HOCHSTOLLEN

July 2018

When I did this hike late last autumn I knew I had to come back here in the summer. It’s one of my favorite peaks I’ve been to in the Alps because it has an amazing 360°-degree view with completely different landscapes in every direction. Needless to say, I was really looking forward to being up there again.

As we started to hike in the late afternoon, it was pretty overcast and we could see the peak being swallowed up by the clouds. Since we were mostly here for the sunrise, we decided to spend the night in a little shelter about halfway up the mountain, which had just enough space for a couple people to sleep on the floor. This made for a much warmer night as temperatures still dropped close to 0°C outside in the night.

By the time sunset came around, it actually cleared up a little and we got some amazing rays. At one point, it felt like the whole landscape was filled with red light, it was incredible. It was one of those things you have to experience yourself, because the photos definitely don’t do it justice. It was then time to go to sleep since it was going to be an early wake up call the next morning.

At 4:00 am the alarm rung and we got ready to make the hike up to the summit. It was already getting a little light out with early signs of the sunrise appearing on the horizon. Our headlamps guiding us along the sometimes rather sketchy trail, we made progress up the ridgeline. I love these early morning hike through the dark, as more and more of the landscape around you reveals itself every minute and it feels like the whole world is still asleep. Few moments are as peaceful and as serene as these.

Just as we finished the last few meters of altitude and reached the summit, the sun started peeking over the horizon, flooding everything in the most beautiful golden light. You spend the whole hike up on the back side of the ridge, so when you reach the top and see the view to the other side for the first time, it is honestly overwhelming. Even though I already knew what to expect from I my last time here, I was close to tears it was so beautiful.