Route: The Gehren Ridge
Area: Austrian Alps
Date of walk: 1st July 2015
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 8.9 miles
Asceent: 2,500 feet
Weather: sun and blue skies, hottest day of the year in this area
When we arrived in Lech a couple of days ago, we’d picked up a hiking guide at the Tourist Information Centre and our attention was caught by ‘a difficult hike’ starting from a lake, leading over a mountain ridge, and ending at another lake. Today’s agenda was decided
On another glorious morning, we took the bus out of Lech as far as Spullersee lake and after walking round the shore for a short distance headed uphill through Alpine meadows. After a while we reached a plateau at the foot of the steep climb up to the Gehren Ridge. This looked very intimidating seen from below and proved to be quite a challenge. As we gained height there were steep drops by the zigzagging path – not vertical drops but steep enough to make no difference to one’s life span in the event of a fall. This didn’t bother Gilly, who was humming tunes from the Sound of Music as we scrambled up the path
Eventually we emerged onto the ridge, and the views from here were awe inspiring – an array of snow covered peaks in all directions. We descended down a steep path to a unique area known as The Sea of Stones, well known to geologists for its ancient fossils – up to 200 million years old. This was tough terrain to cross as we hopped from rock to rock following a well waymarked route
Eventually the Freiburger hut came into view, where refreshments are on offer, but we were short of time and had to hurry past the hut, round Formarinsee Lake and along to the bus stop in order to get back to Lech
It had been an amazing walk – very hard in the intense heat, and with some steep climbs and descents and one or two worrying moments – but one that we shall never forget
Click on the icon below for the route map
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Lech - we take the bus from here to Spullersee
The start of the walk - Spullersee, with Rohnspitze towering above it
We follow the lakeshore path for a short distance
We leave the lakeshore path to head up the valley
Looking back to the lakeshore path
The path continues up the valley
Another view back to Spullersee and Rohnspitze
Wild azalea with Spuller Schafberg in the background
Looking down to the narrow road which leads to Spullersee
Looking back to an alpine hut
The intense blue of the alpine gentian
Spuller Schafberg
It’s been fairly easy going so far but that’s about to change…
The Gehren Ridge appears, and we try to pick out the path which will take us up there
As we get closer, the zigzag path can be made out
Off we go
I only took one photo during the ascent, as full concentration was needed - a slip would have been serious
A plateau before the top gave some relief, but we still had some way to go
Snow cornices - in July, and the temperature is over 30C
A wow moment near the highest point of the ridge
The ridge continues for some distance, but we leave it at the top of the next section - nearly 8,000 feet above sea level
Spullersee comes into view again
We descend quite steeply through alpine meadows, with amazing views all around
The Sea of Stones lies ahead - we will be crossing it shortly
We climb down past a waterfall, not named on the map
The Sea of Stones, a plateau which is far more extensive than appears from here - it took us 40 minutes or so to get across
The way across the stones was closely waymarked - to our relief
Fossils of up to 200 million years old are to be found here, but we had no time to linger
Having crossed the Sea of Stones we descend down the valley
Formarinsee comes into view - we will walk around the track on the far side of the lake
Further round the lake
Looking back
The bus stop at Formarinsee. From here we take the bus back to Lech - what an amazing walk it had been
