Wednesday August 3rd Weissenbach to Riederhutte

We think we may have done a tougher walk but at the moment we can't quite remember when. For once the numbers definitely don't tell the story, although they give a clue. 2,000 plus metres of ascent and 10 hours on your feet indicate a big day but it was the non-stop grinding nature of the terrain which made today mega.

Christine woke up with one eye virtually closed, the result of the bee sting from a couple of days ago. Didn't actually slow her down but I was getting sideways looks as Austrian's assumed a domestic incident.

Actually Christine was on top form. The signs said 4 hours 30 minutes to Hochleckenhaus and she was determined to beat the time. Better still there were lots of Austrians making the early morning climb and this meant only one thing, someone to chase and overtake. Firstly a couple, then a single woman, and then the ultimate scalp, three young men.

Attersee

Up and up we went, along ridges with amazing views of Lake Attersee then up again. The first major summit was Brennerin, at 1700 metres, 1300 metres above Weissenbach. Started to get a bit worried that this was no ordinary walk when we looked at the signs after the Brennerin. Despite being the fastest people on the mountain we were only just on schedule. Still 90 minutes to Hockleckenhaus and although no longer climbing the going was really tough, two horrible gullies to cross, but it wasn't just the up and downs that made the going slow, it was the broken terrain.

Climbing up to Brennerin

Back to Attersee

On Brennerin

At last we got to the hut at Hockleckenhaus and collapsed on a bench and ate. We were on schedule but had consumed huge amounts of energy. The good news I was hoping for didn't materialise. I had hoped that at least we were half way but no, another five hours to go and that seemed subject to maintaining our mad morning pace. Reider Hutte seemed like a long way away, and we seriously considered calling it quits and staying at Hockleckenhaus.

Christine however wanted to press on, doing nothing all afternoon was too boring. We left the hutte at 2, stuffed with food and fully rehydrated. It was hot and clear but I was worried about the weather. The forecast was rain by mid afternoon.

The tough walking continued but after an initial climb, a sharp drop into a valley, and then a 600 metre pull we were at the top of Grunalmkogel which at 1821 metres was the highest point of the day. It was only 4.30 and it felt like we were making good time. Trouble was, as the forecast had predicted, the clouds were now descending and the prospect of a summer thunder storm on top of a mountain kept the pressure on.

Things then started to slow down. The climb down from Grunalmkogel was really tough. Incised limestone and the extent of drop meant we were scrambling for much of time. It took the best part of an hour to descend 300 metres.

Struggling down Grunalmkogel

Hard work

I had promised Christine that the last bit would be easier but lacked the evidence to back my theory. It couldn't be harder but in it's own way was just as bad. An exposed path set into a limestone cliff and huge drops. Not a time for looking down or even up.

Fortunately this didn't last long and we soon walking along the side of a valley and gently climbing up to what we hoped was the hutte. The signs however were still not telling us how far we had to go, the light was fading, and it looked increasingly like rain. At 6.45pm we heard a helicopter, rounded a final corner, and there was the hutte taking it's bi-monthly aerial delivery.

Special beer drop

So a really tough walk, challenging but all the time the scenery was amazing.

It's hard for people, who inevitably have not got the level of fitness I have built up over many months, to click quickly into my pace of walking and indeed the schedule I have set myself. I thought Christine was just amazing today and was very proud of her.

Christine adds: what a tough day. Am exhausted and feet and knees are killing me. The best thing about the last 11 hours was hearing the helicopter and knowing we must be getting near the Reider Hutte. Tomorrow is supposed to be a lot easier and we're hoping we don't get rain; there was a sharp shower this evening just after we arrived here and it's still cloudy.

Tuesday August 2nd Schafberg to Weisbenbach

What goes up must come down and after yesterday's huge ascent up to the top of Schafberg today's walk was all about the long descent down to Weisbenbach. Completely different sort of walk as well, particularly at the beginning, which was all ropes, ladders, slippery limestone and absolutely amazing views.

Above the clouds from Schafberg

Christine continues....
After sleeping nearly 10 hours, John woke me up by insisting I look out of the window. It was breathtaking. We were up in heaven with distant peaks from the earth below poking through the cloud blanket. What a place. Far better to stay the night and enjoy the early morning views before the crowds of earthlings came up on the little hobbit train from below.

From the viewing platform at Schafberg

We breakfasted with a crowd of enthusiastic Germans who quickly demolished the bread rolls and ham. Good job we got down to breakfast first.

