Aschau to Spiessnagel via Hirzeggalm and Return
Austria
Distance 15km Climb 880m
Saturday 17th August 2013
We did this walk last year, it was on our last full day and Klaus had told us about it. So as usual we prepared our packed lunches, changed into our walking clothes at the Hotel Edelweiss. We caught the 09.44 bus from the stop at the bottom of the Hahnenkamm for Aschau.
Arriving at Aschau we found that they had been a lot of building work since last year, so it took us a little while to find the track. Anyway from Aschau 1006m we headed south and it took us about 30 minutes to walk up Oberer-Grund-Ache before we reached the sign for Hirzeggalm.
We turned right and headed west, we knew from last year that this route as it would be sheltered from the sun. There had been quite a few people cycling on the Oberer-Grund-Ache, but on this track I saw only a couple of people who I soon passed.
As Anne knew the way we decided that I would go ahead and leave Anne to walk up to Hirzeggalm at her own pace. It was a twisty windy path up the hill with a few little steep climbs which was clearly marked. The main direction was west and there was plenty of shade.
The path then opened up onto a stone gravel track, this was new since last year, which climbed up through the woods before levelling out and leading to Hirzeggalm 1600m. Last year Klaus had suggested Anne stop here with her book, enjoy the view and have a drink. While I moved further up the hill, today I was already on my own and Anne was walking at her own pace.
I continued on the track which joined an older track moving up towards Spiessnagel I was now out in the open and could feel the full heat of the sun. After Hirzeggalm I was heading south again. A sign said it would take 50 minutes to reach the top, but I knew from last year that it would not take that long, and it did not.
After the road the track turns into a grass path as it narrows and climbs higher. I could hear a number of young walkers ahead of me. The path continues to twist and turn with a couple of styles as it climbs higher. The sky and air was so clear.
At the top there was a book which I wrote in, I took a few photos before heading back down, I would hopefully meet up with Anne at Hirzeggalm. The views from the top were stunning.
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| Kirchberg down the valley |
At Hirzeggalm Anne was waiting so I stopped and joined her for a drink. Last year we had a chat with the lady, she told us that this was her last summer as she was moving into Aschau. This was one of the reasons why we had wanted to do this walk, to see if she was still there, she was not but for who ever had taken it over it was still a very busy place and looked like a good little investment.
From Hirzeggalm, there is two ways back to Aschau, we could go down the road, which looked very exposed to the sun or we could go back the way we had come up. We decided to return the way we had come up. After a quick calculation we worked out how long it would take and made plans to return to Aschau for the 15.00 bus back to Kitzbuhel.
As we walked back down the stone gravel track, there were loads of butterflies and a really nice smell of wood and flowers. We joined the twisted windy path back down to the Oberer-Grund-Ache and then into Aschau just in time for the bus, arriving back at the Hotel Edelweiss for our tea and cakes.
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| Arriving back at Aschau |
In all it had been a very good walk we had covered approx 15km with approx 880m of climb.
More to follow.
Boz North
Details correct at time of walking.
If you have enjoyed reading my walk or found it useful you may also like to read other walks I have done in Austria or other areas. Please check out the links on the right hand side.
Follow link to next walk Kitzbuhel to Kitzbuheler Horn Cross return via Stanglalm
Follow link to previous walk Kitzbuhel to Kirchberg
Follow link to another walk up Spiessnagel in 2012
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