Sunday (29.09.2024) was probably the most beautiful day of our entire holiday, with azure skies and the air up in the mountains so crystal clear you wanted to bottle it and take it home for a sip every now and then.
Yesterday‘s storm had brought a powdering of snow on mountains that had been snow-free for months, as we saw from our balcony that morning.
We took the same bus as the day before, but instead of getting off in Vernagt by the reservoir, we remained aboard until the very end of the valley, where the bus line ends. The settlement (hardly to be called a village) there is called Kurzras/Maso Corto, literally meaning short grass.A circuit as suggested in our booklet was to take us up near the kingdom of the glaciers, without getting too close, past a high plateau of moorland with rare plants and a place where we knew we could stop for a rest (and a shandy, of course).
 |
| Lazaun Alm, where we stopped for a rest… |
 |
| …and a shandy. |
The maximum height we reached was around 2,500 m, with the summits of 3,000 and more feeling very close. It was chilly up there in spite of the sunshine, but of course we were prepared for that and wore our warmer hiking clothes.
We enjoyed this hike very much, and O.K. took so many great pictures I am simply including them all - several are panoramic photos so you may want to click on them to enlarge.
 |
| Sorry, wrong order - this was on the way back down; no trees grow on fhe higher slopes. |
 |
| A natural pond, not a reservoir |
 |
| High moor with rare plants |
Back down at the bus stop in Kurzras, we had to wait less than half an hour.  |
| The small church in Kurzras; unfortunatley, it was locked. |
The adventurous bus ride back to Naturns followed, and we arrived early enough for the sun still warming the hotel terrace, where we ordered Apérol Spritz/Veneziano to celebrate this particularly beautiful day.
That looks like perfect scenery for a hiker and a beautiful blue sky thrown in. Some great photographs and good ones of you too. Do you have a hat for the cold hiking in your warmer clothing? Thank you for sharing the trip here.
ReplyDeleteThank YOU for reading and commenting, Rachel!
DeleteYes, we have hats and also the kind of scarves that are like cowls, but tight enough around the neck not to let the cold wind in. But on this trip, neither of us wore our hats. My warm top has holes at the rim of the sleeves to put my thumbs through, so that the sleeves cover much of my hands, like fingerless gloves. Those were welcome that day.
What wonderful pictures. I've been enjoying these posts so much! You have the best holiday trips. :)
ReplyDeleteWe do, don‘t we! I know I am really fortunate - it is certainly not self-understood that folks have so much time off and can afford such nice hotels and locations.
DeleteWow! Amazing photos as usual, Meike. It looks like you two had the whole place to yourselves as I see no other hikers in any of the photos. What a beautiful place on a beautiful day!
ReplyDeleteThere were other hikers, but the area is vast enough for folks to disperse a little. Only near the places where one can find food and drink you will also find many other people, some don‘t walk up but use a shuttle service or the funicular.
DeletePerfect sky for those magnificent views, and I love that little church!
ReplyDeleteThe brilliance of the colours in that clear mountain air was fantastic!
DeleteIt would have been nice to have a look inside the little church.