How to get down from this huge peak? My instinct was completely wrong. Instead of going east (which would have taken me off the edge of a cliff) we went west and then an old sign through a small rock arch pointed into space and invited us down a steep zig zag path down the cliff face. Fortunately we were able to grab the wire ropes. I decided to let John go first. I had Prince's 'Controversy' on my brain and kept singing it out of nerves, much to John's annoyance. Once we got past the worst bit we could stride out but the limestone was slippery and you had to concentrate.

From Schafberg with Mondsee below

Underneath the Schafberg cliff

After a bit we got into trees and continued down through mixed beech and conifers until opening out onto a grassy plain hosting a well appointed hut. Time for coffee and strudel.

We then continued walking east, the sun now beating down and hot, following the side of a steep mountain stream before going up and onto a forest trail. Then down down down, feet hurting by now, lycra clad cyclists passing us but them struggling uphill in the blazing sun.

We got to the shore of Attersee around 1.30 pm then walked along a hot road to Weissenbach, a small nonentity of a place. Trouble then, as the Gasthaus Goldenlamm booked from England turned out to be in a Weissenbach in a totally different region of Austria.

Attersee

Luckily found somewhere else, and decamped to the lakeshore for the rest of the afternoon enjoying swimming in the lake.

Monday August 1st Faistenau to Schafberg

It's 10 past 8 and Christine is claiming that it's time to go to bed. Maybe we have overdone it a bit, particularly if the sighs, groans and moans are anything to go by. Suspect that the last three hours of the walk may have something to do with it as we climbed a straight 1400 metres up to Schafberg having already walked 20 kilometres from Faistenau. Poor Christine, just before we started what was one of the toughest climbs of the whole E4 walk, she managed to get stung by a bee in Winkl.

Tonight we're staying in the Hotel Schafbergspitz, not exactly a boutique hotel but a haus with an amazing location. It's right on top of a sharp ridge at nearly 1800 metres. I keep having to dash out onto the balcony to catch yet another amazing view as the sun, clouds and mist reconfigure to present new views of lakes below and mountains in the distance. One of the lessons learnt from this walk is to be more careful about choosing the precise location of the accommodation. Tonight we struck gold.

The weather has been OK today, good but far from perfect as still too humid.

Leaving Faistenau just after 8, onto the right route almost immediately, the first part of the day involved a 300 metre climb up over the ridge into the next valley and down to Fuschl. Stopped at a little lake on the way down before a more serious stop for mid morning strudel at Fuschl overlooking the lake.

Lake to the east of Faistenau

Fuschl

Took us ages to find the right route out of Fuschl but eventually we were walking along the valley which links to the next lake and St Gilgen. The walk gets a bit complex at this point as it struggles to keep you high above the town and avoid the drop down to the lake. Some interesting cliffs and lots of very young climbers were practicing their techniques high above us.

Looking down to St Gilgen

After all the ins and outs through the cliffs and the trees you still end up dropping down to Winkl. Perhaps just as well for us the top of the Schalberg was in the clouds but Christine's bee sting already meant that she had something else to think about other than the climb.

The climb itself was on a good path even if it was a bit unrelenting. Seemed to be the only people going up as everyone else had caught the steam train to the top and was walking down. Once you break through the tree line the top is still a 400 metre climb and the last bit, as usual was the steepest.

Climbing up to Schafberg

Started the climb at 2.45 and were drinking beer at 5.30 in the hotel. My GPS measured the climb at just over 1400 metres from Winkl to the top and we had a 15 minute stop for boot removal half way up. I suspect that for the day as a whole we climbed over 2,000 metres and walked about 25 kilometres. Much shorter downhill walk tomorrow and should have enough time for a swim in the lake.

Sun set from Schafberg

PS from Christine
I was standing under a tree in Winkl minding my own business when a bee dropped onto my eye. Unable to prevent the reflex action to brush it off, I goaded the thing into stinging me.

Sunday July the 31st Salzburg to Faistenau

Today feels like the beginning of the pen-ultimate stage of my E4 marathon. In two and a half weeks if all goes to plan Christine, who joined me yesterday in Salzburg, will be on her way to Vienna, the Alpine walking will be over, and I'll be walking across flatlands to Budapest.

My itinerary is a bit messier than a straight forward walk across the eastern Austrian Alps and I have come up with my own version of the E4 to avoid a long walk to and from Vienna. Since Bregenz and Lake Constance I have been following the northern variant of the E4 which essentially follows the Weitwanderweg 04 (and the Maximillianweg which finishes just to the east of Salzburg). The 04 clings to the northern edge of the Alps and I'll stick with that route until it gets to Klauser See which should be in four or five days time. I'm then going to switch variants and join the higher Alpine variant at Spital am Pyhrn walking along that until it descends from the mountains at the Wax Riegal Haus. Then instead of walking to Vienna and back I'm going to cut across country and rejoin the E4 as it enters Hungary.

