A wonderful trip to the Achensee

Editor's Note: This is another in a series of sound-rich portraits of European cities and sites.  In this episode, I head to the Austrian Alps, and climb a mountain above the Achensee.  The trains and ferries are no match for the nature...for those willing to enjoy it. Two slideshows included

You aren't bothered by tourists up here, on the face of a mountain above the Achensee, an Austrian lake not far from the German border.  Here you can hike among the cows, facing a steep descent to the lake.  The Achensee region is one that thrives on tourism and gimmicks, but nature kept my troupe occupied and amazed. So it is on this mountain, with these cows, that I give you my trip to the Achensee.

MUSIC: “A Hiding Place for the Moon“ by Antoine Dufour

This steam engine has crawled through villages for more than 120 years, connecting the emerald Achensee and its Alpine purity, to the larger modern rail station in Jenbach. The Achenseebahn is one of Europe's oldest cog railways, meaning the 16% grade is handled sometimes roughly slicing down the valley.  But the untainted view of sun-kissed, Alpine giants is well worth the hard-backed benches and antique sounds, smells, and feel.

The Achensee is longer than it is wide, with bus, rail, ferry and the occasional parachute connecting a string of towns.  Our base camp was Pertisau, nestled a few hundred meters from the water's edge.   All around you the mountains appear deliberate and eternal, some shaped like shark teeth and no less menacing.

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Steady and slow

Slowly down the mountain in this steam engine.

From the train

The view out the train window

Hiking into the unknown

Not sure where we are headed...

Way up there

This is about as high as we could go with the gondola. We hiked down the mountain from here.

Now Boarding

One of the ferries juggling passengers between villages.

From our Hotel

The view from our hotel. Yes, the Alps are right there.

Shark tooth

The triangle shape of this mountain, plopped almost on its own, reminds me of Jaws.

Moo

One of the characters we came across while hiking down the mountain.

Morning fog

Mornings bring dew, fog, and glimpses of adventure.

Shoreline

Walking along the water\'s edge

Room with a view

Another view from our hotel.

Tickets, please

The conductor would walk along a thin railing to check tickets in each car.

Mystical

The photo doesn\'t do the awe justice, but maybe use it to fuel your imagination.

Strong legs

These cows have no problem up here.

Winding road

The winding path took us down the mountain. It might not look that far, but it is.

The Sky

There is always time to look at the sky.

By Night

The view from our hotel at night.

Achensee

Fresh water

More Alps

From a lower-level gondola station.

Fresh air

A great view

Achenseebahn

The old cog railway.

Peak

One of the many peaks surrounding us at all times.

Hiking down

I am not sure it was meant to offend us, when all the cows turned their backs to us, but...

Lakeside

A place to relax along the Achensee

Alps

From a lower-level gondola station.

Clear day

The view from a lower-level gondola station.

Back in time

Like stepping back in time, from the rail car.

What Angels see?

Oh to walk among clouds.

Morning fog

Hazy, but beautiful.

Spotlights

Moon and street lamp giving this view a subtle glow.

Dusk

Dusk from our room.

We climbed down that..

Most of our path is covered in cloud, but we rocked that mountain.

Moo

So close, yet...

Cloudy

Sometimes you just want to pluck the clouds out of the sky.

Our visit to the Achensee came between the seasons, meaning most of the visitors here were retirees or tour groups.  We always try to walk when seeing a new place, though.  We like hiking along the shoreline and breathing in what time has cultivated, watching the water lap upon gravel shorelines.  Not all visitors take time to just enjoy, even in a place like this.  Those people like hopping quickly from place to place..

A number of ferries continue connecting villages that the railway can't or won't touch, especially on the lakeside deepest in this valley.  As a sailor I can appreciate what cruising atop a waterway can bring.  But a tourist boat is not used as it could be, as a way to find another perspective in this place.  

That is what brought us here.  Riding a gondola to the highest point we could, we hiked in light rain to the Dalfaz Alm, a mountain hut at nearly 1700 meters elevation.  Clouds turned to fog obscuring the view, so we stopped to drink hot chocolate and tee, share stories with other hikers waiting out the rain. We took our chances though, taking baby steps down the sheer face of this mountain.  The cows judging and staring at us.

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My lovely wife

Enjoying Austria.

Lakeside

Peaceful.

My wife

A photo to remember a great place, and a great person.

Snack on a boat

The simple things in life..

Getting Restless

5 minutes was a little too long for this guy. He wants out.

My wife

All smiles

Getting closer

Getting closer to the lake. Honest.

Well-earned

A well-earned break.

Pensive

Thinking. We have a lot of thinking to do.

Still long to go

Having fun, though the journey is not over.

Snack time

Snack time, while hiking down the mountain.

Just over that hill

Watch your step

A nice stroll

A stroll along the lake

Stretching our legs

A flat surface, not involving a mountain!

Are we there yet

A steam engine is only interesting for so long...

Into the wild

Walking toward something, somewhere.

Play time

Despite the views, this playground was a favorite stop.

We stopped every so often to have a snack, shelter ourselves from bursts of rain, and to take in the view as clouds formed peep-holes to the world below.

Inch by inch we cared only about the moment, only about the act of conquering this mountain, about soaking in the waterfall...

...the rain drops, the experience.

The Achensee is a tourist spot for some, meant to be discarded like a punch on an itinerary.  But for those who venture into its back-yard there is plenty to experience, and much of it is free, save the time and focus it takes to soak it all in.  And that is just what we gave the Achensee.

MUSIC:  “My Angel Rocks Back and Forth” by Four Tet


More information on the music in this piece:

Antoine Dufour from the album “Existence”
Four Tet from the album “Rounds”