Advertisement || I have three days in Mayrhofen ahead of me. Three days that promise plenty of variety. After all, I have five different experiences lined up. I can’t decide what I’m looking forward to most. Perhaps the via ferratas on Penken? Or the hike to Ahornspitze? Both have their appeal. And in between, there’s a bird of prey demonstration to marvel at.
#1 Sunrise on Ahorn
Have you ever watched the sunrise from a mountain? Seen the first rays of sunlight struggle over the surrounding peaks? To experience it, I naturally had to get up early. My alarm went off at 4:30.
Pretty early by my standards. My only consolation was that I didn’t have to walk up. The Ahorn cable car takes me to the sunrise viewing spot. It heads up the mountain promptly at 5:30. Dawn is already breaking, and the surroundings are bathed in warm light. A little later, in mid-July, just after 6:00, the first rays of sunlight make their way over the mountain peaks.
They bring light and a pleasant warmth with them. The mountainsides opposite glow a brilliant orange. They almost look as if they’re on fire. We’re all captivated by the spectacle. No one says an unnecessary word. Only when the sun is higher in the sky does the breakfast buffet in the Kunstraum tempt us away.
#2 Hike to Ahornspitze
The Ahorn cable car also makes the hike to Ahornspitze (2.973 m) a manageable, relaxed day trip. Even so, I still have to climb more than 1.000 vertical metres from the station to the summit.
But it’s worth it. The trail first leads across alpine meadows, past the Edelhütte, and then climbs ever more steeply. Eventually, the meadows give way to scree. By then, familiar mountain giants such as the Olperer and other glaciers have long been visible in the distance.
Further up, I even need to use my hands. A little easy scrambling takes me the final few metres to the summit. It’s never really difficult, but still varied. And then I get my first proper look at the view. My gaze wanders over the Großvenediger and the Großen Löffler, towards the Hintertuxer Gletscher and down into the Zillertal. Mayrhofen lies down there. More than 2.000 vertical metres—or rather, metres down—below me!
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#3 Bird of prey demonstration
In summer, a bird of prey demonstration takes place every afternoon at 14:00 at the Adlerbühne on Ahorn. I’m not going to miss it. After all, I find large birds truly magnificent and impressive.
And that’s exactly how I feel when I leave the show. Goshawks, eagle-owls and falcons fly just above the spectators’ heads, sometimes missing them by mere centimetres. They perch among the people, then spread their enormous wings and glide to the next spot.
Did you know that falcons can reach speeds of up to 380 km/h in a dive? Or that eagle-owls don’t just hunt at night, but can also see well and are active during the day?
Once or twice, I duck, afraid that one of the birds might fly straight into my face. But they’re true masters of flight. When a steppe eagle finally spirals upwards, I can only stare open-mouthed. It soars majestically through the sky with its wings spread wide. That’s what an eagle should look like!
#4 Knorren via ferrata on Penken
On the via ferrata to Knorren (2.081 m) on Penken, I often find myself with nothing but air beneath my feet. The Knorren Nadel via ferrata isn’t particularly difficult, is very well secured and is also suitable for beginners. It’s a manageable length, too. The via ferrata can be completed in 90 minutes.
Even so, the route repeatedly climbs vertically up the rock face. One traverse along the rock is even slightly overhanging, and I can feel it in my arms. Luckily, there are plenty of metal brackets and pegs to step on and hold onto.
The highlights of the via ferrata are the two rope bridges suspended metres above the ground. Like a tightrope walker, I make my way across the wobbly steel cables. Well, almost. I don’t look quite so graceful. Instead, I cling tightly to the safety cables on either side with my hands.
#5 Walking on water in a Funball
Things are even wobblier in the Funnballz at the reservoir. Two or three oversized, air-filled water balls float there, and you can climb inside them. The queue at the entrance suggests that the activity is mainly popular with children. But I don’t want to miss out either.
So I duck my head, make myself small and climb into the plastic shell, which is first inflated and then sealed watertight. Then I’m rolled onto the surface of the water. And … I fall over. For the first time. But not the last. Every time I try to stand up, the ground slips away beneath my feet.
I look enviously at the ball next to mine. A child is running inside it like a hamster on a wheel. Upright. I try again, fail again and eventually give up. Maybe it’s just not my thing. Or perhaps I need more practice.