I'd noticed that there were a couple of paths
that came out right by our hotel and so planned out a walk using both of these.
The start wasn't too good as we climbed very steeply and the apth wa pretty
scruffy - it looked like a ski piste. However about 1000ft up it levelled
out and became a proper path; the walk got much better for it.
We went into the Ferwall valley; this runs
parallel top the Gaisbach and Rotmoos and again ends in glaciers. However there
was hardly anyone about. We saw just a couple of people in the distance on the
valley bottom path. We had taken the alternative which rises eventually to the
Italian border. The paln was to see how far we got - partly cos Beryl had been
suffering iwth a headcold and wasn't fully fit. The col is just over 2900m and
and I got into the last bowl below it; there was about 200-300 ft of cimb to go;
however Beryl had decided it was beyond her and whilst she said that she didn't
mind me going on a bit further I had decided that I would turn back at a certain
time and I did (even though there was the prospect of a stamp up there)
We saw two more marmots up there. One wandered
slowly across the path and was very clearly visible. The other was further away
but I'm not sure whether it had seen us; it was just playing on the rocks.
Back the way we had come to the mouth of the
valley and then we climbe out off to the right and walked across high, peaceful
meadows towards Hochgurgl. Two more marmots there - we were getting good at
this. We then picked up the main path from Obergurgl to Hochgurgl and returned
along it. It was getting very hot by this time and we welcomed the shade of the
pine trees. This path is part of the Utztaler Jungschutzweg: this is a path of
nearly 50 miles right up the Oetz valley to the Ramolshaus: I'm not sure of the
translition but it sunds like a a challenge hike for the young people of the
valley. It's certainly a big walk.
I was surprised that I'd taken so few photos;
they are all of Ferwalltal