February 2023
This year’s winter seems to be much cloudier than usual. Usually the days are sunny, albeit cold, but this year the whole of January has been different. Not only was it quite warm in the beginning (10C), it was also cloudy and windy. Fortunately, good and cheerful standards returned in early February.
Last year, a colleague suggested an evening outing to Dobratsch, and although I hadn’t time then, the idea sunk in. So, on the evening of the full moon, we headed for the mountains
It was not our plan to climb to the top itself, it was quite late when we started (after 8 pm) and quite cold (about -10C). We just wanted to see what it was like to walk up the mountain in the light of the full moon.
Well-dressed, as it was freezing cold, we drove into the upper parking lot below Dobratsch and went out for an hour walk, to the viewpoint located on the south side of the slope. The road to the parking lot was well cleared of snow, although sometimes Alpenstrasse can be closed after heavy snowfall, or snow chains are mandated. There is also a sign stating that entry is forbidden after 9 pm – whether anyone checks its observance, I do not know. In any case, they don’t charge for entry during the winter season.
From the parking lot we headed west on the trail toward the summit. The view was amazing – the nearly cloudless sky allowed us to walk without any lighting. The snow creaked pleasantly, the trail was rubbed and compacted, and we were able to enjoy truly remarkable views
The half-hour walk up the hill was not exhausting, but we had to walk carefully – the access to the viewing platform was quite icy, and on the platform itself it was decently windy. We took a look here and there and returned along the same road to the parking lot.
Such a short hike is a fantastic idea for the evening. FYI, all photos were taken without any processing, with only a longer (automatic) exposure time.
Austrionauta 