Hiking the Alps

            One night when we were walking back from dinner, my host dad asked me what I missed about Colorado. And the answer was real simple for me. The mountains. I never really thought I would miss just seeing a hunk of rock, but it has been such a huge adaptation for me. Instead of seeing a natural slate rock every morning, now I see blocks upon blocks of concrete. So, because my host family is absolutely incredible, they took me to the mountains! On Sunday, we drove to the closest mountain near Vienna. It was about an hour long drive to get to Rax, but as soon as I stepped out of the car, I felt closer to home. The air was crisp and clear out there. I could smell fall in the air, and I knew it must be getting that way back home. We took a gondola up the mountain to get a good start before attempting to climb the Alps. Again, I was immediately reminded of home, when I would ride the lift up the mountain to collect raspberries with my family. When we got to the top, the air was crisp and windy, and for the first time during my stay in Austria, I actually was cold. So we layered up, and headed up the mountain.

My host sister Theresa, me, and Valerie off the gondola

 

            At first, the path was wide and a gradual uphill climb. I took it slowly and enjoyed the views, feeling so in my element. Before I knew it, we rounded a corner and found a breathtaking view of the entire valley encircled with mountains. There, we found an opening in the trees, and ate lunch.

 

My host mom Babsi and I

Our lunch spot

 

              I looked up to the ridge line in front of me, and saw a little hut on the top. I asked if we could go up there. And while my host father was all about it, the others didn’t seem too excited! So we began a more technical hike up the steep slope. One by one, the others dropped like flies, and only my host father and I made it to the hut. Once we got there, I saw another bigger hut, and we decided to go for it. It kind of reminded me of the Lord of the Rings when they set off fire signals from ridge to ridge. There was a mountain hut on every ridge. So getting over to the new hut was different then what I was expecting. In Crested Butte, each mountain is its own individual peak, and when you get to the top you are done. But here, all the peaks are connected, so once you get to the top, you can easily reach a new peak by simply walking through a vast green field. I literally felt like I was in ‘The Sound of Music’. The hills were certainly alive, as knee-high green grass blew from side to side in the wind. We walked like this for about an hour. Then we came to a new ridge, where the views were even more spectacular.

A cool place to have a house!

My first sight of Austrian snow!!

 

             I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, because I just felt so at home! Being an exchange student, I have felt completely out of place, totally lost, and so uncomfortable in so many daily situations. But being back up in the mountains, where thinking is easy and my head is clear, I finally felt like myself again. Needless to say, I had such an amazing day. We finally made it to the last mountain hut, on the very edge of the ridge, where we had a soda and some Manner (candy), took some photos, and headed back. By the end of the day, I was completely exhausted, but sat there with a grin on my face all night. I really enjoyed getting to know my host father more, and I was super proud that I was able to tell stories from back home in German! All in all, I had an awesome day, and look forward to more Austrian adventures!