Berghasen on tour in a winter wonderland

A little to the south of Salzburg rises an unprepossessing peak. The ‘Berghasen’ love to set their sights on the Schlenken (1,648m) in all four seasons.

The Berghasen, otherwise known as Vroni and Susi, are two sports scientists from Salzburg, Austria. They combine their great passion for hiking, mountain climbing, climbing, mountain biking, writing, nature and sport all together into one fabulous blog, www.berghasen.com. This time, for the first time, FITAPP accompanied them.

We invited them to report on their adventure; hiking in the first snowfall of the season. Join the Berghasen as they plunge into the Salzburg winter wonderland:

From Vigaun to the Schlenken

Over the last few days, there had been a sprinkling of snow. Enough had fallen to carpet the ground and forests in white. But cold and snow are hardly a reason to stay at home. No one could deprive us of such a short, easy hike even in these conditions. And so we decided to head for the Schlenken once again, in such easy reach of Salzburg.

To reach our starting point for the Salzburger Schlenken, we struck out from Vigaun along the Innere Rengerbergstraße, with FITAPP all is set to track our hike. As the car doors slamm, the FITAPP start buzzer sounds and the hike begins.

We come to a bend where we head into the woods and this is where the winter wonderland truly comes alive. No one has set foot here since the last snowfall and yet, despite the path being pristine and untouched, it is easy to find our way. Markings on tree trunks reassure us that we are heading in the right direction. We may feel like we are alone, but in truth we are far from it. In the snow, the presence of woodland creatures is no longer so secret, and hare and fox tracks cross our path. We are entranced by the forest. Fallen leaves make autumnallysplashes of color on the surface of the snow. Conifer branches bow under the unfamiliar weight. After about an hour, we leave the woods behind us and hike on across open countryside where we notice that it has begun to snow.

Striking Out: slow motion ascent, rollicking descent

The south face of the Schlenken rears steeply up in front of us. Only a few more trees stand in our way, though the snow is suddenly knee-deep. We feel as though we are climbing an eight-thousander. We mentally adjuste the FITAPP calorie count upwards! The going has got tough.

After about an hour and a half we reach the peak of the Schlenken. As always, we are delighted that we have left the comforts of home behind as we breathed in the fresh air and surroundings. The countryside around us shines in its white winter clothing.

Our deep satisfaction and gratitude makes us forget that our ankles have fallen into step with the frosty temperatures around them. Despite our efforts, the snow has got into our hiking boots. Gaiters are old school, but oh, how we long for them eagerly!

Any time we lost whilst climbing the mountain, we make up for as we return to base. We charge down the snowfields, the cushioned ground giving us confidence – falling over is all part of the fun.

Once we return to the car, we stopp the clock and save our hike. FITAPP tells us that we hiked 5 kilometers, ascended 600 meters of altitude and burned 700 calories. We feel rejuvenated and post a snap.

Equipment suggestions:
* long hiking trousers and jacket * wind-proof jacket * top to change into * sturdy hiking boots* gaiters * poles *headband * hat * gloves * tea *potentially snow shoes

Follow the Berghasen on Facebook and Instagram for hiking tip and insights into the world of sport.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berghasen
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A little to the south of Salzburg rises an unprepossessing peak. The ‘Berghasen’ love to set their sights on the Schlenken (1,648m) in all four seasons.

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