Montag, 1. September 2008

Rax Alpe 24 August 2008

This is our hiking and climbing tour at the mountain Rax Alpe
about 90 km southwest of Vienna, Austria.

Rax Alpe is 2.007 meters above sea level.
We start at Preiner Gschaid at 1.070 meters.

Today we will walk the Reistalersteig with its really superb climbing passages.


If you draw a diagonal line through the picture, beginning down in the right corner, going up to the left corner, this is our tour. It starts at Preiner Gschaid, crosses the cliffs in the middle, and ends at the peak, Heukuppe (2.007 m).

Click to enlarge all pictures!


So lets get started!


A first view of the cliffs, called Raxmäuer.



I am always behind, always taking photos.
That's why they call me "Mary Kisch the Racing Photographer"
named after the famous Czech journalist "Egon Erwin Kisch, der rasende Reporter"
(link to wikipedia)
who travelled the world in the first half of the last century.
Oh, what an honour for little insignificant ME :)
I think they love me!


Here you can see the Raxmäuer in all their beauty!





And here we begin to climb.







Oh yeah!




A little hole in the rocks, and the little plant has a place to grow.
Erwin and Lisi always show you the rarest things!



This and the following pictures I love best!



Tiny bluebells and an Edelweiß











Here we get a first glimpse of the peak, Heukuppe, 2.007 meters



The fog rolls in and the wind dishevels us.


Up to the top, gloves would be fine.


This is the peak, Heukuppe, 2.007 meters above sea level.
It's really cold here, but we feel great!


BERGMANN'S HEIL!


Down again, the fog follows us. Looks threatening, I know.


This is a little chapel on the edge of the cliffs. "Raxkircherl".
Also devoured by the clouds!



Below our shelter, Karl Ludwig Haus.


Inside Karl Ludwig Haus. Good food!


This green flatfish is a relief of Rax Alpe :)
We climbed up in the middle of front line.


The white rocks over there are the famous climbing rocks, Preiner Wand, with the one and only fantastic Haid-Steig where you need real climbing equipment like helmets etc.
It's real steep!


We walk down a very pleasant trail called Schlangenweg because of its many serpentines.





Soon we reach meadows with cows and alpine flowers like thistels and larkspur. Romantic!





One look back to where we come from - it was such a great tour again!



This is my outfit. During all that walking and climbing and having fun with the camera I had not noticed that I am allowing certain insights...


The last 500 meters ...


and we arrive at our parking place ...


with its neat road house.



Many thanks to our guide Friedl who is the great soul behind our hiking tours and our group.
Thank you so much, dear Friedl!


Thanks for joining!
So long!