Sunsets in the Alps

Hut-trekking in
Berchtesgaden National Park

Late sunsets and early nights

At the end of June, shortly after the solstice, there is little time between sunset and hut closing, which is usually at 10 pm in almost all huts in the Alps. The days in the mountains start early to take advantage of the often better weather in the morning. After a long day in the mountains, everyone is looking forward to a well-deserved early night's sleep anyways. A shared dorm room and a little snoring from your roommates doesn’t really prevent people from falling asleep anymore. One quickly gets used to the hut routine and sleeps better from night to night in the shared accommodation.

Take the weather as it comes

Things are slowly getting quieter in the Ingolstädterhaus, the last hut on our five-day trek through the Berchtesgaden Alps. We got to the hut early after a relatively short day of hiking, as the weather was getting a little rainy after three days of sunshine. Yet, we were welcomed in sunshine by the friendly hut owner, Michael, and enjoyed delicious Kaiserschmarrn, a typical mountain dish, on the sun terrace with the best view of the distant peaks of the “Steinerne Meer” in front of us. 

There is no rainbow without rain

The weather held and we went for an afternoon tour to the nearby small peak of “Hundstod”. On the way down we were blessed with a rainbow. Dinner, which is usually served in the huts around half past six, was excellent. In addition to typical Austrian dishes, the Ingolstädterhaus boasts vegetarian and vegan dishes, which is a nice change from the often meat-heavy menus. So we enjoy a Tyrolean Gröstl with beans instead of bacon and reward ourselves with the most delicious curd cheese strudel for dessert. Afterwards we played a few rounds of cards until I got my down jacket so I wouldn't miss the wonderful sunset.

From hut to hut

Hut-trekking is very special to me. You spend several days completely isolated from civilization in the mountains with no cell phone reception, no car noise and only with what you can carry on your back. You realize again how little you actually need. The best moments for me are the morning and evening hours. When most of the day hikers are back in the valley and the hut guests are busy with breakfast or chatting and playing cards in the evening. Then you have the mountains to yourself for a brief moment. If the hut is as wonderfully located as the Ingolstädterhaus, the sunrise or sunset on clear days becomes magical.

Adventures ahead

For my guests, an unforgettable week in the mostly sunny mountains comes to an end the next day and we end the tour together at lunchtime with the best Austrian cuisine prepared with love at Kallbrunnalm. Three very different women from three countries came together and grew together. The days were filled with good conversations, hiking in silence, and lots of laughter in the huts. On sometimes maybe challenging paths, I pushed them to their limits, and they grew beyond them. And now they are excited to continue exploring the wonderful mountain world of the Alps on future tours with Shanti Treks.

Thankful

While enjoying the sunset at Ingolstädterhaus, I reflect on the past days and, as always, am silently thankful for the great tour and that everything went well.