On Friday at around 11:30, Caro set off to pick me up. Some of what we had to tell each other would probably have scared anyone off. A game between absolute seriousness and pure irony gave the whole thing its special appeal. In Nuremberg we then picked up Alexandra with her hound. The partly experienced athlete knew her way around the Dachstein well and wanted to give the tour a try.
The gear I took with me on the Dachstein Dog Trekking. Taiga is still missing from the photo.
The drive flew by, and the best part of the whole thing for me was the great joy of not having to drive. In reality, though, we didn’t arrive until around 6:30 PM. My hiking partner Rebecca had already been waiting for me for three hours. We all got ready to set off. Markus’s final check of the mandatory gear turned into an interesting exchange about whether booties make sense in the mountains. Caro and Alexandra shot ahead at an incredible pace. Rebecca was struggling with an injury in the lower thigh area, and until shortly before it wasn’t clear whether she’d be able to take part at all. From the car park to the Wiesberghaus it was over 1,000 metres uphill. Once the painkillers kicked in for Rebecca, her four-legged companion Momo was right on my heels, and I couldn’t shake him until we reached the Wiesberghaus. Hungry, we moved into our shared room. When we entered the inn parlour and were served delicious dumplings, we felt completely at ease. The mood was upbeat and everyone was looking forward to the days ahead. The next morning the alarm went off at 6 AM, and after the route briefing and a proper breakfast we set off on the long route.
From the Wiesberghaus, the Bear Trail wound through the dwarf pines to the Gjaidalm. There we overtook the four other dog trekkers who had started a little ahead of us. Heading up a ski slope to the Krippstein gave us a quiet hint of what was to come. The pain in Rebecca’s leg was still manageable, so we made good progress over the Heilbronner Kreuz towards “Bei der Hand”. On the way there we were in high spirits and missed a turn, so we added a few extra kilometres. Rebecca got us back on the right track. Two of the four dog trekkers, Sarah and Sarah, caught up as we stopped for a snack. After our short break, we pushed on in one go to “Bei der Hand”, where we also caught up with the other two dog trekkers, Caro and Sita. Well over half the route was behind us now and we both still felt fit. The injured leg (probably a muscle or tendon injury) had held up well so far, and the actually much faster Rebecca was walking at my pace. The weather cleared and at last the sun we’d been promised showed itself.
The trail across the plateau led us back to just before the Gjaidalm, to the Oberfeld. One last longer break with a meal gave me a real boost of energy for the climb ahead to the Simony Hut. The first part of the ascent was still fairly easy, with a great view of Austria’s unique mountain world. Rebecca was in severe pain and I helped her out with an ibuprofen. The trail became more demanding, and with some easy scrambling sections the situation became a “worst case” for my companion. For me it was no problem to wait. The short breaks helped me catch my breath; again and again I admired her perseverance and mental strength. With every metre of elevation I gained, my stomach rebelled more and more—I started to feel sick. Still, we got closer and closer to the Simony Hut, which gave both of us a bit of a lift. At the last checkpoint we quickly agreed not to take another break and to finish the last kilometres quickly. The unique location of the Simony Hut on the edge of a cliff gave it a special spirit. From there it was only downhill and we lost around 500 metres on the last stretch. Together we reached the Wiesberghaus at 6:42 PM.
We missed the target time of 6:30 PM by 12 minutes, because that’s when we were supposed to be there for dinner. Neither Rebecca’s stomach nor mine could handle any food at first, and we had to calm down first. A new morning, a new day. I couldn’t sleep much—it was simply far too warm for me. Shortly before 7 AM we went a second time over the Bear Trail and up the ski slope past the Gjaidalm. Then left past the Däumelkog and down into the valley. The “worst case” happened again and the trail was unfavourable for an injury. The steep sections and scrambling passages are a nightmare for an injury like that.
At this point I’d like to bring up the topic of “staying together and waiting for each other, or splitting up if the differences are too big”. Opinions vary widely, and as always there’s no right or wrong. What matters is that you talk about it BEFOREHAND and clearly agree whether your priority is the trail and staying together is just a practical arrangement, or whether you want to stay together and not split up even if one person is much faster than the other. (Quite apart from the rules of the event).
For me, it was clear that I would wait, even if it took longer. We had decided from the start to walk together, and nobody wanted to change that. Taking the cable car down was not an option for Rebecca, despite immense pain. In the meantime, temperatures rose and the dogs were clearly struggling with the heat. Down in the valley in Obertraun we then took a cycle path to Hallstatt and back to the start.
The Dachstein Dog Trekking was once again a great experience that I’ll draw on for a long time. The climb to the Simony Hut teaches you once again that it’s strenuous and exhausting before you can enjoy the view. What would the view be worth without the effort beforehand? In that sense, until next time—and always remember: the journey is the destination, and the summit is only a turning point.
