Though we had considered a layover day at Stripsenjochhaus, the thought of sitting in the rain clouds for a full day made us change our minds. We will keep moving in hopes of finding better weather and more Kaiserschmarrn. All the trails from this high mountain hut go straight down unless you want to rock climb and we are not that crazy. After all that effort to get high it is discouraging to hike down and lose that hard-earned elevation.
After about two hours on the trail we reached a memorial rock covered with gravestones of hikers who had lost their lives in these mountains. With the reminder that life is short, we sat down at the nearby Anton Karg hut for delicious cofffee and Kaiserschmarrn for a decadent lunch. A covered bridge over a bubbling stream ran past to add to the picturesque spot. We liked the hut so much that we were tempted to spend the night but it was only noon so we pushed onward.
The next leg of our hike was a "bettlersteig" which involves crossing exposed spots with the help of steps, cables, ladders and bridges. Arlo said "bettler" means beggar and we begged to live through the crossings to see another day and another Kaiserschmarrn. We made it to Kaindl hut and had dinner around a big table with other hikers and two chimneysweeps whose hands and faces were even dirtier than ours.
Sent from Ann's iPhone
The gravestones are a sober reminder that you ARE in the wild parts. Today's headlines told the story of 9 climbers killed in an avalanche on Mont Blanc (France, nowhere near you). The mountains are picturesque, but can be treacherous. Glad you're having a great time!
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