A walk in the Alps
How this ski fanatic found her legs hiking up the Austrian slopes
PEOPLE who live in the mountains often remark that summer and autumn are their favourite seasons. For an avid skier, this is difficult to comprehend but on a recent visit to the Austrian Tyrol, this skier finally understood.
E-biking on quiet paths between Westendorf and Kitzbuhel, I stopped to admire the Wilder Kaiser Mountain. Stripped of its white winter cloak, this ‘Wild Emperor’ commanded respect, its rugged rock walls and towers perched majestically above lush green slopes.
With an emperor overlooking the valley, it’s no wonder the surrounding countryside is pristine and it’s amazing to notice that you feel calmer when the landscape you’re cycling through is litter-free.
In summer, Austria has always been thought of as a destination for older hikers. Sorry to destroy that myth – it is a hiker’s paradise but it’s also a playground for bikers, golfers, climbers, swimmers and relaxers.
Whether you want to cycle steep mountain passes, mountain bike down forest trails or press the ‘turbo’ setting on your e-bike to ease your way uphill; whether you want to go vertical on a Via Ferrata climbing route, stroll around a lake or bike to hike – it’s all easily accessible.
When you factor in very reasonable prices, it’s a great destination for groups. And in the Kitzbuheler Alpen-Wilder Kaiser-Brixental region, it’s easier than ever to enjoy.
Forward-thinking tourism bosses have just introduced free travel (winter and
summer) on rail and bus services between resorts, including Westendorf, Kirchberg, Kitzbuhel and St Johann. So let us embark on an autumn safari. We check into the Hotel Post in Westendorf, that little Tyrolean village where so many Irish people have learned to ski.
THE Post is a true Westendorf institution – each night a table is reserved for locals in the hotel’s Stube and you’re likely to find yourself sitting at the bar with half a dozen Lederhosen-clad members of the local brass band.
But the Post also knows how to move with the times. It has just undergone major renovation work, introducing spacious contemporary bedrooms that add greatly to Westendorf’s appeal.
After an evening in the stube, we might be hoping for a gentle first hike but we’re in for a little surprise. Our guide Mathaus Gartner – his hair so beautifully red that we think he’s secretly Irish – walks uphill with us for about an hour to Hohe Salve (1,829 metres).
It’s warm, our lungs are acclimatising and bell-ringing cows block our path in the most laid-back way possible. By late September, they’ll be brought down from the mountain amid village festivities, leaving silent paths to autumn hikers.
At Hohe Salve, we cool down, admire panoramic views and start the walk towards lunch at the Berghaus where we indulge in the first of many Hugos (prosecco, sparkling water, mint and Elderflower cocktails) followed by guilt-free cheese and spinach dumplings with brown butter.
The following day, calf muscles still taut, we take a short train ride from Westendorf to glamorous Kitzubhel where we meet our guide, Paul Koller.
Paul, one of the Tyrol’s top climbers, has climbed the Seven Summits (including Everest, excluding oxygen). He once climbed 15 4,000 metre peaks in seven days. When he goes to his local blood bank to donate blood, staff members rejoice and the lucky recipient of his red blood platelets skips home looking for a 4,000 metre peak to climb.
When it starts to rain, Paul takes out an umbrella and we guess this isn’t going to be a tough hike. We’re right. Normally, World Cup downhill racers fly down Kitz’s famous Hahnenkamm at ferocious speeds but today we’re going to walk around it.
That’s right, we go strolling with a climbing god who has bivouaced at 8,000 metres without oxygen and is now sheltering under a brolly. When you’re that good, you can choose whatever equipment you like.
A fully qualified mountain guide, Paul offers team-building courses and guided climbs – with or without umbrella.
Holidaying in this region during summer or autumn is all about exploring and mixing it up and there are lots of activities for groups to choose from.
We follow a day’s hiking with an e-biking trip from Westendorf through Kirchberg and on to Lake Schwarsee in Kitzbuhel.
Our guide Johnny Hagsteiner guides us through the basics of ebiking and to our relief it is pretty straightforward – set your bike to ‘touring’ for easy paths, ‘sport’ for inclines and ‘turbo’ for uphill.
Turbo is hilarious, launching you forward momentarily and allowing you to glide up hills you wouldn’t normally have a hope of ascending.
WE reach the lake at Schwarsee and it’s an eye-opener for those of us who fear mountain holidays can’t replace the beach. We swim in the lake, gaze at the mountains, snooze beneath the shade of pine trees and eat good food at the Alpenrose hotel bistro. Everyone agrees this day is one of the highlights of the trip.
Then it’s time for the next part of our Tyrolean odyssey. Sad to leave pastoral Westendorf, we move on to St Johann.
St Johann is undergoing something of a renaissance thanks to new Swedish owners who are investing in lifts and amenities. Trendy new hotels like the Explorer and ‘art and sport’ hotel Cubo have opened and there’s a buzz about the place.
But we’re here for St Johann’s ancient rocky treasures – this baroque town is set between the Wilder Kaiser and the Kitzubheler Horn, and we want to hike both.
Local guide Fritz Minhard is the only man for the job and for the next two days we enjoy easilyaccessible hikes in memorable surroundings, learning about rock formations, fauna and flora as we go.
The stand-out hike of the trip begins on the east side of the Wilder Kaiser, walking through Kaiserbachtal and ascending around 300 metres on the Ranggenalm. It’s uphill path most of the way and with temperatures above 30, I feel as if I need to be put through a car wash at the end.
But, of course, it’s worth it. The
route brings us up close to the Wilder Kaiser. There are endless photo stops to remind ourselves later (on that we’ve really been in this wonderful place. Our final hike of the trip is barely less inspiring – starting from the top of the Harschbichl lift close to the Park Hotel in St Johann we ascend to the Kitzbuheler Horn, walking along narrow paths to be greeted by friendly mountain goats at the summit. Although there’s a restaurant at the top, this feels more like a wilderness hike and we love it.
There’s so much to do in this region – hikers will adore the 280km Eagle Trail or the Kat Walk, a five or sixday hike with 76km and 106km options.
The climbers in our group are given a wonderful parting gift – a sunrise climb on the Hintere Goinger Halt in Ellmau, a trek that involves a 2am wake-up and scrambling through high mountain terrain.
On returning to St Johann afterwards, their smiling faces say what we all feel – this is paradise, when are we coming back?