Day 21 - Hiking Austrian Alps, Igls

---

Friday 19th September

“You were lucky with the weather today.” Such an easy sentence to say yet in nigh on 3 weeks seemingly bl**dy impossible to achieve. But today as the ultra helpful hotel manager (what a nice guy) uttered this as I walked back in this evening they were spot on. It was sun-cream-on-the-solar-panel-like-bonce-requiring superb.

A day off the bike had me on a hiking trail today and as I type this at only 8 pm after half a bottle of Pinot I am nearly ready for shut-eye already, I am cream-crackered.

I caught the cable car opposite the hotel to the top of Patscherkofel (2250m) and then hiked along a superb ridge to Tulfenheim, before descending to Tulfes - 1.5km lower in altitude. According to the trails it was a 5 hour hike - it was 11:30 and the only bus back was at 4 pm. So I got my skates on, realising of course that the timings are based on pretty old fodder. The ridge hike was easy, but the descent burnt my quads and I was pretty tired when I rolled into Tulfes - happy just to sit in the sun for 40 minutes waiting for the bus. The ridge was a beautiful walk - the descent less so, just knackering. I like this place. I am even contemplating staying another night so I can go for a full day of mountain passes on the bike without luggage tomorrow and if time, I may try and get it up the mountain on that track I descended today - we'll see.

After the hike I got me robe (result - luxury is a hotel bath robe) and headed for the sauna. F*ck me if I wasn't the only cocker wearing anything in there. Bizarre. Looking at wrinkly old chap next to me was less than enticing but the girl he was with opposite was another matter - I hope she was his daughter. If not that would explain the perma-grin stuck on his chops.

So tomorrow is another bike blast day. Should be good - pick any of the passes and unencumbered with luggage should be a hoot (looks like I've decided to stay then.) The WooHoo'ometer already comfortably back in the black should go off the scale...

Note: Published from Innsbruck Hospital, so photos to follow

---