Hiking in the Alps

Hiking in the Alps was truly a memorable experience and probably one of my favorite activities that I was able to do while abroad.  I went with a group of six girls instead of the main class group so we all had a slightly different, and shorter, hike.  Since we were a group of girls, we decided to enjoy the experience of being in the Alps by not only hiking but also meeting new people, picking flowers, and trying to find Catholic crosses and shrines.  This made the hike go a little slower, but for us it really increased our appreciation for the Alps and Austria in general.

While hikers in America are generally nice, very rarely do you get the chance to meet a group of gentlemen who just rock climbed up a sheer cliff but still have the energy to talk to a bunch of girls about their hiking and climbing history.  It was also very interesting to hear their reaction when we told them that we were from California.  They were so incredibly excited about it!  As soon as they found out they just started asking us tons of questions about all the mountains and climbing opportunities that we have there.

And it was not only the people in the Alps that were pleasant, the trails themselves were incredibly nice as well.  Unlike in America, I did not see one scrap of litter the entire twenty kilometers that we hiked.  And the truly amazing part was that I did not even see any trashcans.  Apparently, Austrians must feel more of a responsibility in keeping their country clean and beautiful, a trait which you can see both in the Alps and in the cities as well.

The most interesting and memorable aspect of the Alps however, had to be the man made structures that you could find there.  The most obvious of these are the beer houses that are scattered throughout the mountains.  These were great when you were hungry and thinking about turning back and then all of a sudden there is randomly this great little house where you can get a warm meal and a cold beer.  The other man made structures were much more numerous but they were supposed to serve a much higher, and more divine, purpose.

The crosses and shrines that were scattered throughout the mountains were incredibly numerous and also tended to seem extremely random.  They were apparently erected mostly during the Counter Reformation by the Catholics who are very fond of their relics and holy images.  I am still unclear exactly how putting up crosses and shrines throughout the Alps was supposed to advance the Catholics' cause but their efforts did make for a much more interesting landscape.  

I hope that I can revisit their Alps someday very soon.