Tag Archive for: Alps

Via the Geigelstein to the Rossalm

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Morning sun shines into the dark mountain forest near the Talalm, Chiemgau Mountains, Bavaria, Germany

The hike up the Geigelstein was the start of an eventful late summer day in the Chiemgau Alps. The first few metres from the hikers’ car park at Huben in the Priental valley led steeply through dense, still cool mountain forest. I quickly gained altitude via the Jägersteig trail and reached open meadow terrain and the warming sun for the first time at the Wirtsalm. To the south, the morning mist was clearing over the Kaiser Mountains and the Kaiserwinkel. The path led past the huts of the Schreckalm and, after a northward bend, I could now see the summit of the Geigelstein (1,808 m) glowing in the morning sun.

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First encounter with Campill in South Tyrol

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Hay huts on a flowering alpine meadow in front of the Zwischenkofel Valley and the rock walls of Somamunt of the Puez-Geisler Group, Campill Valley Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy

After a relaxing stay in Tuscany with its picturesque old towns and inviting coasts, we didn’t want to drive straight home on the way back, but instead explore areas of South Tyrol that were still unknown to us. Therefore, north of Trento, we left the Adige Valley heading east and drove into the Fleims Valley until just before Cavalese. Read more

From Ackernalm to Hinteres Sonnwendjoch

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Summer mountain panorama during the descent from Hinteres Sonnwendjoch, Tyrol, Austria

During my visit to the alpine farmers at Ackernalm, the dairymaid had more daily tasks to attend to in the stable and hut. I, however, was able to set off on a wonderful day hike to Hinteres Sonnwendjoch. Read more

Alpine Farming on the Ackernalm

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Cows walking towards the cowshed for milking in an alpine landscape at dawn, Ackernalm, Tyrol, Austria

How often have I hiked across flowering alpine meadows or been accompanied by the sound of cowbells on my treks, all while longing for untouched wilderness. I gradually overlooked what diverse and ecologically rich landscapes human cultivation in the Alpine region has created over the centuries. Read more

Halserspitz and Blaubergkamm

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Hikers on the Blaubergkamm, Bavaria, Germany

After more than seven years, I returned to the Halserspitz (1,866 m) and the Blaubergkamm in the Tegernsee Mountains. A colleague had never done the wonderful circular tour from Wildbad Kreuth via the Blaubergkamm before. So we arranged a joint hike and set off on a Sunday morning shortly after sunrise from the hikers’ car park behind Wildbad Kreuth. Read more

Circular hike to the Risserkogel (1,826 m)

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View of the connecting ridge to the Risserkogel (1826 m) and Blankenstein in the Tegernsee Alps, Bavaria, Germany

The Risserkogel (1,826 m) is a superb viewpoint in the Mangfall Mountains, offering panoramic views from the Alpine foothills across Lake Tegernsee to the main Alpine ridge. A scenic and rewarding circular tour starts at the Schwaigeralm forest car park near Wildbad Kreuth. Read more

Autumnal mood at Lake Achensee

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View from Vorderunnütz of the mountain landscape with autumnal mountain forests and the turquoise fjord-like Lake Achensee, Tyrol, Austria

The Lake Achensee lies like a fjord in a deep incision between the Rofan and Karwendel mountains. On its shores, mountain forests rise steeply towards rocky peaks and ridges, while the villages of Achenkirch, Maurach and Pertisau lie in the flat valley sections amidst still-green meadows. The autumn-coloured larches add splashes of colour to the dark green of the spruce and pine forests. A white veil of clouds hangs in the sky, which has a warm, milky effect on the light of the already low-lying sun and, in combination, creates a light and colour atmosphere that is unique throughout the seasons. Read more