More Hiking above Bozen

Published on 2023-02-17 by Michael Stanton

Here are reports of two more long weekend trips to Bolzano in February and March. I kind of went there a lot!

The greatest thing is that I got to stay with Daniel and Michaela, and meet their friends Jerome and Lisette from Holland.

Day One, Friday February 17

I hiked up the Königsanger from a little parking place near an outhouse a bit above the town of Garn. A beautiful hike, I'd done it once before in 2021. I used snowshoes in the upper half.

Pictures to come...

Day Two, Saturday February 18

I parked in the town of Tramin an der Weinstraße, aiming for the summit of Roen far above! My goodness, some of the trails were steep, especially up the forested gully of the Taurisweg which led to an icy col with a frozen lake underneath a summit called Göller. Then I followed the increasingly icy Göllersteig to a little building called the Scharfeggerhütte. I continued to the Überetscher Hütte (Rifugio Oltradige). I would have liked to continue to the Roen summit only 200 meters above by a steep trail, but I'd had so much trouble with the ice to this point that I called this my high point. It was amazing how far below the town was (over 1500 meters below, I think).

I headed down and then for variety, I went around the north side of Göller from the frozen pond, then down an interesting way to a closed restaurant called the Gummererhof. From here by the most natural way back down to town, completely worn out!

That night I drove back to Bolzano and had a great dinner with my friends. Lisette kept thinking I could speak dutch. I slept in my van because the apartment was completely full! In the morning, a wonderful breakfast. I related that I'd had a past life in Holland as a woman named Yvonne. I related the story and we all laughed and were amazed. What a gift to share time with these friends.

Pictures to come...

Day Three, Sunday February 19

I was so tired from that hike (over 1800 meters up and down) that Sunday I wasn't good for much. I ended up climbing with the auto belay at the gym in Bolzano, then heading up to Sterzing where I made a short hike to the Braunhof up the ridge from the Sterzing train station.

Day "Four," Friday March 3

Back in Südtyrol again, this time I hiked up Lorenzen from Latzfons. I forgot exactly where I parked, but it must have been right in town. I walked along streets and trails up to the Klausner Hütte. I kept going, now in snow to a collection of huts a little higher on a ridge. Here I put on snowshoes and made my way to the summit.

Pictures to come...

Day "Five," Saturday March 4

I hiked up Freienbühel from the town of Albeins. An interesting hike! Mostly on forested trails. At the top was a beautiful chapel in the snow on a mostly forested summit. I sat inside for a while...then went down a different way, passing through the village of St. Georg, eventually reaching town along the river. 1450 meters up and down.

I stayed with Daniel and Michaela, wonderful dinner and conversation.

Day "Six," Sunday March 5

Daniel, Michaela and I hiked up Roen from the Mendelpass. A great hike, rather long by the end -- that is, I was completely satisfied! We joked with each other all the way down. I was telling Michaela that, surely, she'd like to live in one of these little huts with a strong fellow like me, and we could ask Daniel to fetch wood for the fireplace for us.

We also had a nice conversation with a couple at a hut partway to the summit. It seemed that not only were my good friends anti-vaxxers, but so were many people in South Tyrol! I learned that there had been a football star who gave some testimony about taking the vaccine, but secretly, had not done so. Because of his position, people didn't mind. There is a lot more unrest underneath the surface of things than one would expect.

Daniel and I enjoyed the summit while Michaela waited at this sunny house. Many people were up here, enjoying the good weather. Roen is a great summit.

Pictures to come...