Siegerlandhütte to Schwarzsee via Windachscharte Pass

How good that felt! On the last day of our hut tour, the weather finally cooperated and the sun shone from every buttonhole. This was a warming treat for us two-legged friends after the rather cold days and even colder nights in the high mountains. The tour over the Windachscharte was technically quite demanding for two- and four-legged friends, but had a great fun factor. A cool snowfield and an exuberant snow fight between Mr. A. and Greta later, we finally found ourselves in South Tyrol. The stable weather invited us to take a detour to a raised moor, where tons of cotton grass grew, and to a mountain lake. A very! - We didn't miss a short icy swim before descending back out of the high mountains past rushing wild streams, waterfalls and lots of greenery. An all-round successful hut tour! I have described this tour and many others in my new book “Hut Tours with Dogs – Alps”. There is also a lot of practical information in the large guide section to ensure that hut tours with dogs are a success. You can order the book here: https://www.etappen-wandern.de/buch-huettentouren-mit-hund/ Another note, because some people are surprised that I already go on tours like this with a puppy/young dog: The day tours were all quite short and Greta was always in the backpack so that she didn't overload herself (she could actually have managed every tour ). I looked intensively into the exercise of young dogs, talked to my vet about it for a long time and decided on this tour with Greta. The well-known 5-minute-per-month-of-life rule is, according to experts, total nonsense. If you want to know why, just google “five minutes of walking per month of life?” and study the exciting article by Ralph Rückert.

The third day of the hike leads from the Hochfirst Inn to the Siegerland Hut. The stage initially runs above the pass road to the Timmels Bridge and then continues through the picturesque Timmels Valley, which captivates with its tranquil and secluded beauty. After about 3 km, a cappuccino stop at the Timmels Alm is worthwhile. You have to take advantage of the fact that there is an alpine hut along the way. 😌 The path between the Alm and the Schwarzsee is simply breathtakingly beautiful! Cows and horses graze in the distance, and new views open up everywhere. After the Schwarzsee, the ascent begins on a steep and partly rocky path, requiring surefootedness. The route finally leads over rocky terrain via the Windachscharte col back into Austria before reaching the Siegerland Hut.

Today we made a super nice tour to the large Schwarzsee. I am a real Ruhrpott child and would honestly describe myself as a lowland Tyrolean...but I managed to hike this really great tour 💪 When I got to the top I was really proud of myself 😁 the reward was on the way back at the Timmels Alm my beloved cheese dumplings 😋

The start was at the Timmelsbrücke, where there are enough parking spaces but also a bus stop. The first section ran over a wide gravel path to the Timmelsalm, which is definitely worth a trip without further ascent. From there we went on the usual, well-marked hiking trails, past and over various streams, waterfalls and beautiful streams as well as the Mösler biotope up to the Schwarzsee. Unfortunately, drizzle and a cool wind caught us there, which is why we decided against the possible further circular route via the Schneeberghütte and vice versa. Alternatively, we stopped at the Timmelsalm, were able to sit on the partly sunny terrace and first enjoyed fine apple/apricot strudel and then a delicious cheese plate.

Despite low clouds, we hiked from the Timmelsbrücke to the large Schwarzsee. Despite the clouds, it was a very worthwhile tour. Super varied and a new landscape behind every crest. The fog even cleared at the top. On the way back we stopped at the Timmels Alm. 👍

Today I walked an alpine path for the first time, up to 2500m it went up to the large Schwarzsee. I found the ascent and descent very challenging, luckily I had hiking sticks with me. The weather couldn't be better, but a cold wind was already whistling high up. In between you had great views of snow-capped peaks, just beautiful 😀 and we even saw and heard a few marmots. Fantastically beautiful 😊😍