Schatzberg and Joelspitze
On our second-to-last hiking day, we experience another tour of superlatives. We use the Schatzberg cable car for the “ascent” up the mountain. Arriving at the parking lot, we are initially confused but pleasantly surprised: parking here is free of charge. We look around several times to be sure. But there’s no sign with parking fees to be seen anywhere. So, off we go. The plan is to exit the cable car at the mid-station and hike from there to Joelspitze and Schatzberg.
Climbing in the rain?
The ride with the cable car to the mid-station is already an experience in itself. I find it fascinating to sit in the gondola and watch as the valley slowly disappears beneath my feet, gradually revealing the view of the mountains. Fantastic! At the mid-station, we pass the Koglmoos guesthouse. Two deck chairs with the Almdudler logo on the terrace look so tempting at first glance that one might almost want to take another break. But, the mountain shows no mercy. The ascent over 400 meters of altitude is not easy. Not necessarily because of the elevation gain, but rather due to the high humidity on that day. Thunderclouds gather above us but spare us a cold shower.
Arriving at the mountain station, the weather still looks cautious. On the way, an Italian man asks us if there is a guesthouse along the path. At the fork in the trail above, people stand around uncertainly, wondering what to do with the rest of the day. This is something I love. Where else can you so effectively block the path and annoy other hikers? We quickly orient ourselves on the large overview map at the station and then walk first on the panoramic path that leads around Schatzberg. After a short time, the cloud cover completely breaks open, and a beautiful day announces itself. Although clouds pass by from time to time, the weather holds.
Ridge Path to Joelspitze
When we reach the reservoir, which is located below both Joelspitze and Schatzberg, we turn left onto a ridge path. I love ridge paths. And this one is truly wonderful. Suddenly, you feel like you’re in an Irish landscape: lush green, wind, and cranberries along the path. As we start, Joelspitze is still in the clouds. But just in time for our summit climb, the clouds move along the horizon, revealing a stunning view of the surrounding mountain landscape. A truly uplifting and sensational feeling. An absolute moment of happiness for me, as I experience it again and again on hikes and especially on mountain peaks. This magnificent view into the vastness of the mountains, where no building and no noise disturbs this uplifting moment. On a mountain peak, I feel free from all worries. There’s nothing but this moment of silence and beauty. I could stay up here forever. But since thunderstorms have been forecasted for the afternoon, we descend back to the reservoir after the obligatory summit photo. Then, we plan to return to the cable car station via Schatzberg. On the way, a stop at the Gipföhit is definitely planned. There must be enough time for that, especially since the hut is located directly below Schatzberg. What a lovely coincidence.
Free Beer for Money
Our thirst is quite advanced when we reach our beverage stop. The terrace offers a beautiful view of the surroundings. However, it is quite drafty there, so we choose the back side. When we order our drinks, we notice that it suddenly becomes quite empty, both on the terrace and in the snack bar. The server explains to us that there was probably a sign at the base of the gondola warning of severe thunderstorms from 1 p.m. Hm, it is now 3 p.m., and nothing has happened. We were lucky, I think. And it’s good that we didn’t see the sign; otherwise, we probably would have canceled our hike. Burkhard orders a non-alcoholic beer and receives a brown bottle labeled “Freibier” (which translates to “free beer”). Oddly enough, the server still wants money for it. 🙂
Once Up Schatzberg and Back
After our refreshment, we quickly head up to Schatzberg. The last gondola leaves the mountain at 4:30 p.m., so there isn’t much time left. We once again enjoy the superb view into the valley and then hike back to the mountain station under the gaze of numerous bored cows. Behind us lies another fantastic hike. And yes, I notice how my heart starts to feel heavy as our hiking week draws to a close.
