A steep, but rewarding way up

Well, what better to do on a beautiful spring day than heading out for a hike. It all happened just a few days, starting point was a place called Zauberwinkel – meaning something like Magic Corner -, goal was the Kragenjoch. Both places are situated in the Wildschönau, a beautiful valley in Tyrol, Austria. It isn’t the longest hike out there, but a very step one and at some really dangerous, if you’re not used to climb up some step slopes with an abyss on the right side. So best leave the faint hearted, the totally untrained and your toddlers at home.  

So starting the trip was as always quite easygoing, walking along a broad forest road until the point where you head deeper under the trees and the way gets narrower and narrower until he is barely recognisable as a path and it more looks like ordinary forest floor. That’s the point where the adventure begins.

      The first Part - A narrow path between trees with roots as stairs

After quite some time in the path, if untrained your legs will hurt and you will probably be out of breath for  a couple of times, the narrow path still stays narrow, but it will get relatively flat, relaxing and nice to go with some astonishing views. Enjoy them, use them to as an excuse to make a break or two, if you like. No shame to it. Run by them, if you're the type of human being that has to get everywhere as fast as possible.

An impressive Viewpoint - At the Bottom the Inn Valley and the Angerberg

After the first small path a you have to follow a forest road, downhill for a while. Boring to walk, and nothing to see except lots of trees on each side. So head on, pass by a little stable and head back on a trail. There, you will get at some points with your goal before your eyes, but it isn't time for a celebration. At least not now.

The Goal in Sight - The endpoint lies behind the trees in the middle

So with your goal in sight, hopefully enough power left in your feet, you pass by the last trees and head out into a alpine pasture. Only that one little green hill to climb up. But it looks a lot easier than it actually is. It is a step climb, no path given, so choose wisely, fast, short and exhausting, or flatter and not that demanding. The decision is yours. But if you make it to your goal, the following view will compensate not for anything, but for much that you've done to yourself - depending to your stamina - in the past hour or two.

The Final View, From left to right - Pendling, Inn Valley, Zahmer Kaiser, Wilder Kaiser and Hohe Salve

After your way back up and an great last view there is only one thing to do, go back down, but take slightly different route than on your way up, because going down the same way makes no fun at all. Trust me, I've made the mistake myself a couple of times.