Spring tour to the alpine pasture - with bike & skis back to the mountains at home

The weather wasn't ideal, but the rare days when we both have time are too precious to be wasted. So we set off on our adventure anyway.

We, that's Jonas and me, Laura. We have been living in Innsbruck for about 5 years and prefer to spend our free time in nature.

However, I haven't spent the last seven summers in the valley, but at 1400 m above sea level. As a dairymaid on a mountain pasture with dairy cows, calves (the teenagers), calves (the babies) and four chickens. And that's also the start of our tour planning. I wanted to see the alp in winter, to experience the meadows, stones, ditches and mountains covered in snow that are so familiar to me in summer. The hut is "prepared" for winter in the fall, i.e. the fuses are turned off, the water is drained and everything is packed away to keep out mice. So it is rather uncomfortable and we decide to bivouac. And that's a thing in Tyrol. But read for yourself: Das Tausend-Sterne-Hotel I – Wildcampen und Biwakieren in Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz

Thanks to my years of working as a dairymaid, we were able to get permission to bivouac there for one night. Of course, we had to leave nothing behind. But that goes without saying. And so we set off by train on Saturday morning. Why by train? As we both have the VVT Tirol ticket, it only makes sense to use it. There are countless possibilities for tours that can be done by public transport.

The plan was to cycle as far as possible by road bike (approx. 30 km) and then cover the last few meters to the alpine pasture on touring skis or spliboard. Due to the rainy weather, however, we had to change our plans and take the bus. By waiting in all possible places, we managed to stay dry until the part where the touring skis were to be used for the first time. But then our luck ran out. Wet and hungry, we arrived at the mountain pasture much later than planned. Being out in nature and having to deal with its mood and react to it means always having an "emergency plan". Our emergency plan was to spend the night in the mountain hut. There we were able to make a fire and dry our things. The gas stove and our tent were not used after all. In hindsight, this was an emotional gift to me, because when I unlocked the hut and smelled the familiar smell, a small tear of joy rolled down my cheek. The place up here is simply beautiful and even in winter it feels like coming home.

Without the noise of the calves, which are still allowed to sleep in the barn at night in summer, it was a quiet and peaceful night. Wrapped up in our down sleeping bags.

In the morning, after a look at the blue-white, sunny sky, we forgot all about yesterday's wet feet and set off on our ski tour. On our tour, it was important to stick to the specified ascent and descent route so that we did not enter or ski in the wildlife protection zones.

When planning tours, I often rely on Jonas' opinion - to be honest - because he spends almost every free day in the mountains. You can find out what he gets up to here: Good Old Friend - Snowboard Movie

Reaching a summit is still a special moment for us. And this time, too, it was breathtaking. And then there was the descent. None of us had really expected so much good snow. But there it was, the finest powder, glistening untracked in front of us in the sun.

Once we arrived at the Alm, we dried our clothes in the sun, caught another sunburn and made the Alm ready for winter again. Until summer, when I come up here again. But then no longer with touring skis, but with my beloved cows. (Which, by the way, all have names and their very own character).

Luckily, we only had to roll back to the station on our bikes. We couldn't have done any more
. Our adventure was rounded off with a stop at an Italian restaurant, where we enjoyed our gnocchi and non-alcoholic wheat beer.

We were exhausted but full and overjoyed when we took the train home.

See you soon in summer, lovelies!