Welcome back to our recent hiking adventure! With a stunning blue sky above us and the sun shining brightly, it was a perfect day for an adventure in the mountains. The only limitation we had was my wife’s hesitation due to some past issues with her knee. If you ever had pains in the knee, you know how uncomfortable this can be. Especially in a mountainous setting where a lack of mobility could quickly become a really serious concern. I experienced this once and it’s not an experience I’d recommend trying yourself.
To minimize the risk, we were looking for routes that were close to cable cars. In case of the worst case we could at least go down by the cable car. There aren’t a lot of such mountains in the close vicinity but we just needed one. Another idea was to choose a south-facing route. In the two weeks before I saw that most south flanks were free from snow & ice up very high. This way, we could enjoy the sun, while also avoiding any potential ice or snow on the path. – We quickly decided upon a familiar trail that we both knew well from previous outings. With our gear packed and excitement in the air, we drove to the trailhead, eager to start our hike.
The Journey Begins
As anticipated, the walk was nothing short of delightful. The sun provided warmth, and the wind was hardly present, making our surroundings even more enjoyable. About the temperature: we always have a different perception of what is comfortable. To me it was comfortable chill :-). The trail itself was technically not very difficult, the most significant challenge we faced was managing our body temperature. It is always a bit of a balance between starting to sweat and getting too cold.
Closely before approaching our planned destination – a lodge close to the summit – 800m elevation from our start, the path became noticable snowy and icy. As we were just so close to the lodge we didn’t want to mount our micro spikes but somehow made it to the lodge. For the way down we immediately agreed to use our micro spikes.
To the Summit
Fortunately, my wife was feeling good, which meant we didn’t have to consider descending by cable car! While I was eager to get to the nearby summit, about 100m eleveation higher up, she preferred to wait in the sun at the lodge. Keen not to keep her waiting, I forged ahead to make it to the top as quickly as I could. As the trail took me around the north side of the mountain, there suddenly was considerable amount of snow, but luckily I wasn’t the first to go up there so the snow under my feet was already pretty solid. Standing at the summit – now 900m above our staring point – I was rewarded with breathtaking views, and I took a moment to appreciate the scenery while capturing a few photos.
Before I began my descent, I made sure to strap on my microspikesto have a good grip on the compacted snow. I hurried back, excited to reconnect with my wife, who was enjoying the warmth of the sun at the shelter.
The Path Back
Once I returned, my wife also donned her microspikes, and together we made our way down. Just like when we ascended, we relished the sun and the beautiful vistas surrounding us. The careful planning and precaution turned a simple hike into a safe and enjoyable day where we could both connect with nature and not worry about possible pains.
About 5 hours later we were back at the car. Happy, a bit exhausted and with a lot of great views in our memories.