Dream Hike Torseen

Throwback to childhood memories

‍

I had been on this hike probably more than five times already - mostly as a child. Every summer as a child and young teenager for as long as I can remember I came to this part of Tirol, Austria with my parents. We went on countless hikes - one more beautiful with breathtaking views than another. But there was always one that stuck out - being the longest and probably toughest one we did. So when I came here with Chris this summer for the first time, obviously that was on top of our itinerary. 

After a couple of rainy days this day was supposed to be warmer and sunny. To start this hike we took the first gondola of the day going up to Eggalm. We had been there a couple days earlier and could barely see 5 meters ahead. This day was different - the sun was already out, warming our faces and giving way for some beautiful views over the valley. The first stretch of our hike began on a long unpaved road, which leads up to the first peak of the day, the Grübelspitze. The elevation gain is rather moderate here but if you’re not really used to hiking you might just feel the lower oxygen level high up in the Austrian Alps. 

About an hour and a half later we reached the peak of Grübelspitze offering the first views of the glacier in Hintertux and the highest mountain in the area. We took only a short break here - taking in the 360° views. Already on the way up you can see the next peak Ramsjoch which is only a hundred meters higher. But since the trail leads back down a bit, it still takes about another 45 minutes to an hour to get there. If you’re scared of heights like me, it might even take some nerve breaks longer… 

‍

‍

In narrow serpentines we hiked up the mostly grass covered mountain to the second peak of the day. At over 2500 meters the wind was blowing and we hurried to put another layer on before enjoying our breakfast with even better views. From this peak we could already see our goal for the day - the Torseen. A group of small mountain lakes with crystal clear and ice cold water just a few kilometers away. 

I was immediately thrown back a couple of years. This place had not changed a bit since I had been here last - which was probably at least 7 or 8 years ago. Still as beautiful, as quiet - a piece of untouched nature - wildflowers growing in midst of rocks and small ponds. Only a handful of fellow hikers were in sight, besides that we pretty much had the whole area to ourselves. 

Two days before this hike we had been on another one where we saw probably over a dozen marmots - I don’t believe I have ever seen so many on just one hike. And when we went down towards the Torseen we saw just a few more - such a sweet surprise to see so many of these little fellas in just a few days. After another hour we had reached the biggest of the lakes where we picked a rock to sit on and have lunch with a view. At that point I was pretty sure that we must have been at least halfway on our hike - but oh well - my memory was fooling me just a bit. 

After an extensive break, we carried on with the hike. Half an hour past the lake we came to a spot I remembered just too well. We would have to cross a waterfall - which might just be a fun little add on to a beautiful hike if you’re not scared of heights. It was a warm day - thank goodness - because I decided to just wade right through the more than ankle deep water instead of stepping from rock to rock. In my mind at least that could have been my fall to death, you must know… So for the rest of the hike I had to walk in soaking wet boots and socks - hello blisters. 

Looking back, I can only laugh about myself - but back then the danger was real. However, after this sketchy part, we continued mostly on a paved or graveled road back down. Two hours or so later I realized that we most likely hadn’t been halfway done at the lake, since then we should be back down at our hotel already. It was also getting warmer with every meter of elevation we went down - 1400 meters in total. Our knees could feel that already when we finally made it to a place that I remembered. From there we continued on a smaller trail back down and thankfully through forest again. 

We had finally reached the last stretch of the hike and looking at the time we were full of hope to make it in time for the Jause. An Austrian word for an afternoon snack that was at least as good as dinner at our hotel! When we came out of the forest the last half hour lead us over the sunny meadows with views of the town and the mountains on the other side of the valley. We had made it back to the Hotel and rewarded ourselves with the best food and a cold drink. 

P.S. I never had any blisters after all. 

I hope you found this post helpful and enjoyed this little adventure over mountains and through waterfalls as much as I did! I would love to hear your outdoor and hiking adventures and if you have been on this hike - feel free to leave a comment below or contact me via email!