We knocked off the first day of the penultimate stage today. Said goodbye to my cousin Chris Dickinson this morning and got straight onto the E4 as it leaves Salzburg on the eastern side. Weather was cloudy this morning and gradually got better throughout the day. Looks like Christine's arrival may have signalled a break in the run of poor weather I have suffered for the last fortnight or so.

Although today was a bit dull it was the right length for Christine's first day and by the time we got to Faistenau we had walked 23 kilometres and climbed 1200 metres. After all the rain Christine opted to wear proper walking boots and her feet were getting sore by the middle of the day.

The first target was Gaisberg which was today's highest point. We broke the climb at Zistelalm and had coffee and strudel. It was only 10.30 but beer was already being consumed and the restaurant was gearing up for some serious music making. Half expecting Julie Andrews to burst in; it was hard to distinguish between restaurant staff, musicians and customers as everyone, apart from us, was in national costume. ( note from Christine: the men were particularly fine in elaborate 3 ply hand knitted hose, leather shorts and tailored felt jackets; one sported an impeccable heavily waxed handlebar moustache).

Still a bit misty but on a clear day the views of Salzburg from the top of Gaisberg would have been amazing. Some nice walking through birch trees on the way to the top.

From Gaisberg looking back to Salzburg

Through trees to the east of Gaisberg

The long walk down hammered Christine's feet and by the time she got to the bottom she was having to apply her patent anti-blister treatment which involves removing socks and boots and standing in ice cold water, provided there's a convenient stream.

Down to Ebanau

The walk to Ebanau and the final stretch to Faistenau was just a bit dull and involved a lot of walking on hard surfaces. After booking a hotel so close to the E4 leaving Salzburg Christine's second gasthof was not so well placed, in fact it was 10 kilometres to the north. No harm done as local alternatives were plentiful, so we cancelled and dug in at a nice old gasthaus in the main square.

Christine adds
John is looking like the mad monk with wild longish curly grey hair and a hungry resigned look on his face. It was very good to see him after all this time. He is incredibly strong and fit and has the stamina of an ox. Am regretting bringing my big heavy boots and need to toughen my feet up before we hit John's special 40k a day routine. The landscape here is a bit too twee and manicured. Looking forward to getting into the Alps proper.

Saturday 30th of July Bad Reichenhall to Salzburg

My original plan had been to climb up from Bad Reichenhall, see the Hitler's Eagle's Lair at the Berchtesgadner Hochthron and then stay at the Zeppezauerhaus. Unfortunately as it's a Saturday the hut was full so the revised plan involved going to the top, coming down on the lift, and then ploughing on into Salzburg. Given the huge 1800 metre climb up to Berchtesgadner Hochthron, which looks a bit treacherous at the top, we decided that if the weather wasn't half decent we would take the low level E4 route option into Salzburg. This morning it was poring with rain, you couldn't see a thing, so regrettably we took the low route option.

To be honest the Maximillianweg stretch of my E4 walk has been dogged by bad weather so although the failure to get to Berchtesgadner Hochthron made for a bit of an anti-climax it was par for the course of the last two weeks. The low level option, in the rain, was very dull and as we hit the Salzburg suburbs we saw a bus and made for our hotel.

Currently waiting for Christine to arrive. The hotel she booked is ideally located for a quick getaway tomorrow morning and the weather forecast for next week looks much better. Walking every day in the Alps is really tough but it can't get much worse than it's been for the last two weeks and after another two the end of the Alps will be in sight.

Friday 29th of July Ruhpolding to Bad Reichenhall

After yesterday's huge walk I had managed to convince myself that today's would be easier. It was shorter (slighty) and there was a lot less climb. The only hint of misplaced optimism were the timings in the guide which pointed to yet another ten hour marathon.

Stayed at a nice Gasthof in Ruhpolding, cheap, clean and a substantial amount of typical Bavarian food - food that is wholesome but not that exciting. The landlady was really nice, very motherly, and actually invited us to make sandwiches at breakfast.

Had our first heavy shower of the day in Ruhpolding town centre. Ruhpolding, as we discovered, had loads of accommodation and was not a place where you would need to worry about advance booking.

The first 10 kilometres of walking to Inzell was a bit dull, easy, and perhaps put us in a slightly over-confident state of mind for the day. At Inzell we had the first indication that the Man with the Maps, the Colonel, was not on top navigational form and that a five day operation might be a day too many.

