From Franz Fischer Hütte to Sticklerhütte

^22-07-26

The weather has changed: dark clouds and rain.

When asked, the person running the refuge hut recommends to wait another hour, because then the rain would be gone, and it would have dried up a bit; also, according to them, there is not going to be thunderstorms today, and we should definitely take the longer/higher scenic route.

We take a vote and agree unanimously: we follow that advice!

So finally we leave, but with a sad heart; it’s been so lovely here. And any other food will be just disappointing now.

The path follows the hillside slowly climbing to a little lake: Ilgsee. Would have been another nice bathing opportunity, but it’s too early in the day and the weather is not quite nice enough.

Hiking on, we pass a junction where we would have turned to go down to Tappenkarseehütte as per our previous plan; probably nice as well.

Then the path slowly climbs towards Wasserfallscharte, with gorgeous views all around.

We pass a small herd of cute young cows that curiously stare at us…

…and loads of various kinds of beautiful flowers.

The weather had been okay so far; but heading up towards Nebelkarscharte (which translates as ‘foggy corrie pass’), fittingly fog and low clouds start to blow through.

But the fog doesn’t stay, and we have clear views on the last steep climp up to the gap.

Walking down the other side we meet lots of sheep, mostly black ones.

And soon we arrive at Murtörl, where we check out the various wayside shrines and crosses. Seems like a very Austrian tradition to erect these things as memorial for people who died in mountain accidents.

From there the path serpentines down a steep meadow alongside a little stream; with views down to the lush valley all the way.

On the last few hundred meters before the hut, we’re held up by trying not to get too close to some cow-mothers with their calves, who are leisurely walking on our path.

Of course, because of this delay, we just get hit by the first rain shower of the day, before we finally make it to Sticklerhütte and some well deserved Radler.

Day 4 statistics:

14,8km, 795m ascent, 1055m descent

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