When even the sheep prefer a patch of old snow to the lush, flowering alpine meadows, it’s a sure sign of a sunny and hot mountain summer. This brings me to the question: can a sheep actually sweat? Read more
The midsummer weather at the beginning of July 2015 brought plenty of sunshine and unusually warm temperatures, even in higher mountain regions like here at the Totalphütte at 2,385 m in the Rätikon. The cumulus clouds piled high in the warm air over the Swiss mountains, as well as the peaks of the Kirchlispitzen and Drusenfluh (2,827 m), glowed colourfully in the last light of the sunset, while the full moon simultaneously rose above the horizon – what a show! Read more
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
It almost seems as if the exercise bike with the dynamo was set up to make a red-gold sunset shine on the steep south face of the Sulzfluh above the Carschina Hut in the Rätikon. In fact, the bike is available to anyone who wants to use it to charge their mobile phone – for a full iPhone battery charge, you have to pedal hard for a good hour. Read more
The circular hike over the Große Klammspitze (1,924 m; at the very back) in the Ammergau Alps is a classic, offering magnificent views during the ridge walk along the Feigenkopf and Klammspitzgrat, with the summit as the highlight.
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.
The rocky summit structure of the freestanding Tournette (2,351 m) towers visibly over Lake Annecy. For experienced hikers with a head for heights, the ascent to the summit is considered one of the most beautiful tours in the region, rewarding you at the top with a panoramic view down to the lake and such evocative mountain regions as Bauges, Aravis, Belledonne, Beaufort, and across to Mont Blanc.
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