Summit vs Leisure An ode to mountaineering— and one to leisure hiking

Summit Leisure

When hiking, reaching the top is what counts. Or would a pleasurable stroll over Alpine pastures do as well? An ode to mountaineering—and one to leisure hiking.

EVERY TIME I SEE A MOUNTAIN, I have to climb it. Even if it’s just one of the lesser summits. This is the way I am. This is what I have to do. This is what I want to do. The thrill of standing at the very top, where the trail goes no further, on top of the world, where you feel like a king—but at the same time as insignificant as the blink of an eye in an infinite universe. It’s a strange, exhilarating feeling, it is almost overwhelming… and makes you want more.

Some people say the summit is not important, what matters is being out and about in nature, or taking a nice break in a cosy mountain hut. Don’t believe them! The summit is magical. Even the most delicious dumplings served at the cosiest hut will never taste as great as a cold sandwich up at the summit. Reaching the top also means: discovering the limits of your own abilities, taking yourself one step further (or learning when it’s time to turn around), reaching a challenging goal—or at least giving it a try. If you go for a leisure hike, you may very well have a great day. But if you climb the summit, you own the world. You discover new horizons, both on the inside and on the outside.

LENZ KOPPELSTÄTTER

WHEN I GO HIKING, I just walk for the sake of walking. I don’t need to aim for a particular goal; hiking isn’t a competition. Sometimes I don’t even know if I want to reach a destination in the first place. And I don’t have to! I want to take my time, taking in the world around me. I want to let my eyes and mind wander. I walk through cool forests, cross lush green pastures, and admire the majestic mountaintops from way below. I feel a deep inner balance, a reverence for the beauty of nature. Do I want to stand up there on the top, pretending to be larger than life below? No! Hiking for the sake of hiking? Yes!

This is not about testing my abilities. It’s all about being part of the world around me and feeling as free as I can be. If you believe that running up to the summit is what it takes, you really don’t understand what nature is all about. I want to see where the path takes me. I want to be the one to decide when I turn around. And if I really need a goal to walk towards, I most definitely prefer a mountain hut with a nice plate of goulash over standing next to the summit cross.

DEBORA LONGARIVA

Traditional weather lore

If the Odle wears clouds just like a hat, the weather won’t turn bad. If all but the summit is wrapped in clouds like smoke, you’d better put on your cloak.

It does not always have to be the summit: a hearty meal of speck and Kaminwurzen, a typical smoked raw sausage, at an Alpine hut with a view of the Geisler peaks will make you just as happy.

Gruppo delle Odle/Geisler

The Gruppo delle Odle is a Dolomites mountain range, a mountain crest between Villnöß Valley and Gröden Valley. The highest peak is Sass Rigais, rising up 3,025 metres above sea level. Ragged rock formations and slender tors offer plenty of easy hiking trails, advanced Alpine climbing routes, and two via ferratas. A large number of mountain huts can be found alongside the trails.