Austria > Hiking to the Riederalm

Today I’m not going skiing. Together with José, I’m going for a walk around Kössen. Our plan to walk via the Riederalm to the Walchsee is agreed upon by Erica. She’s also curious about how skiing in Ellmau went. She thinks it’s nice that we also went to the Hohe Salve. Her daughter worked in one of the restaurants in Soll. At half past nine, José and I set off. From the roundabout, we walk into Kössen. We follow the bank of the little river. At the covered Staffenbrücke, we cross the water again. We head into the mountains. The path we follow lies in a valley between two mountains. The path gradually rises. We pass a ski slope. Children are being pulled up with a car tire and then slide down inside the tire. A fun activity. The path goes into the forest. We carefully walk over the snowy trail. Behind us, Kössen gets smaller and smaller. The Edernalm, the first restaurant on the route, is closed. From here the route continues over an unprepared path.

Austria - A walk from Kossen to Walchsee

Sometimes we sink a bit into the snow. Because no fresh snow has fallen for a while, the base layer is firm. Without too much trouble, we reach the Ottenalm. Although this restaurant is open, we decide to walk a little further to the Riederalm. When we open the door, we enter a small cozy room. Of the three tables, two are occupied. We order a toasted sandwich and a mulled wine. From the Riederalm, the route descends towards Walchsee. The road is icy and slippery. Step by step, we walk down. Children pass us on their sleds. For them, it’s much easier. Just after an hour, we arrive at the shore of the Walchsee. The frozen lake is covered with a layer of snow. We’ve walked about twelve kilometers. Because the bus only leaves at two o’clock, we order some drinks on a terrace at a hotel.

Austria - Taking a break at the Riederalm halfway

A little later, the bus arrives. Erica indicated that we should get off at the supermarket stop, which is just after the roundabout. Approaching the roundabout, we press the stop button. However, the bus doesn’t go straight but turns into the village. It drives quite a distance and only stops at the bus station in the village center. This means we have to walk quite a bit back. We estimate there is another stop on the way to the final stop at the ski slope, which is closer to our farmhouse. Fortunately, other people also get off at the bus station. We press the stop button again. This turns out to be a good choice. The bus stops at the turn-off to the slope. From there, it’s only a few minutes’ walk. When I lie down on the bed for a while, I fall asleep. I’m woken by the phone. It’s Berlinda asking which pizza I want. Tonight we’re eating pizzas at the Stubbe. We pick up the pizzas from the local Italian restaurant. A little later, we walk into the Stubbe carrying nine boxes. Together with a beer, it makes for a delicious meal.