Gentle walking to Inzell

The real climbing started just after Inzell (after a small disagreement with a local as to the right route) with a path ascending steeply up 900 metres up to Kohleralm. Got there at about 2.30 and stopped to eat the sandwiches we made at the Gasthof.

St Nikolaus

Kohleralm

The weather was now threatening and although the signs were clear enough the information on timings was very confusing. We then started a contour path heading east which in the end took nearly four hours to complete. Not complaining and on a better day the views would have been amazing but the going was tough and progress slow.

Approaching Reichenhaller Haus 

At about four o'clock we got to the Reichenhaller Haus and within a space of 200 metres saw signs that suggested that Bad Riechenhall could be reached in 2, 3 and 4 hours. Just past the Haus we had to take a decision as to whether to continue with the high route or drop down. I said stay high but soon started to doubt my judgement as the rain started to pour down, the path went from high to higher, and the route became increasingly exposed. The last thing Chris wanted to do after 8 hours walking was climb but he stuck with it without complaining despite the fact that the path was getting just a bit dangerous. At last things became less treacherous and we started the mega and often slippery descent down to Bad Riechenhall.

Just before the descent

Bad Reichenhall is quite a big place and although we had a Gasthof booking we had no real idea where it was. After a beer in a bar and instructions we were walking along the street to the Bahnhof with Chris thinking were we travelling in one direction and me the other. The misunderstanding was not resolved by a large street map leaving Chris believing we should turn left and me believing we should turn right. Two local men joined in the debate and although they backed my argument they took so long to reach a conclusion that little confidence was generated.

We headed of in the direction suggested but still couldn't find the street. Eventually we asked a couple of well dressed Germans the way and they suggested that the Colonel had been right all along and sent us the 500 metres or so back to the Bahnhof. Despite the fact that it was now well past eight Chris was jubilant and his victory dance was a bit embarrassing in front of our new cosmopolitan friends.

Back at the Bahnhof, and confronted with the barrier of the railway lines, the confidence of Colonel Chris started to ebb forcing him to seek fresh instructions in a nearby liquor store. Just then the two well dressed Germans reappeared having come all the way to the station to find us, apologise for giving us the wrong directions, and to then escort us all the way back to the Gasthof in the direction originally suggested by yours truly. Chris took the disappointment of being wrong very well perhaps helped by the fact that I only reminded him of his mistake a dozen times.

Anyway alls well that ends well. The Gasthof was excellent, very old fashioned and chaotic, but great fun. Dinner and two huge beers in a local bar finished an interesting and enjoyable day.

Thursday 28th July Marquartstein to Ruhpolding

After yesterday's high wire acts and general fireworks today's walk was more heavy duty, more of a slog. The walk was much longer, involved two big climbs, and the weather had once again turned against us. Given the length of the walk, 34 kilometres, and the 1800 metre climb, it was absolutely essential that we didn't loose any time by missing the track.

We had an extra kilometre or so to walk before we found the track but after that it was a solid, steady uphill climb through trees until we were completely surrounded by a cold clinging mist.

Coffee at the Hochgernhaus Hutte was the first bit of relief and meeting the spitting image of Rodney from Only Fools and Horses the second. Given recent encounters with savage bovines Rodney's first hand knowledge of bulls was of interest, he kept bulls for beef down in the village. Less welcome was his view that we wouldn't make Ruhpolding before 8 in the evening and that the cliffs above us were very dangerous particularly when you couldn't see where your going. Rodney declined the invitation to give us a lift up the mountain on his tractor.

Top map man / Hochgern

Returning to the trail and the mist we got to the top of Hochgern about 30 minutes after leaving the hut. Chris studied the map carefully and concluded that we should take the direction opposite to my instincts at least and he was dead right. It was absolutely critical that we found the right path down and his navigation was on the nail.

Loosing 600 metres of altitude was a bit of a pain but at least we got out of the cloud and for a time the weather seemed to be improving. We actually had our sandwiches in the sunshine.

The second climb was not so high as the first but it was later in the day and energy had already been sapped. The route gave us the choice of climbing all the way to the top of Hochfelln or heading down from the pass just beneath. Presented with the invitation we declined it and shot of down the mountain.

Climbing up Hochfelln

After walking for five months it's easy for me to forget how big these walks are for new joiners. Huge descents at the end of a long day can be treacherous when your knackered and sure enough Chris missed the path and crumbled down like some large animal victim of a hunter's rifle. Fortunately the fall was not as bad as it looked and he was soon on his feet again non the worse.

As usual the final bit of the walk was on hard surfaces and arriving in Ruhpolding in the rain after six we dived into the first Gashof we could see. Big big walk but in the end nailed without too much drama.