I am at home in the mountains. It shouldn't come as a surprise that this was one of my favorite parts of the trip.
As Hike Director of the UC Davis Hiking Club, I knew that spending the whole day hiking from cabin to cabin with our group would really foster and cement the relationships we had with each other. Back at Davis when I hike for the club, I always start the day with a group of complete strangers and end it as a group of friends, and some people I become really good friends with. This trip was like that but even more rewarding and meaningful. I definitely got to know these people a lot better after those 12 kilometers to and fro the Habsburg Haus.
Here is a map of the area. We stayed two nights at the Raxalm-Berggasthof. So the hike started there and then ended at Habsburghaus for those of us who were willing to go all the way. We stopped at all the cabins that were along the way. One notable stop was the Ottohaus, where Sigmund Freud famously a frequent guest.
Here is our lodgings for two nights. Beautiful right?
Here is Ottohaus
We made sure to talk about the many crosses and votive offerings we saw along the way, which is always going to feel weird to me because I'm so used to hiking in mountains like this but they're in Protestant countries where this kind of show of devotion doesn't happen this high above sea level.
Coming back to Raxalm-Berggasthof was a great feeling. We felt accomplished for sure, and the shower was lovely. But one of my favorite things about the place we were staying was the beer they served. It was this excellent "Helles" style lager that had a full flavor profile and refreshing taste. And it was produced very locally, in fact I saw the microbrewery in the valley when we took the bus back home.
I have to say I have been extremely lucky this summer. Just look at the places I've been hiking. The month before the trip I was hiking around Mjølfjell near my Uncle's cabin in Norway. Here's a side by side of Norwegian mountains and the Rax Alpe
I promised to myself that if I ever come back to Rax Alpe, I am going to do the 10 hour hike to Heukkupe and back. That should be an amazing view 2000 meters up from sea level
Comments