Route: The Green Ring Leg 1
Area: Austrian Alps
Date of walk: 30th June 2015
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 8.0 miles
Weather: Sun and blue skies all day
The Green Ring is a newly designed hike which follows the trails of the legendary White Ring ski tour. There are 3 legs to the walk and we decided to try the first one
We awoke to a glorious morning without a cloud in the sky and took the ski lift from our hotel down to Lech. From there we took the cable car to the top of the Rüfikopf (2,350 metres). The views from the top were spectacular – mile after mile of snow covered peaks in every direction
We lingered here for a while before starting the gentle descent along the waymarked trail, which was easy going all the way
When we reached the valley floor at Zürs we could have caught the bus back (too easy), or we could have returned using the Leg 2 of the Green Ring (too hard in this heat), so decided instead to walk back down the valley into Lech
We arrived back in the town hot but happy after a wonderful day’s walking
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As we have breakfast on the balcony of the Hotel Burg we look up to the start point of our walk - the Rüfikopf
View from the window of the cable car near the top of the Rüfikopf
View from the Rüfikopf, about 7,500 feet above sea level
Start of the walk, and we detour to the small top ahead before following the path to the right
The cable car has done all the leg work, and it’s all downhill from here
The Rüfispitze, 8,600 feet above sea level
Looking along the northern rock face of the Rüfispitze
Spectacular mountain scenery in every direction
Descending towards Lake Monzabon
Lake Monzabon
We walk round a shoulder to descend to the lake
Ridge leading up to the Rüfispitze
Lake Monzabon, set in an idyllic position
We walk round the edge of the lake
Marmots!…
Descending towards Zürs
A beautiful Palomino as we approach Trittalpe
Trittalpe
The track leading down to Zürs
The Library Hut - ‘you can select a nice book here, read for a while and relax’
Looking along the valley which we’ll be following back to Lech
We join a quiet road leading down to Zürs, which is a ghost town in summer and exists only to serve skiers
Walking past Zürs
We leave the deserted village and walk down the valley along the banks of the River Zürsbach
We arrive back at Lech
Walking into Lech
A drink from the village fountain goes down well…
…and back at our hotel this goes down even better
Looking back up to the start of a wonderful walk
