Bike & Hike to Feldalphorn in Kelchsau

On hot summer days we’ve only got one option – to escape uphill! Therefore, the bike is our preferred means of escape. Especially downhill – when the wind cools your face. But of course a summit should be part of it too, especially since the view in the distance seems to be endless on days like these. A combination of both: bike & hike.

On this lovely summer evening we choose Feldalphorn (or, as we locals call it Födawaheandl) to be our destinaion. We start in Hopfgarten from where we first have to moster some sharp bends uphill on tarmac to Penningberg. Soon we change over to a forest track though and after an elevation gain of about 700 m we arrive at Haagalm. From there it only thakes a few more sharp bends to Trockenbachalm. Normally you cannot head on without having a stop for a snack there, but today we’ve got only time to fill our bottles with fresh spring water.

We continue on foot, in the shady forest it is already pleasantly cool. We walk across pink blooming fields of alpine roses and get to the summit ridge rather quickly. But first we have to take in the view. The distinctive rock faces of the Kaiser mountains are glowing in the evening light and we can see as far as to the snow-covered peaks of the Zillertal main ridge and the Hohe Tauern, while in the valleys fields and meadows are stretching in lushest green. “It is almost a bit cheesy, here at home, isn’t it?”, I grin at Fabian. He nods and grins back at me “Yeah, I can hardly stand it!” Soon we are only a few steps from the summit. And there it is again, this unique feeling, shortly before your destination, when all the effort, all the strain and each bead of sweat were worth it 100%. We did it!

No matter how big, high or difficult a mountain is, each summit means arrival. We pause and enjoy. A place where the simplest things become the most beautiful ones. Or where else does an apple and a piece of chocolate taste more delicious than up there?Okay, you know the answer. I reflect on the spell of the mountains quite a lot and often. And every time I come to the same conclusion. They are a retreat, a calm anchor, an escape from the daily grind. They are an adventure playground, a wonder of nature, a place to let off stream. The mountains are the one constant in life which never gets boring and somehow always remains mysterious and inscrutable. They show us our limits and make us realize how strong we can be. Up there we find another and even more we find ourselves.

Tour details(including GPS track)can be found at Komoot.
Find more hiking and cycling tips in the interactive map of the Holiday Region Hohe Salve.