How about a little hike? And instead of just going on day trips, for example, go on a long-distance hike or go straight through Austria. The latter is what I, Laura, did. In the second part of my long-distance hiking report I will tell you what you should pay attention to while hiking and how you can plan the perfect tour. You can read more about the preparation here .
How do I behave properly on the mountain?
This point is of particular concern to me.
- The garbage. Again and again one finds rubbish on the hiking trails. That really doesn't have to be the case. The next person who comes by is only on foot and then has to carry your rubbish with you. The solution: Take a small garbage bag and take the garbage with you from the mountain. Incidentally, the huts do not have a rubbish collection service, the same applies here: rubbish is taken down into the valley by everyone.
- The greeting. People are friendly on the mountain, whether your little toe hurts or not. Greeting is a MUST. A "Grias di", "Servus", "Pfiati" an of course a simple "hello" is gladly heard.
- The respect. Especially in nature reserves, but also in all other areas, the animals and their habitats should be respected. Yelling around unnecessarily or listening to loud music is anything but welcome there, whether animal or human. Hiking trails are for the people, the alpine meadows and forests for the animals. So we only use the marked hiking trails and leave the animals their free and natural habitat.
How do I plan my routes for long-distance hiking?
One of the most important points when it comes to pleasant hiking. Every beautiful hike requires good planning. Some apps can be helpful here, such as Alpenvereinaktiv.at or Fatmap. However, this is difficult if there is no reception, and as is well known, this is common practice in the mountains. Personally, I prefer to use the good old hiking map. You don't need mobile phone reception for these and you contribute a little to the development and maintenance of hiking trails.
How far can i go
20 kilometers per day is a good starting point for anyone, no matter how active. Better trained people can easily do 30 kilometers or more. The shorter the long-distance hike, the more you can calculate per day. This information applies to flat terrain, with more meters in altitude you have to reckon with a shorter distance. You can deduct about 6 kilometers for every 1000 meters of altitude. So a hike with 1000 meters of altitude and 14 kilometers is a good day's stage that anyone can do.
How long do I need for which distance?
With 4km per hour you are good to go. The breaks are already included here. A time is often given on the signposted hiking trails, which you can definitely rely on when hiking long distances with a heavy backpack. It is best, however, to look at the route again independently in the elevation profile and to "read" it on the map. In this way you can get a more accurate picture of the situation and learn to assess yourself well.
What's the weather like?
Who likes to be on the mountain when it's thundering? Nobody! Therefore, good planning with regard to the weather is inevitable. In summer in particular, it is better to leave earlier and escape a thunderstorm than to get caught in one above the tree line. But not only the thunderstorm is a problem, also the midday heat. The same applies again: Those who are on the road earlier have a clear advantage.
Where will I sleep?
Of course, sleeping in a tent or not makes a big difference here. In contrast to the guesthouse, you can pitch your tent (almost) anywhere. Attention: Wild camping is forbidden in Austria and there are penalties in the four-digit € range. Be sure to check the legal situation beforehand, because it is different in every federal state! When the goal for the day is a cabin, planning is easy. There is usually no other place to sleep anyway and the paths to and from the hut are always very well described, signposted and accessible. As mentioned above, the times can (and should) be taken seriously. However, if the next destination is not a hut but a place, there are no places to sleep in between and there is also no officially signposted path, it is a bit tricky. It can happen that you miscalculate. If that happens, you have to hold out until you come across potential accommodation. But hey, what would a long-distance hike be without speculation and adventure.
PS: You are welcome to follow my and our experiences at @ge.mmm.a . Have fun!
Credits: Markus Trattner , Sebastian Brötzner