Thursday 13th June: Weather: 14°C to 18°C: Blue skies and sun all day
Maurach to Binsalm: 18.2k from 8.15am to 2.30pm: 6hrs 15 mins with one 20 min break
Accommodation: Binsalm Gasthaus
Leaving Steinboch 8.15am
Track around the Achensee
How nice is this day
Walkers on path thru Falzthurntal
Blue skies, meadows, snow on alps
Checking Tirol cheese and schnapps
2 x Ibex way high up on the snow
Morning tea under tree
Magnificent walk thru Falzthurntal
Tourists stop at Gramai Alm
At top of Gramai Hochleger 1756m
Across to Binssattel 2002m
Binssattel 2002m to Karwendel
Falkenhutte and Birkkarspitze
Ibex in valley
Wild Fowers
Two Pilseners please with lunch
View from balcony Binsalm
Our twin bed room Binsalm
A truly magnificent day that we thought wasn’t possible because of the snow. A 5k walk from Maurach around the Achensee to Pertisau then 9k through the spectacular Falzthurntal Valley. And finally 5k up and over the Gramai Hochleger at 1756m and Binsstal at 2002 metres, trudging through snow, then down to the Binsalm Gasthaus. There was still a lot of snow at the top, but unlike yesterday, was passable though a bit tricky and tiring at times. An ascent of over 1100 metres and descent of 500 metres.
We’re awake at 6am to have a cup of tea. We knew our gas can was on it’s last legs and this morning it died. But I, yes me, had been carrying a full spare can for the past week and this morning we put it to good use. After a few phone calls home and to Will and Cass in New Zealand we’re down to breakfast of the usual buns, meats, cheese, jams and coffee. We’re packed and ready for a long day thinking we’ll try to go up and over the Gramai Hochleger at 1756m, but we may have to turn back to Maurach to get a bus around the valleys to Binsalm on the other side.
At 8.15am we leave on a blue sky cool day to walk 400 metres to join the track along the Achensee. Then 5k along to Pertisau, an expensive resort village on the edge of the lake with overnights averaging $1,000 AUD. Turning left up the Falzthurntal, we join a string of day walkers heading up this magnificent 3 sided valley with snow capped alps on all sides. It’s a gentle climb along the valley floor on a wide gravel road with bikes and walkers strung out the entire way. I stop at a farm house to check out the cheese and Schnapps, but our bags are heavy enough and we have a big climb ahead so I give it a miss.
Stopping at 10.45am for a cup of coffee with UHT cream, we can see ibex scattered high on one side of the valley, seemingly playing in the snow. A short time later, we’re at the end of the valley, the Gramai Alm Gasthaus, where there’s already dozens of day hikers having coffees or beers in the garden. Walking behind the Gasthaus, there’s a track heading up to the Gramai Hochleger. We’re the only ones on this track as the day hikers have stopped.
From a height of 1263 metres at Gramaialm, the track ascends steeply, and we’re soon confronted by earth works and a no entry sign, but the barrier rope has been pulled down so we continue up the bumpy yet to be levelled wide dirt track, not knowing what to expect. But its OK and so up and up we go. After one hour of steep climbing we can see the orange balloon markers 100 metres higher at the top. Then we strike snow drifts aross the track. Do-able, but not easy, however there’s two other hikers coming down who tell us it’s sort of OK. Some sections were OK, others steep and slippery, and other bits we needed to scramble high around the snow. At 1pm we’re at the Gramai Hochleger but it’s only the first of two high points and we can see the second high point Binssattel up and around to the left, the track covered in some snow but not too much. Not a good time to relax and have lunch as we still don’t know if we can get up to this next high point and down the other side. So after a 5 minute break, we continue on through some snow patches and reach Binssattel, with amazing views across to the Karwendel Mountains on the other side.
There’s no snow on this side being the southern side of the ridge, but its very very steep and stony. Still not a good time for lunch as you need your wits about you on such a steep descent and a lunch stop takes away that edge. So down and down until finally we arrive at Binsalm at 2.30pm with dozens of day hikers soaking up the sun and enjoying lunch with a beer. Good idea says Ian!
We’re given the key to our room, a lovely basic mountain hut style with twin beds and shared bathroom and WC up the corridor. It’s 3pm by the time we have a sandwich of cheese ham and tomato with a cold pilsener. What a wonderful day.
Then a shower while stomp washing clothes, which we hang on the outside clothes line and are almost dry by the time I’ve finished hanging them as it’s quite windy and still very sunny. A restful afternoon sorting photos. The dinner time signs have been quite weird. The notice board states that breakfast is between 7.30am and 8.30am but dinner finishes at 7pm. When we first saw the signs last week, we thought that dinner started at 7pm, and thought that at least it was better than French huts where dinner often doesn't start til 7.30 or 8pm. So we were pleasantly surprised to find we can have dinner anytime until 7pm.
By 5.30, it’s time for a beer but we’re not that hungry having just had a late lunch, so we order one plate of sausage and sauer kraut and one apple strudel to share. Still too much to eat. There was a group of 5 hikers also having dinner at the same time and they are going to Karwendelhaus tomorrow. They don’t know a lot about the track but we’ll be following them instead of attempting the 27k valley route.