| Alpine Walking in Central Europe |
| These pictures are from my early visits to the Austrian Alps, in particular the Zillertal, more than 10 years ago. Left, walking in the beautiful valley of Floitengrund. On this occasion, we drove to the small hamlet of Ginzling above Mayrhofen and parked at Ausserer-Keesboden. The picture shows the view down the valley. The valley is green and wooded at first and as you get higher the trees give way to scattered boulders and eventually glacial moraines from the Floiten Glacier. The Greizer Hut sits high above the valley head at 2226m. We enjoyed perfect August weather on this visit. |
| Left, a curious dairy cow roaming the high pastures. Above right, the Schlegeiss reservoir in the Zamsergrund. The reservoir is filled with glacier melt-water and the skyline is dominated by the peaks of Hochfeiler (3510m) and Grosser Moseler (3478m) behind. From here it is possible to ascend to the Olperer Hut or follow path 502 along the edge of the reservoir and up to the valley head and eventually to the Berliner Hut via Schoenbichler Horn (3133m). Below, another view of the Schlegeiss, this time from high on the Reipenkees at 3000m, below Olperer. |
| Europe is an oasis of different mountain ranges and varied cultures that offer a tremendous range of plant and animal life, scenery and weather. Stretching from west to east through central Europe there is the continuous mountain chain of the Cantabrian mountains, the Pyrenees, the Cevennes and the Alps, the Carpathian mountains and the Balkans. There is also the Dolomites and Julian Alps amongst others. However, one must not forget the ranges to the far north too. Scandinavia, and in particular Norway, offers many mountain ranges of interest and grandeur equalling that of many parts of the Alps. See my Norway page for inspiration. Nowadays, the popular ranges in Southern Europe are criss-crossed with major mountain routes or tours and there are guidebooks, too numerous to mention, describing the routes in great detail. In several countries it is also possible to walk an entire tour and spend every night in a comfortable mountain refuge, enjoying the company and local cuisine. This page gives a brief insight into walking the mountains of Europe. |
| Above, the famous Edelweiss, now quite rare is many parts of the Alps. Left, an adult alpine Ibex. Since the middle ages the Ibex has featured in medicine and nearly every part of its body was thought to cure some kind of ailment. The Ibex was so badly persecuted that in the early 19th century only a single herd of around 50 animals remained in Europe, in the Gran Paradiso national park. Since then, the Ibex has been reintroduced to many areas and the population is now over 10,000. The age of an Ibex can be judged by the prominent dark rings on the horns which result from slow growth during the winter. The Ibex lives in the high mountains, above the tree line, and is an adept climber. |
| Above right, the European Alpine Primrose or Primula pedemontana seen here flowering in June in the Swiss Alps. Right, a curious young marmot showing its face in late spring. Below, the view westwards towards Argentiére along the l'Arve valley while descending les Frettes to the village of le Tour. This path can be incorporated into the Tour Mont Blanc. Click here to read more about the Tour Mont Blanc. |
| Above, on Le Chemin des planètes above St. Luc in the Val d´Anniviers in the Swiss Alps. Below, evening in the dinning room of the Cabane du Mountet refuge at 2686m. The view from this hut is one of the finest panoramas in the Alps. For more pictures and information from walking in the Val d'Anniviers click here. |
| Above and right, a popular target near Mayrhofen in the Zillertal is the Ahornspitze at 2976m which overlooks the town. The usual route to the summit passes the Edelhutte at 2237m from the Ahornbalm cable car. The easy walk to the Edelhutte takes 1 hour. From there, the summit of the Ahorspitze can be reached in under 2 hours. The final part of the route, above 2700m, is mostly straight forward scrambling, in some places on loose rock and snow. The route includes a short traverse with fixed wire on the lower reaches of the summit pyramid. Finally you reach a narrow col between the two summits just before the top. The summit, as like most of the tops in Austria, is mounted with an elaborate cross. |
| Above left, inside the Refuge de Col de Balme. If you wish to sample old fashioned hospitality then this is one of the huts to stay in. The French speaking guardians are very friendly and welcoming. Above right, on the summit of Croix de Fer (2343m), and below, the view to the Aiguille Verte and Mont Blanc on a beautiful warm clear day from near Tëte de Balme on the French-Swiss border. |
| Left, Bearded Bellflower or Campanula barbata. Below, Mountain Avens or Dryas octopetala. Especially in late June, the Alpine flowers provide amazing colours to the mountainsides and the variation is quite staggering. |
