Arranged for 2 more days of accommodation to come, had breakfast, packed up, and headed out of the valley by bus to Mayerhofen. Many, many years ago had I been here with a whole gang of people for skiing. I was 16 then, so a while ago. And has it grown ever since. Beautiful but too big for me with tons of accommodations, shopping, restaurants. „Apres Ski“.
Switched buses to take me to the Schlegeisspeicher. What a wild road. The last bit is a toll road and only one lane, tunnels and all, and the bus was just zooming along.
I had felt really weak yesterday, exhausted, maybe an oncoming cold and today wasn’t any better but I had to be on the move again.
What a gorgeous place where we got out. The dammed lake, the spectacular mountains, the flowers, the blue water, just stunning!
I had a quick break at the Dominikushütte where at some point I had thought of staying. Had a noodle soup and an elderflower drink.
And then headed up to the Pfitscherjoch to spend the night there, right at the border to Italy!
It was a gorgeous hike up, lots of people on the way down. I was kind of stressed as there were very dark clouds and the weather forecast was predicting rain and a possible thunderstorm later today. And if I know one thing for sure you want to have a roof over your head when that happens!
I reached the Lafitzalm, very cute place and would have loved to stop for a short rest but the weather worried me. I had a quick look in their beautiful little museum though and caught up on history a bit.
Tirol used to be all one but in 1919 after WWI the border between Italy and Austria became fixed at the watershed between North and South through the Alps. This was already signed off secretly in London in 1815. Italian troupes had already been present in 1918 in this area. Many protests happened, unrest, bombings, attacks. Südtirol did not simply want to become Italian with the cultural connection it had to the North. It only improved once Südtirol was granted special authorities and was able to stay bilingual, German and Italian. Today they are still very close with their Austrian part and hold meetings together, cultural and economic decision making across borders.
Smuggling became a frequent business in this area too. The smugglers would carry up to 25kg in their backs which still allowed them to run. I cannot imagine this!!! Sugar, corn, grease, and wine went North and later on calfskins, tires, tobacco, and scythes went South.
During WWII the Germans had detainees build roads and there was a proposed mine for molybdenum which never was completed.
First discoveries date back to 10.000 years ago when early people found firestone here, quartz for arrowheads, and the most popular proof that these routes were used for trade long ago is probably the “Ötzi”. An early trader who was discovered as a natural mummy in the melting ice between Austria and Italy in the Ötztal Alps in 1991. He would have lived 3100-3400 BCE.
The Rotbachl shows clearly on the slopes, the red colour coming from oxidized pyrite.
The clouds got darker and darker and the landscape was quite wild! When I crossed over the Pfitscherjoch it started hailing. A quick photo at the border by an Austrian mountain bike tour leader who has family in Vancouver.
Only since 1973 was it possible to cross over the mountains by foot. What a beautiful feeling of connectedness and peace being able to cross from one country into the next without any borders. As many challenges as the EU may have there had some really good stuff come out if it too.
And up quickly to my overnight place, the Pfitscherjoch Haus at 2276m. The oldest hut in Südtirol, since 1888.
Gorgeous views!
The views from my room, which luckily was mine alone!
When Bruno Bolognesi opened the front door of the Pfitscherjochhaus on June 23, 1966 a bomb went off and killed the politician, destroying all of the wooden structure and damaging the stone structure as well.
Drifted away to the diminishing sounds of cow bells in the fog.