-driven youth races through the mountains in the evening. Here, around 8pm, at about 2000m with the goal of reaching the summit at 2500m. My goodness! Fortunately, he was induced to turn around when I questioned his intentions.
Panoramic view over the Gardena Valley.
I'm sorry to say this, but mountain bikers can become a real nuisance.
"Hikers have priority."
When it comes to ripping people off, there seems to be no limit to creativity. This plate has a slanted bottom to save soup, yet give the apperance of a well sized dish.
The church of Lejan (Walther von der Vogelweide) in the distance, right of center.
First time I saw that even such cumbersome to gather wood is being utilized.
An interesting way of stabilizing fence slats.
Lejan.
"A life on tour." Right on target.
A few centuries apart. The noise of the highway spoils the entire valley.
Enough sun, enough rain, things thrive.
On the site of an ancient spring sanctuary dating back to pagan times, 3 small churches were built in a small clearing between the 13th and 16th centuries, nested inside each other.
Always short of cash.
The descent to Sarnthein. Bolzano on the left margin of the picture in the distance.
"Please give the next person a little happiness! And don't throw hankies all over the place." Litter is a real issue in the Alps.
Merano, and the next climb on the left up the mountain forest.
Fruits and wine galore.
But Big Brother is watching you.
Marlengo, just after Merano with everything to please the wanderer's heart.
Reinhold Messner's country estate. And in the background the area where Ötzi was found.
The Vintschgau valley with the Adige river.
On my way to the crossover well below the Hasenöhrl summit (3257m).
Apparently for water. But from where and to where?
Yippee, a level ground for setting up camp.
Intentionally charred ends to stem the rot.
The view back (coming from Martell village) towards the east side of the Martell Valley, from where I descended after bypassing the Hasenöhrl - to the left of the picture.
This passage required a good timing to avoid a shower in the morning.
Stelvio village in the distance and the Ortles group in the background.
Looking back at Prato Allo Stelvio and the Vintschgau.
Stelvio village.
Imagine that in winter.
It is interesting how South Tyrol was annexed to Italy. As a reward of the Western powers in World War I, if Italy would establish a third front against Austria (The London secret treaty of 26.4.1915.).
The Ortles group, still cloudless in the morning.
The Stelvio Pass is the second highest asphalted mountain pass in the Alps, with an altitude of 2757 m above sea level.
Looking back at Passo dello Stelvio: V
When the sun is shining, you never walk alone.
A local resident trying to make ends meet.
Mountain shelter from times gone by.
Modern times are creeping up the mountains.
This spider should certainly be treated with caution.
Switzerland - hooray, but with prices beyond good and evil.
For the ever power-hungry hiker, free WIFI on top.
Poschiavo, Canton Grisons, Switzerland.
Ungulates in close quarters of one's campsite are anything but uplifting. And these were even driven back to their original place by the farmer, later in the evening, me already in my sleeping bag. My goodness!
Local women, no longer in their twenties, fetching wood from the forest.
For someone travelling with only a spoon, there are unexpected challenges.
The Hotel Chiareggio was such a godsend.
From the early days.
Cevo, Val Masino.
Someone's retreat in the mountains.
An abandoned mountain village.
A gigantic overhanging rock as a shelter.
The valley floor between Lago di Mezzola and Lago di Como.
Lake Como. Boy, do I miss my canoe.
What a difference, here and there: solitude on Monte Legnone (2609m) and the beach life on the lake.
