Three, two, one, hütte!

Day 11:  Seeboden to Millstäter Hutte

Hours walked: 8:30 - 5:00

Kilometres walked: 20

Quote of the day: “Don’t worry, the snow will melt by the time we get there!” -Tamar

Jesuses seen: 3

Today’s section of trail was labeled difficult, and for good reason too - there was 1600 m elevation gain ahead. We pored over the map wondering whether we could (and should) shorten the route somehow to make it easier for the kids. But in the end we decided to follow it exactly: 20km up to Millstätter Hutte. 

It snowed overnight, so as we headed into the hills we could see the mountains all around us covered in a thick blanket of white. We tried to ignore the fact that we might spend the afternoon walking on snow and instead headed uphill. 

The morning was just a long steady climb, with occasional looks back to see the lake dwindling behind us. Around noon, we reached the glorious Pichl Hutte: the whole valley spread out beneath us on a sunny deck, with delicious strudel and masses of whipped cream to keep us company. 

This put the bounce back in our step and we kept climbing. The snow was looking reassuringly smaller compared with the heavy drifts we saw at daybreak; as we started passing small patches, the girls threw snowballs and froze their hands. We were climbing into the hill’s upper reaches, where pastures and trees gave way to alpine scrub and rocky outcroppings. 

After passing the decently cool Stone Table, we finally reached the top of our climb: Tschiernock. We’d reached a high ridge with strong winds and 360 degree views - we could even see Gmünd up a valley to our west. My legs were burning and shoulders slumped; meanwhile, Tova capered on up ahead like a mountain goat. Her energy is completely endless. 

It was quite cold up there, and the ridge remained steep though beautiful. We restored our spirits with lollies (Cherry Blasters, Jakob’s boyhood favourite, are still popular here!) and kept hiking. As the sun started dropping, we picked our way down a steep trail beside an electric fence to Millstätter Hutte. We arrived only a few minutes after an entire class of Austrian high-school agricultural students, who filled the cabin with raucous talk. They eventually left, clearing the way for us to enjoy a top-notch meal of spätzle, karntner-nudeln, pancake soup and omelettes, with rhubarb and chocolate cakes for dessert. Our room was as cold as a refrigerator, but our blankets toasty warm. As we all fell asleep early, the snow started falling quietly outside our window. What a day!