Summer in the Alps - 2005 - Friday 19 August - Innsbruck

Friday 19 August - Innsbruck (by Martin)

Sue and I did a bit of shopping and spent about 3 hours travelling slowly to Innsbruck, via cappuccinos at St Sigmund, near the start of the motorway. 

It was a nice warm day, with good visibility if a bit hazy. We reached a good campsite at Kranebitter, just west of Innsbruck, at 12:45, and by 2:20 we had pitched camp, lunched in the shade, and set off to walk by a high level route to Innsbruck.

We ignored enticing signs for the Magdeburger Hut, high (3 hrs 30 mins) above to the north, and walked up a rising route, with views of Innsbruck and its airport, eventually reaching the fleshpot of Rauschbrunnen - nearly 500 metres above, at 3:50. Here we amused the locals by ordering cokes when everybody else was drinking beer.

The mountains had clouded over, so with rain threatening, and the odd spot dropping, we hastened on along the Knappensteig footpath to Hottinger Bild, before dropping down to Innsbruck's old town via Hotting and a lane with 14 shrines.

Magdeburger Hut was now only 3 hours away - but still an impossible dream

Below the shrine road we found a lane with a bench, just about the town. An apple stop. Rain on the ridge high to the north, sunflowers adorning nearby penthouses, white butterflies fluttering past, red and brown squirrels with white chests dodging us...

Here's our route - 11 km with 650 metres ascent

Then the bustle of tourists and all their traps, a meal of wiener schnitzel and chips, then an easy bus ride (O then LG) back to camp.

Scenes from our strolling in Innsbruck

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