Day One, We start our three day hike through the mountain world of the Hochkönig.
We start with the Natrunbahn directly from the center of the village and float towards the Prinzenberg, the local mountain of Maria Almer. Already while driving up the mountain the impressive mountain world shows its most beautiful side. Once at the top, we are about 15 minutes away from the Prinzensee. The mountains are partly still hiding in the morning fog and we decide to wait a little for the sun. And it's worth waiting - because slowly the fog breaks up and the complete panorama with the Stone Sea and the Hochkönig Massif shows its full splendor.
One look to my companion says more than 1000 words, in their faces I can also read the joy and fascination about the natural spectacle now presented to us. Because now nature shows itself from its most beautiful side. The mountains are reflected in the lake, the fields of fog can only be seen on the horizon and an indescribably gentle, beautiful mood is set over the landscape at our feet.
Happy and fully motivated, we now set off for the Jufenalm in the direction of Hintermoos. and on to our actual destination, the Erichhütte. Always in view: the impressive Hochkönig.
At the Erichhütte we were welcomed with a large pan of Kasnocken. The noodles garnished with fresh chives were a dream! We were also allowed to try homemade juices and of course to toast with a rowanberry schnapps. Freshly fortified, we immediately continued along the hiking trail at the foot of the Hochkönig in the direction of the Arthurhaus.
After a while, we all got into the right rhythm and were able to enjoy the fantastic landscape, great conversations or even our amicable silence every now and then. Our way led us along rustic huts, like the four huts between Mühlbach and Dienten, over gentle alpine pastures to our day highlight, the Rieding waterfalls. From far away we could already hear them rushing down from high above and hitting the rocks. Cooling down guaranteed!
In the late afternoon we reached the Mitterfeldalm, our sleeping place for the first night. There we had to put our feet up and enjoy a well-deserved cool beer! Slowly but surely the first day came to an end. The last rays of sunshine bathe the alpine pasture and the mountains in a golden light and we are just thankful to be in this great place. As a crowning finale of the day, we got a homemade Kaisershamarren decorated with cranberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar! A wonderful day comes to an end with warm encounters in the huts and we happily fall into our beds.
After all, we have over twenty kilometers in our legs!
Day two, the early bird catches the worm!
True to this motto, we also plan our next morning. After our alarm clocks snatch us from our beds far too early, we all wipe the tiredness from our faces, smear our jam bread and then set off on our next adventure. This time we're going on the high wedge. At the top we experience the most fantastic sunrise we can imagine. The incredibly beautiful mountain scenery, the colors in the sky and the atmosphere in the group definitely make this morning one we will all not forget so quickly. Not only the summit at Hochkeil is something special. Right next to it there is a small pond that reflects the silhouette of the almond wall in the water on this day.
We pause for a moment, enjoy the morning mood and let ourselves be enchanted by all this. After feeling 38413 photos that we take up there, we continue to the valley station of the Karchbachalm in Mühlbach.
Now action and a big portion of fun is on the agenda. It's time for Mountaincart! With the gondola at the top, we all get a helmet and our mountain carts, with which we can 'shred' the whole mountain down again. With a huge grin on our faces - and a decent trail of dust - we all jet downhill like happy children. The fun factor here is immeasurable! Fully loaded with adrenaline, we then enjoy our delicious lunch at the Karbachalm in wonderful weather and with a fantastic view. After our rest we have to go back to the Wadeln - because the next summit is waiting for us.
We can see the summit cross from far away. It towers above Mühlbach at 1921 meters. At the top we are happy to enjoy the view in bright sunshine. The panoramic view is truly unique! From here we can see the entire mountain world of the Hochkönig and also our next peak, the Schneebergkreuz. In a good mood we set off again, because there is still a long way to go.
Our hike leads us through forests, past cows, alpine pastures, the summit cross of the Kollmannsegg, and finally we reach the foot of the Ahornstein.
We want to climb this peak the next morning! But it will have to wait, because for now we are looking forward to our second accommodation, the Moosalm in Dienten.
This small alp hides in the middle of a beautiful alpine pasture area. Sigi, the hut keeper, welcomes us with a broad grin and his motto: "Just amoi wos from da to-do-lists on de WOS-SOIS-lists schiam and walk in de Moosalm". He shows us his beautiful rustic alpine pasture and surprises us with a barbecue. While we enjoy it, the rabbits hop beside us and the cows are milked in the barn. We quickly feel at home on this rustic mountain pasture! We tell Sigi about our tour and after another day full of experiences, we leave early for our night camp. We can hardly wait to fill the next day with new memories!
Day three, ready for the summit storm
Ring, ring, early in the morning at half past four we are awake again from our alarm clocks. Also on this day we want to go to a summit to enjoy another sunrise. Our destination is already fixed: the maple in Dienten. Sigi serves us a coffee, which we can use after the short night and takes us to the starting point of our tour. We can hardly wait to finally stand at the summit and watch the wonderful mountain world awaken. After a one hour hike, the dawn slowly sets in. Already now the meadows, mountains and sky look indescribably beautiful. When we reach the summit, the sun is already rising behind the horizon and we let the first rays of sunshine shine in our faces. The moment when the sun's rays warm our faces, make everyone shine - inside and outside. We look at the Hochkönig Massif and the surrounding mountains, which appear soft and calm due to the morning light. With a sack full of memories, experiences and pictures, we set out on the last part of our three-day hike - to the Bürglalm. On our way we pass the Wastlhöhe. Here we have to make a short stop because this is a true lodge of the region. We sat down on the wooden throne, in the background the Hochkönig, and truly feel like kings.
Let's go to the Bürglalm because there a well-deserved breakfast is already waiting for us. We approach the rustic alp, which is decorated all around with flowers. At our arrival we are overwhelmed. The hosts Gabi and Toni wave to us from afar and a table, set with the best delicacies you can imagine, is waiting to be eaten by us. Besides homemade breads, juices, cheeses and spreads, we enjoy bacon, wild sausage, a herb smoothie - oh, I could add to this list. We feel like kings for another moment. We enjoy these delicacies, the morning mood and the landscape. After breakfast we are allowed to admire Gabi's herb garden, because the Bürglalm is also part of the Hochkönig Herb Alm. She tells us stories about the alp and informs us about the healing effects of the herbs.
We thank you for your warm hospitality and make our way home, filled to the brim with our sack full of memories and moments that we will never forget so quickly!