Luke and Arthur-von-Schmid-Haus – Photo by Eliot Sedman

by Luke Sedman

This summer in July I went on a trekking holiday with my family to Carinthia in southern Austria. One of the huts we stayed in was called the Arthur-von-Schmid-Haus (2281m) and it had some lovely views down the valley. From our bedroom we could see the Dösner See and the mountains. The evening we got there we had to climb down a big boulder field which was really tiring. When we were at the top of it, it looked massive. We started to climb down and it was very loose and steep. We eventually got to the bottom and were very happy to have arrived. Taking off our boots after the big hike-in felt great. We unpacked our bags in our rooms and went to order dinner. I had spaghetti which I ate really fast as I was hungry. After dinner we played some card games and then went to bed.

The next morning I set off early with my dad to climb Säuleck (3086m), a big peak near to the hut. The man that worked in the hut had told us that thunderstorms were forecast for the afternoon so we didn’t wait to have breakfast. It was cold outside but we soon warmed up from the walking. As we got higher up the views got better and better. At about 08.30 we reached a stopping point and ate a couple of trail bars to get some more energy. At this point the weather started to turn and we thought about turning around. The clouds darkened and the wind picked up. We could hear the booming sound of thunder all around us. It began to rain and we put on our jackets and sheltered under a cliff. I felt quite scared being in the thunderstorm and was glad that it only lasted about 15 minutes. After this I was pretty cold, but determined to push on to the summit of Säuleck.

Fortunately, the weather started to clear up and when we reached the summit we could see mountains all around us. We signed the book hidden in a box on the cross at the summit and then continued along the ridge, which was called Detmolder Steig. This was tremendous as it had really big drops on either side and further along there was a section of Klettersteig (or via ferrata). This meant we got to use our harnesses, lanyards and helmets which we had carried in our rucksacks all the way from Scotland. We needed to use specialist equipment on this section as it was very exposed and still a bit wet from the rain.

After the tricky section, the ridge got easier and we relaxed and enjoyed the sunshine and the views towards Hochalmspitze (3360m) and the glaciers surrounding it. From our lofty perch we heard the sound of falling rocks hundreds of metres below us. Thankfully we were on top of the ridge and out of harm’s way. The highlight of the day was getting to an amusing-sounding mountain called Schneewinkelspitze (3016m). Here we stopped and ate lunch and I took a photo of my dad with Hochalmspitze in the background. By now all the rain clouds were gone and it was set to be a lovely day.

Coming off the ridge we descended on a way-marked trail through alpine meadows where we could hear marmots calling and there were lots of wildflowers and rivers. While we walked I talked with dad about lots of things, like school and all the things that I like to do in my spare time, like running club and playing the trumpet. This year I am going to move up to High School and meet lots of new people. Going to Austria was a great adventure, gave me confidence in my own abilities and I would definitely like to go back and do some more mountaineering.

Klettersteig – Photo by Eliot Sedman

Dad and Hochalmspitze – Photo by Luke Sedman

Happy day! – Photo by Eliot Sedman

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