von Zeit.los Magazin
02 March 2023
WINTER
Arrived in the silence
The Gaistal is a true hiking jack-of-all-trades and a real paradise of alpine pastures. Well-known in summer, it remains a hidden gem in winter. When the ground feels pleasantly soft underfoot and the deep white crunches softly beneath the soles, a wonderful tranquility envelops you – from the outside and from within.Winter has its own unique calm. If you wish, this can be explained rationally and physically, as the airy snowflakes slow down the sound waves in the air, and at ground level they are less reflected and, in the truest sense, partially swallowed. However, you can also simply feel this tranquility. In the winter Gaistal, for example.
A journey to oneself
Often it is about arriving nowhere else but with oneself. It's not about reaching a destination, but about embarking on the journey. And the longer one walks, the sooner one finds oneself and reflects on the simple things. The beautiful and truly important ones. Without the usual distractions, the senses are sharper, awareness is more active, and one feels intimately connected to their surroundings.
Gaistalalm in Winter - Aerial View
The Gaistal – a snowy insider tip
Packed thick in winter cotton, it lies there - the Gaistal, which makes it easy to take a step back and enjoy with its almost endless expanse and overwhelming breadth. The Gaistal in winter: This is walking in absolute tranquility. Those who have visited in summer will experience the valley in a whole new way. When it starts to glitter and sparkle and welcomes you with its deep snow-covered landscape, as if it had just been waiting to be discovered, the Gaistal reveals its snowy face. Cold, but full of warmth.
A true alpine paradise
The Hämmermoos and Gaistalalm are also open in winter and are worthwhile destinations. While you reach the Hämmermoosalm in about an hour's walk, the Gaistalalm takes about half an hour longer. You are rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views, as the hut rightfully carries the name of the valley. It is situated right in the middle of the picturesque natural spectacle, whose majestic mountain panorama surrounds you in peaceful white during the winter months and gives it an almost abstract softness.
The journey is the goal ... or also the Gaistalalm
It starts as in summer at the Salzbach hiking parking lot (P3 to P5). Here you follow the directions along a wide hiking path to the Gaistalalm at an elevation of 1,366 meters above sea level. Over about four kilometers, you conquer a friendly 140 meters of elevation gain. The traditional hut has a long history and is still actively used as a farm in the summer months. In the winter months, the hut transforms in harmony with its surroundings, becoming cozier, more homely, and more intimate. Even in winter, hut keeper Nikolai Kirschner serves regional and traditional culinary delights that please both palate and soul. Perhaps you can catch a few winter sun rays on the large terrace, spreading pleasantly from the tip of your nose over your entire body. Comfort for the spirit, so to speak.
Blog Tags
Share