Late again but had to stock up at the Apotheke on magnesium. I am certain coffee in Austria tastes better than in Germany and definitely better than in Canada. Maybe it’s the proximity to Italy? Although Australians claim their coffee is the best! 😊
The breakfasts are amazing in most places too and this one at Pension Clara is fantastic. That slows me down in more. 🤔
It started pretty steep uphill on the Kreuzweg direction Wartenberg. The air was so sweet and fragrant with alpine hay, full of flowers, everybody bringing it in because the next day there was supposed to be rain.
Trying to find the municipal centre didn’t prove that easy from my hiking guide. I hit tiny pathways more than once wondering if I was on the right track.
The higher I climbed the more I left the Karwendel Mountains behind, getting a bird’s eye view from where I had come from.
The houses were so interesting. Old, new, traditional, modern, all clinging to the slopes. Would be so interesting to come back in winter to see the landscape then. Many of them had lots and lots of firewood outside, gives you an idea of the winters and how they are heating their homes.
Pick up trucks have to be a lot smaller with those tiny roads than in North America!
The road went very far up and I found out that you could have driven 2/3 rds up to the Lizumer Hütte, and you could even take a taxi all the way up. Lots of nice inns with outdoor seating on the way but way too early for me to have a break.
The guide eventually said they were crossing over to the left side of the river but I had been on that side the whole time. Not sure how that happened but it let me through a magical forest, and I am convinced it was a fairy forest.
And then I found him: boletus edulis, the King Bolete, Steinpilz, porcini! What a beauty but I couldn’t take him with me. So I asked permission to brake off a piece of his cap and how tasty it was! One of the few mushrooms that you can eat raw without any terrible consequences.
Finally I reached Camp Walchen. I had been following the signs all day, not quite sure what it was. I knew that the Lizumer Hütte is located right in the middle of a military restricted zone. And that’s where the camp was.
Slightly intimidated I came closer to the barrier. There were signs all around stating “don’t take pictures”, “don’t enter”, “life ammunition”, “mountain bikers have to dismount”! In the little office by the gate was a young private and I asked him for the hiking path. Go figure! Don’t you love a military zone where hikers can cross through to overnight in an alpine hut, where cows are grazing all around, where there are small sustainable cheese farms, right next to the military camp up at the end of the mountain. It felt strange but very peaceful.
From here I followed a wild creek, up the old Zirbenroad (Zirben are a kind of very traditionally used pine tree) many, many tiny waterways had to be crossed, more alpine meadows, more mushrooms, more cows, tiny huts, until I finally reached a little fountain. I was just parched.
Just after 6:00pm I reached the Lizumer Hütte and met my roommate Isabel from Vorderriß again. We had a boullion for dinner and a vegetarian risotto. The food was amazing and after meeting a couple more ladies on different quests, and a couple more young, athletic people headed for Venice we fell dead tired into our beds. By the way, all 4 beds were occupied in our small room.
Bin immer dabei und fühle unsere Verbindung. Danke 🙏🏻
Love the huge mushroom! Your pictures are awesome Sibylle.