Somewhat unbelievably, the weekend following the previously reported incredibly sunny autumn hike was forecast to be equally lovely. Feeling more fit than a few weeks before, I immediately sought out the crumpled piece of paper where I had planned several hikes and picked out the one I had formerly felt was too long: Spital am Semmering to the Stuhleck (1785m, 1100m height gain) and then down to Muerzzuschlag (19km measured on the map). A few years ago I climbed the Stuhleck on a slightly unsatisfactory route which involved far too much ski piste, and while at the summit caught sight of a beautiful curving ridge walk. Not knowing where it went at the time, I filed it away for another day. 2 years later, that day finally came!
And what a day! Once again, Vienna was a foggy mess but the sun was really beaming by the time we neared the Alps. Our joy was short lived as we entered the valley near Muerzzuschlag however, as the sun disappeared under a low cloud blanket. All we could hope was that it wouldn't reach all the way to the peak... The start of the hike took us straight into the clouds, through pine forest dripping with condensation and muffled in fog. As we climbed higher in the slightly eerie stillness, something wonderful began to happen. The cloud began to thin out, but the air was still filled with water droplets.
The sun began to be visible as a bright disk in the mist, and the whole effect was like the most incredible smoke machine and lighting combo you ever saw! The bright sun sent thick and thin shafts of light spearing down through the small gaps in the branches of the conifers. Light beams and shadows became something three dimensional and solid, hanging in the air and remaining fixed to the sun as one moved one's head to take it all in. Moving up through the cloud we were treated to maybe 15 or 20 minutes of this spectacle, changing all the time as the density of the cloud changed. I have literally never seen anything like it.
Once above the cloud we had another spectacle to admire, the valley below filled with a veritable river of cloud. As the day wore on we made it to the top of Stuhleck in good spirits, sitting down to lunch to overlook the hazy mountains in the distance. The clouds in the valleys had thinned, but there was still a line of haze bisecting the blue peaks in the distance. We curved down the wide ridge drenched in sunshine, and after an undulating ridge walk headed down towards the valley past towering wind turbines. The sun was sinking as we got to the valley floor, lighting up the autumn leaves with yet more colour.
We arrived at the train station rather tired, having covered 24km according to the GPS! After a bit of a look round the exhibition about the new tunnel being built in the area (ooh, 3D geology!) we caught the train home for a well deserved meal in a Bulgarian restaurant then bed...
The photos can't quite do the clouds justice, but they still came out really well, please do have a look and check out some of the hi-res versions too!
Bis bald,
der Tom
