Walking in Mayrhofen
/I was lucky enough to have a work trip at the beginning of July, and it was just the sort of trip I would choose. I hadn't been to the Austrian Tyrol before, so went with no expectations and an open mind. What I found was beyond everything I'd hoped it would be.
Sitting in the beautiful Zillertal Valley, the little town of Mayrhofen was delightful; pretty, quaint, lively and bustling and ringed on all sides by mountains that looked huge and impenetrable. The traditional chalet style hotels were beautiful; all with wooden balconies and each painted and flower bedecked. They were at once unique and comfortable. Staff in traditional dress were always ready with a smile and a greeting, and the food they served was good quality, substantial and plentiful.
The main draw, certainly for me anyway, were the views which were all, without exception, staggeringly beautiful. Range after range of peaks appeared as you travelled higher, some still snow capped even in the height of summer, until you saw the glaciers. The air was pure, clean and fresh and the profusion of wildflowers, especially deep pink azaleas, were so beautiful to see. Water was crystal clear, cold and a wonderful glacial aquamarine in colour.
The mountains themselves were spectacular; high, jagged, forest clad and incredibly steep, but a series of cable cars and gondolas sped us upwards smoothly and comfortably. Walking trails to suit all abilities began as soon as we alighted, all graded from easy to difficult, and there were miles to choose from.
On our first day, we took a long, steep cable car up to Mount Ahorn, a winter skiing area, and found ourselves in a flower filled alpine meadow with grazing cows, a small 200 year old farmstead and a series of pools where children played and adults cooled their feet. A further 800 or so feet of climbing up the Filzenkogel felt like a real achievement in the heat of the afternoon, standing on the summit at 7372 feet!
Day two saw us travelling to the end of the Ziller Valley to take a hike up to the Bichalm Hintertux chalet, after travelling to Hintertux in the Tux mountains. Winding up through pine woods, we emerged out onto open hillside where marmots whistled at us in alarm, reaching the lovely wooden chalet after about an hour. Sitting on the balcony, surrounded by red geraniums and views of the Hintertux Glacier, we enjoyed freshly made apple strudel, before making our way back down and on to the lovely Kessel Waterfall.
The next day we walked from the top of the sublime Stillup Valley along the Waterfall Trail which was achingly beautiful, dotted as it was with small farms, herds of caramel coloured cows with their softly chiming bells, palomino ponies and a chance to chat to people from all walks of life along the way. Mountain huts and small cafes were a regular sight on the trail, which provided a welcome chance to try delicious home made strudels, cakes, sandwiches and gulp down much needed drinks. The remainder of the afternoon was spent in the lovely pool at our hotel, the Kramerwirt, with its mountain views.
Our last morning was a little overcast as we took two gondolas up to the summit of the Penken mountain at over 6000 feet, for lovely views down into the Zillertal Valley. It was cooler on the summit, so we enjoyed hot chocolate in the conviviality of one of the lovely ski chalets, before gliding down again accompanied by the most stunning views.
We left the next morning, taking the scenic route to Innsbruck Airport, after what had been a wonderful trip to a magical destination with a lovely group of ladies; somewhere, I am sure I shall be returning to very soon.
