Why's he laughing? 'You want us to climb that monster?' Today's climb, picture taken from a different hike
Ghost Mountains, scary to climb, beautiful to observe
After more than an hour of steep going, editor in fine form
Whenever we arrive in a town surrounded by mountains, one of them seems to make an impression that gets the
‘juices flowing’. The process repeated itself when we entered Seefeld last week. Hohe Munde is another
example of a ‘slab’ making that impression—we’re not sure how to pronounce it yet. In the last two missives,
it is understandably quite prominent. The problem of shooting for the peak is that it is only reachable on
a non-technical basis once the snow melts, if at all. However, we decided that we would try and get as far
as we could before danger signals triggered. A typical danger signal is when the editor asks for the car keys.
More later…
Yes, sir! Our first impression. This vantage point allowed us to see across the valley and spot a
hike which we have since completed
Editor heading for the narrow gap which she passed successfully. The thought of negotiating our way down
was most intimidating, however.
The villages in this area are quaint and charming. Without knowing too much about them, it would seem that
the residents live in a different world. Firstly, they are surrounded by mountains that are awesome and inspiring.
The fields are green and lush, the flora brighten the sidewalks, the roads are narrow but quiet and the few kids
we notice, ride their bikes in the streets, often on family outings. Gently flowing streams and brooks with clear,
clean water trickle through the villages; narrow bridges provide pedestrians and vehicles easy access to most parts.
Of course, there is always the quiet electric train to link to the outside world. Modern shops, restaurants and many hotels
and lodges seem to be the main business activity of the area—it is obviously a tourist destination. In fact, two
modern winter Olympics have been held in Tirol. It is clean, tidy and orderly, reflecting the Germanic ethic.
There is tranquility that makes this life easy on the soul, we think.
Mountains in green, brown and blue sprinkled with white surround the villages
Good thing you can't see the fear in his eyes
On the downside, an opinion which we have expressed before, is that the people including their neighbors
to the north and west are less friendly than many other nationals. We were the only ones on the trail as
we commenced early. However, on our descent, we came across a number of ‘unfriendlies’ who tend to go to
the alpine huts/restaurants for lunch. Enough with this we decided after three hikes. We approached a couple
and asked them some questions to break the ice—there’s just so much snobbery we can take.
There were expectations of rain for the afternoon so the early start made sense. The first part of the
hike is to the restaurant and is extremely steep; it goes on for nearly two miles. (Vehicle access is
available on rough surfaces). However, the scenery is so magnificent that it provides respite for the
strained muscles—the brain ignores their moans as it absorbs the beauty. Thereafter, the trail narrows
and becomes even steeper. After acquiring about 2,400 feet of elevation gain, we hit our first snowfield.
We looked at it and were astounded by the slope. It looked vertical but of course, it isn’t. We put on
our quasi-crampons and decided to ‘give it a go', relying on the editor to give us due warning.
Editor cautious on the way down. She was not ready to turn but some sense prevailed.
Note the side of the peak, top right corner
Jenni in great form, looking pretty pleased about life after 2,000 feet. She's was not yet aware what lay ahead
Another haunting scene of the Tirol (Tyrol) region
The original premise was that we knew it was not advisable to climb before July so as soon as we
felt vulnerable to the elements, we’d turn. The problem, however, was the climb in the snow was
scary but the return looked even worse. After another three hundred feet gain, the risks clearly
outweighed the benefits—a tumble down the mountain with the first means of support being jagged
rocks was not something we thought wise to accept. We still had to return down the steep, snow-covered
face, a difficult task for a couple not brought up in a snow environment. Suffice to say, we made
it down safely and quite well. We were obviously disappointed not to reach the peak which seemed
so close at the stage we turned back. Nevertheless, we gained 2,700 feet in a hike that was short
on length and long on steepness but exhilarating.
Once again, the various surrounding mountain ranges, each with its own unique look and style
impressed us enormously. The area is stunning.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
Picturesque and green villages, charming and quaint
The 'Munde Twins' from another angle. Our route was on the side facing the camera, left of centre
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