Tyrolian Alpine Club

Via Ferrata was never on my bucket list, but here we were in Austria, in the Alpine village of Ellmau, where every view is an MGM backdrop of stunning mountains.

Starting Point of Hike

We drove all day to visit our dear friends Ingrid and Franz and we spent the evening after a great dinner planning the hike for the next day. It was supposed to rain in the afternoon so we decided not to go too far away and to get an early start. An easy via ferrata would be on the menu if we felt up to it. Steve had already done a very difficult one with Jed. I remember that he was partially in shock when he returned from that excursion.

Happy Hikers, Ingrid, Franz, Anita, Sreve

I was skeptical that Franz could offer us an "easy" vf due to previous hiking experience with him. I was a tiny bit more concerned when Ingrid fitted me to the harness I would wear. They had various sizes of the apparatus. I was the only one who would wear one. I sensed a lack of confidence in my surefootedness and stamina but did not object to using the harness. Suddenly the vf became the challenge. Remember, I'm the one who climbed 100' in the air on scaffolding to paint the Libby's WaterTower. I could certainly do this.

Getting in Harness

Via Ferrata means the iron route, a trail with fixed cables. It exsists to aid hikers when the mountain trail gets too narrow or disappears or you have to cross a canyon. The idea behind a vf is to allow people who are not experienced to climb mountains they wouldn't otherwise be able to climb. I learned that one must trust the integrity of the cable and the sturdiness of iron hook that attaches the cable to the rock. The correct way to do a vf is to attach your two carabiners to the cable, hold on to the cable with both hands, if you are lucky you have gloves, stretch out your arms while leaning your center section away from the mountain, press your feet against the vertical rock, don't look down, and travel carefully along sideways. When you reach a hook you unclip the carabiners, one at a time, moving each one around the hook. One carabiner is always attached to the cable for safety.

Holding on to Cable

We started out at 9am. We hiked on a steep, rocky mountain trail, arriving at the beginning of the vf section at 10:50. We climbed the vf until noon. It was easy at first, then there were the sketchier places. I followed the protocol, Franz was behind me for double protection and slowly we made our way along. On this hike there were several vf sections. There were also several iron ladders taking us up or down as spaces between boulders were too steep to climb. We crossed one ice field on which someone had laid an aluminum ladder to crawl on to get to the other side. A couple of times Franz applied his own manpower to push me up a big boulder. In the end it was exhilarating, beautiful and rewarding.

On the Mountain

At 12:15 we arrived soaked with perspiration and exhausted from the climb at the hut at which we had a typical Austrian lunch beginning with drinks. We learned the very satisfying taste of a Radler. This drink is for thirsty hikers who still need to get down the mountain. It is a one to one mixture of beer and carbonated white lemonade. Delicious. Lunch was equally satisfying beginning with Kaspressknödel, a soup with a very large cheese dumpling, and then a hearty turkey salad. Rested and sated we began the long hike down just as the clouds began to gather. We decided to take the fastest but steepest trail down since it was also the one that led to the hut that serves Kaiserschmarrn.

The Hut for Lunch

We moved along as quickly as possible under a darkening sky. The trails in both directions are made of large gravel and small and medium sized rocks and boulders. It was so slippery on the way down that there were wooden steps to hold the gravel in place. Our hiking poles saved us a few times. The final hut was in sight when it started thundering and raining. We stopped to put on our rain jackets and arrived at the "dessert" hut only slightly wet. It was jammed with hikers seeking refuge from the now pouring rain, but we managed to find seats and order Kaiserschmarrn.

Kaiserschmarrn

Here is Franz's story about the origin of the name Kaiserschmarrn. It seems the Emperor, Kaiser Franz Josef, was out in the country watching his troops on maneuvers. He got hungry and went looking for something to eat. He found a farmer's summer cottage. The farmer's wife had only flour, eggs, milk, sugar, raisins and cranberries. She made a thick pancake, turned it over, stirred it up, and served it to the delight of the Emperor. The farmer's wife thought the Emperor was crazy to love such a simple, messed up dish. That is how Kaiserschmarrn, which means the emperer's nonsense, got its name.

A View from the Top

Today was rounded out with another great dinner from Ingrid and two ibuprophen. Via Ferrata is now crossed off the bucket list but not off the radar for future. We hope to do it again next time we visit Ingrid & Franz in Ellmau.
Kathie, Harmony, and Nancy you would love this hike!

The Tyrolian Alps

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