Tag Archive for: Alps

Mountains: A Source of Strength

/0 Comments/in /by

Strength exercises at the Totalphütte, Rätikon, Vorarlberg, Austria

Mountains embody the immense forces of nature that operate over periods of time almost unimaginable to us. The extremes that have resulted from this, and which can still be experienced today – the inhospitable and inaccessible nature, the sheer massiveness and presence – also exert a beauty and attraction on us humans. A stay in the mountains can act as a catalyst for reflecting on one’s own existence and, for many people, serve as a source of strength for recovery and both physical and psychological development. Read more

Thunderstorm over the Sellrain

/0 Comments/in /by

Towards the end of a beautiful early summer day in June 2015, I’m sitting on the terrace of the Solsteinhaus in the Karwendel mountains. From my panoramic viewpoint across the Inn Valley to the south, I watch as a thunderstorm with its rain showers slowly moves through the Sellrain Valley from the Stubai Alps.

Read more

Wintry starry sky over the Falkenhütte

/0 Comments/in /by

Starry sky over the winter room of the Falkenhütte in the Karwendel, Tyrol, Austria

After the climb through the early winter Karwendel mountains, a silent and star-studded night settles over the outbuilding of the Falkenhütte (1,846 m), where I am staying overnight in the winter room with another group. Read more

Snowshoe Tour to the Falkenhütte

/0 Comments/in /by

View from the wintry Ladizköpfel of Falkenhütte, Laliderer Spitz up to Birkkarspitze, Tyrol, Austria

In the second half of October, a cold front brings the first substantial snowfall to the Alps. The subsequent high-pressure system entices me with milder temperatures, cloudless blue skies, and still strong sunshine into the Karwendel, to embark on the first snowshoe tour of the year – through the Johannestal to the Falkenhütte, where I plan to spend the night in the winter room. Read more

Sunrise at the Meilerhütte

/0 Comments/in /by

Sunrise over the Meilerhütte, Dreitorspitze and Wetterstein Massif, Bavaria, Germany

The Törlspitzen (2,427 m) rise just a few metres above the Meilerhütte, which is located at the only pass in the Wetterstein wall, from Schachen to Leutschtal. After a cleansing thunderstorm during the night, Zugspitzblatt and Zugspitze, Hochblassen and Alpspitze glow in the early morning sun. Read more

Hiking the Via Alpina with dogs

/0 Comments/in /by

With dogs at the Meilerhütte in the Wetterstein Mountains, Bavaria, Germany

At the Meilerhütte in the Wetterstein Mountains, I meet Lina from Sweden, who is hiking the entire arc of the Via Alpina with her two dogs. She has already been on the road for 43 days and can share many interesting experiences (on her tour blog in Swedish) caused by her two unusual companions – both positive and negative (for example, dogs aren’t always welcome in mountain huts or on public transport). Read more

Storm clouds over the Schachenhaus

/0 Comments/in /by

Dramatic cloud formations over the Schachenhaus, Wetterstein Mountains, Bavaria, Germany

The weather kitchen is brewing over the Bavarian Prealps and the day’s humidity will soon discharge in a thunderstorm. Before that, however, the sunset reveals one last dramatic display of colours over the panorama of the Ester Mountains, Elmau and the Wettersteinwand near the Schachenhaus. Read more