Summit bliss in the Silvretta Montafon
Vorarlberg - a dream destination for nature lovers and mountain hikers!
Animal round on the Hochjoch
Today's tour starts at the Zamangbahn cable car in Schruns, which takes me up to the Kapell. Here I take the Sennigrat chairlift, as today's tour is intended to be a leisurely ride, so I avoid the ascent on foot and instead let my feet dangle a little. While the lift is still in the shade, the sun continues to fight its way through the clouds and illuminates the mountain peaks opposite.
On the hunt for altitude meters
On a beautiful path with a comfortable elevation gain, I head towards Wormser Hütte, which I leave to the left for now. I follow the blue and white signs to the Kreuzjoch. A bit of scrambling and I reach the summit cross after 25 minutes. The short ascent naturally attracts a few tourists at the weekend. I ignore the people and let myself be inspired by the panoramic view instead. Here at 2,398m, the entire Montafon lies at my feet, with the view of the Sulzfluh, the Drei Türme and the Schesaplana in particular catching my attention. To my left below me are the three lakes Herzsee, Schwarzsee and Seebligasee, which I will see up close later.
Past the Panorama mountain station, the Zamangspitze can already be seen in the distance. I hike leisurely along the red-marked panorama trail past boulders until I reach a junction. The ascent to the Zamangspitze can be made via an alpine, very exposed path (surefootedness, a head for heights and alpine experience are essential). I take the slightly longer route and climb the summit via the easy variant on the other side. Obligatory summit photo and, of course, a well-earned snack, which nowhere tastes as good as at the summit.
The sun can't prevail today, which is why my break is a little shorter. Accompanied by the busy whistling of some marmots and the splashing of small backwaters, I descend towards Grasjoch and then take the Hochalpilabahn cable car back up. I say yes, a tour for connoisseurs.
While I'm still enjoying the panoramic view at the top, something moves to the right of me and snaps me out of my reverie.
First I spot one, then another... I think I'm still dreaming after all. Less than 50 meters from me is a herd of ibex. A sight that makes my heart beat faster.
My very first ibexes that I've ever seen - and I spend a lot of time in the mountains. They have chosen a beautiful spot here.
When, after what feels like an eternity, I can finally break away, I make my way back via the Seetalweg.
Below the Hochjoch are the Herzsee and Schwarzsee lakes. First, however, I take the fairly wide hiking trail past grazing cows to the Kälbersee. From here you can watch the climbers on the Hochjoch via ferrata on the wall. If you've already had your fill, you can now shorten the hike via the ski tunnel. I take the longer option, which offers significantly more highlights. Not only can you cool off in the lake on warm days, but above all the wonderful panorama of the Lechquellengebirge and Silbertal make the detour worthwhile.
Enjoy a coffee and apple strudel in the Kappellrestaurant and then blissfully return to the valley.
