Hiking on the Kreuzeck high trail
The Kreuzeck-Höhenweg is a tough one: over 52.8 kilometers it goes along the ridge of the Kreuzeckgruppe with constant uphill and downhill - 3500 meters of altitude have to be overcome.
The terrain is rocky and then again quite shallow along the beautiful alpine meadows. But the effort is rewarded with a spectacular view and fine, small shelters.
Mountains we come
Together with my friend Leonie, I set out to cover two stages of this route. On the first day we want to go from the Feldnerhütte to the Hugo-Gerbers-Hütte. We already spend the night up here after the approach. It's a nice start, because right away you feel like you've escaped from everyday life and you can listen to the exciting stories of the other hikers. Only the night is not quite so restful in the sleeping camp, but with earplugs we get from the typical snoring concert only little with and wake up halfway rested the next morning.
When you see only gray
Despite a good weather forecast, we are confronted with a gray wall when we look out of the window. We hope that it is only a cloud and set off after a good breakfast. 9 kilometers lie ahead of us. The first ascent is a tough one, because we first have to get to the ridge from here. With every step we feel the weight of our backpacks and I am glad to have packed only the most necessary. Nevertheless, you need much more equipment for long-distance hiking than for a day trip. The first two hours we are enveloped by dense gray and from the beautiful view we get unfortunately only little. But we can fully concentrate on the path. This is also necessary when we come to the first rope-secured spot. A few safe steps over the narrow ledge and we are already on the other side. Here the narrow path stretches along the slope. We can guess that it goes steeply down there, but the view here is also only a few meters far.
Look! How beautiful!
We motivate each other to keep going and know that a good mood is the best remedy against bad weather. Up and down we go. Other hikers emerge from the fog; we also briefly exchange a few encouraging words with them, they wish us a good way and we continue. A longer climb leads us to the highest peak of the Kreuzeck group, the Hochkreuz (2709 m). A lookout bench indicates that people usually like to linger here and enjoy the view, but we only stay up here for a short time. On the descent, our stamina is rewarded and finally a bit of blue sky appears.
"Look! How beautiful!" exclaims Leo, pointing down into the valley. Sure enough, the cloud cover lifts a bit and we can at least look down into the green valleys for the rest of the way. We can't get enough of this view alone. Now we also see how steeply the slope next to the path actually drops. Who is not free from giddiness and sure-footed here, will probably have no joy on this path.
Sleeping places are rare
After five hours we reach our destination for today: the Hugo Gerbers Hut. Friendly we are welcomed and get first a warm tea in the heated kitchen. By the way, we look for a warm shower on the whole way in vain. Instead, we wash ourselves at the ice-cold spring, which refreshes us and makes us lively again. Often the phone rings in the hut. Hikers want to reserve a place to sleep, but the hut is already fully occupied for the next few days. On the way there are only a few small huts, which makes the charm, but also offers few beds. We are lucky today: only five other hikers are with us at the hut and we learn that some, deterred by the weather, prefer to descend back into the valley.
I hike in the afternoon a little through the beautiful high valley below the hut, hear the streams rushing and am once again fascinated by the plant life up here. If you take a little time, there are countless species to discover. Scratchy thistles, soft juicy lichens and mosses or the beautiful but poisonous blue monkshood. The play of light and shadow also gives the landscape a special touch.
Marmots accompany the way
After today's stage, we fall into bed tired and satisfied, despite the strong wind that still whistles around the hut. The next morning the joy is great when we discover the first rays of sunshine from the window. After breakfast we continue our tour well strengthened. 13 kilometers and 1200 meters of altitude await us. I know these routes actually always only as an ascent to a peak, and then descend again. But today we can almost see the whole route that lies ahead of us and also behind us.
After the first few meters we can already hear the marmots whistling. But we don't seem to be a real danger for them, because they seem to stay sitting in the sun, also happy about the better weather today. With a view of the alpine pastures, it starts today quite relaxed, only with time the path becomes narrower again and leads us over rocky peaks and ridges, on which we put again concentrated one foot in front of the other.
When the rain comes
The impressive landscape tempts us again and again to take short breaks to enjoy the view. The mountain range stretches along the horizon, mountain lakes and streams lie amid green alpine meadows. At an ice-cold spring we fill up our water bottles once again. From the Damerkopf, the trail leads over large stone blocks on which lichens have created small works of art over centuries. Yellow, green and orange they shine on the rocks. They are so-called pioneer plants that can settle on rocks and trees under the most adverse conditions and create the basis for new life. Even the strong wind does not bother them. Our motivation is challenged once again when we see a black wall of rain coming towards us from the Zietenkopf. Fortunately, it is only rain and not a thunderstorm that is coming up. I estimate that in half an hour the rain will reach us.
The Anna shelter, our destination today, is still about two hours away. There is no shelter, so we have no choice but to prepare ourselves, both internally and externally, for the fact that we will soon get wet. Actually, I don't feel like it at all, but it doesn't help. We rummage rain jacket and rain protection from the backpack. After all, kilos that have not wandered in vain with on the mountain. A short and heavy shower passes over us. After a quarter of an hour we are wet and the path lined with puddles, but all this is part of long-distance hiking and is actually not so bad. Fortunately, the path is not slippery due to the rain and soon the sun comes out again.
Llamas and Co.
Slowly, but surely, we approach the Anna-Schutzhaus and to our great delight we are greeted here not only by very nice hosts, but also by a whole herd of llamas. Karl-Peter Schneeberger is a mountain guide and is on the way with a group for llama trekking (http://www.dolomitenlama.at/?page_id=626), he tells us in the broad East Tyrolean dialect. Hungry we make ourselves over the very tasty Schlipfkrapfen. At the table we get into conversation with two women. They still have the whole way ahead of them and ask about our experiences. We gladly share our experiences and impressions of the last days. In no time, a lively conversation ensues and we end the evening together at the hut.
Up here in the mountains, people come together. Without cell phone reception, computers and television, we again have time for long conversations and a game of "Mensch-ärgere-dich-nicht". Somehow fitting, since it was also our motto for the last two days. Because getting angry about the weather only spoils the day and we had a great time despite limited visibility on the first day and will certainly remember this tour for a long time.
