It is windy, a bit chilly but I have the most amazing view over the eastern parts of the Alps. I am standing on the top of Gr Priel in Austria, tired from the long climb. The mountains here are steep and bright grey, almost white, since it is all limestone.
Around us people, equally in need of energy, are trying to find a spot sheltered from the wind to eat their packed lunches. Amazingly enough the wind seem to be blowing from all directions at the same time. We sit down in a fairly calm place. A dry sandwich never tasted this good. I only wish I had brought that lemon soda I have been dreaming about the past half hour.
Me and my brother, Richard, have just finished a very long and demanding Via Ferrata called Bert Rinesch klettersteig. I took us 3 hours to finish the climb which was secured the whole way. It was necessary to be constantly hooked in using the Via Ferrata equipment since it was quite airy and we often had several hundred meters below our feet. In some places it was overhanging which made me wonder how well the iron bars that secured us were fastened in the rock. I chose not to think about this for very long though. The climb was not as hard as I thought but just very long and there were no really good spots to take a rest. But best of all, it was great fun! I loved each step of the way. And the picture is of me, I did not steal it off the internet this time…