Day 23 Hiking Eng to Karwandelhaus Hütte

A longer hike today so we were up early and eating breakfast by 7.30 am. Breakfast was a really good selection and we are enjoying the variety after Italy. 

Although it was a long climb, we were in awe the entire hike. The wild flowers were popping and the huge walls above us gave plenty to look at. By 11 am we had finished the big climbs for the morning and were sitting down to a wonderful lunch of pea soup with wurst and Andrew consumed schnitzel number 6!

After an hour break we were all a bit chilled and ready to move on. A long down on a fairly steep road and then a very pleasant walk up single track for our final long climb of the day. With good grade, beautiful views and delicious fountains of cold mountain water to drink we enjoyed the hike up even with the longer day. 

As we did the last kilometer the trail got busy with mountain bikes as we appear to be on some kind of bike route. Karwandelhaus Hütte is a bigger and busier hut than we’ve been at and the line to check in was moving slow and we slowed it down even more when the hut mistress tried to get us all in one room. But in the end we had to stick with our original reservation - a 3 person room and one of us in the ‘lager’ with about 15 other people. Sara volunteered as tribute and claimed her spot next to a wall in the lager right away. 

Then the sport of showering at a hut began - with a crowd of about 8 people, we all crowded around the machine that activated the showers trying to get it to select the correct shower, input the token, and then jump in the stall, close the door and get started with the 3 mins of warm water while the onlookers/people in line, cheered you on with wishes of good luck and speedy washing! Partly self motivated so they could get their chance at the Olympic sport of hut showering. 

Dinner was no less exciting, with space available for only about 60% of the hut occupants. The crush and din, of ordering the pig knuckle for 3 of us and spaghetti for one of us was very chaotic, but fun to participate in and the food was delicious. After eating we escaped the cacophony to sit at the outside tables to watch the solstice sunset over the alps while playing hearts as a family - a wonderful way to celebrate the longest day of the year. 

Eng Alm where we stayed the evening before

Setting off in cow fields of flowers

We aren’t sure what they want from us but they are cute

Laughing and climbing

Easy on the eyes

So many wild flowers

The water is very good even if you feel like a cow drinking from a trough (photo was dramatized. We only drink from the spout, never the trough)

Karwenselhaus hut - beautiful sight after 6+ hrs of hiking!