Not far from Salzberg, Austria is the Tennengebirge mountain range, home to the world's largest ice caves. Join in as we explore the easy hike up to the caves, the freezing cold interior, and then hike back down the mountainside during a thunder storm.
The Trail
This is not the cave, but rather a conveniently placed tunnel dug to help hikers skip over the more difficult parts of the trail. To get to this point, we had already walked for 20 minutes up a steep road and through several parking lots. The sun beat down on the asphalt and the tourists welcomed the cooling interior of the tunnel.
The trail sloped gently upward in the blazing sun. People hiked by in a mishmash of outfits - some wore shorts and tank tops in recognition of the heat wave while others prepared for the freeze ahead with winter coats and long pants. As we were traveling Europe in the summer, we wore only summer clothing and hoped for the best.
As the crowds fell behind, black birds paused on the trail to watch us, curious as to why we were working so hard. The air felt lighter, but somehow our legs felt heavier with each step up the mountain.
In the far distance, the mouth of the cave gapes, promising respite from the overwhelming heat and exertion. I drip sweat and shift my jacket to the other hand. The guidebook promises a 90 minute hike from the ticket station to the cave, but I'm starting to wonder if they made that up.
Panting, we take a break when we reach the top. All around, people are sitting on the rocks in the mouth of the cave. The people sweating have yet to go in, while the people with coats are still trying to warm up in a heat wave. The valley stretches long into the distance following the winding river.
The Cave
Our guide lines us up and gives each 4th person a davy lamp - basically a small oil lamp - then lets us know it's going to blow out as soon as we enter the cave. He assures us that while it will be dark, we'll be just fine inside. With one final reminder that photography is prohibited, we enter the ice cave. Fierce wind blows out of the door and people stagger in its force. Hats and sunglasses fly off heads as we surge forward against the gale.
Once inside, our guide relights each lamp with a magnesium coil. The soft glow from two dozen flames lights the cold room. The trail we will be following is only one kilometer long, but is expected to take 70 minutes and includes about 400 stairs. The extreme difference in temperature between the inside of the cave (below 0) and the outside (above 30) causes the freezing air to rush from the depths of the cave to the hot summer day every time the door is opened, our guide patiently explains once we are all clear of the gale.
Ice formations drip from the ceiling, having formed in the spring and fall as water seeped in through cracks in the limestone. It is old, but not ancient, some formed only this last season. Dragging my fingers across the surface I expect it to feel like ice cubes, but it's almost waxy, like a candle melted then dropped into an ice bath. My fingers start to ache with the cold as we move deeper into the cave.
Our guide lights the darkness with a magnesium coil, illuminating a vast ice lake just beginning to thaw. The surface is shiny and wet as our breath plumes in the frost air. We've pushed far enough that the air is beginning to warm, but that makes no difference in my breezy summer outfit. Beyond the 1 kilometer, the ice melts and only the limestone is left. Visitors are not allowed to see that part of the cave.
This deep emerald green color emanates from a particularly large ice formation as our guide illuminates it from behind. There are no colored lights, just the natural colors reflected in the trapped waters. If you look deeply into each ice flow, you can see hints of this shade just waiting to pop out. Our tour almost over, we clutch our hats tightly once more as we brace for the gale at the entrance.
The Return
As we exit the cave, our teeth chattering, we notice the outside temperature too has dropped. Storm clouds gather over nearby mountains and moisture fills the air. The crowd has thinned considerably this late in the day, so we take a moment to rest on the stones near the mouth of the cave before we begin the journey down the mountain.
Rain begins to fall and lightning strikes in the near distance as we wait in line for the lift. The sky has darkened and people move to find shelter from the storm. We wait, enjoying the refreshing mountain rain on our faces. After a while we notice the line is not moving ahead anymore and I see a sign informing the crowd that the lift has been shut down due to the storm. We retreat to the nearby restaurant and ask where the trail-head is to simply walk back down.
"It's too dangerous," we are told.
We ask several people, but no one will tell us where the trail-head is. They all repeat the same line; we cannot hike down the mountain in the storm, nor can we take the lift - it's just too dangerous.
Matthew decides to approach the problem in a different way - he asks a youth where the trail-head can be found. The child points it out with no hesitation and we are on our way down the mountain in a thunderstorm. The rain pours and we are soaked to the skin in only a few minutes. The trail is steep and wild and beautiful. Matthew takes a business call right there in the storm - wild and free and working. By the time we make it to the bottom, the storm has ended, the lift is running again, and we are glad to have had the chance to hike down the side of the mountain in a thunderstorm.
Thanks for joining me in the ice caves. What have you done that was too dangerous? Let me know in the comments! For info on how to book your own cold weather adventure, find me at Travel Life Services.
Happy Travels!
Jennifer
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Yay! Thank you guys a million times squared! :-D
As amazing as it looks I wouldn't probably do it. Caves are just not for my claustrophobia :) I would get banana there! And making a phone call during the thunderstorm? :) I think I would take his phone and throw it away as far as possible! LOL!
Beautiful photos and I feel like I was there with you. I even feel the shiver in the cave, brrrrrrr :)
Thank you for sharing my dear!
Thank you for reading and commenting!
This cave, while dark, didn't have the typical 'walls pressing in on you' feeling to it. And I was sooooo proud of him for taking care of business on the side of the mountain. That's the real reason we were in hurry to get down anyway: Matt works while we travel and his work day was supposed to have started a couple hours prior. The trip took much longer than we expected. So, he just did what he had to do to make it work. It was pretty epic. :-D And he got a kick out of closing a deal in a storm, on a mountain, in Austria.
It looks quite spacious. I just know myself and I'm panicking while thinking about it, lol. But honestly, I've been to a few caves already. My husband would hold my sweaty hand and lead me through them, lol.
Ok, ok, I got it! But it was still dangerous :)
Great shot's such a beautiful place.
Thanks for stopping by!
Love the way you guys travel! These are some beautiful shots too ...I guess you ignored this? :)
I'm submitting this to c-squared too :)
Oh whoops! I must not have seen that in time.
C- Squared? What is that? It sounds exciting! 😀
haha it's always easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission :)
C-squared is an off-shoot of curie, run by many of the same. They support all kinds of posts with a much smaller upvote, but a whole lotta love :)
Awesome, thanks! And yes, forgiveness is a better option. I think they don't want photos because it's kind of dangerous. I mean, you're in this really dark, freezing, slippery cave and if you're messing with the bright light coming from your phone you can easily trip, especially if trying to take pics while going up the million sets of stairs. Also, if each person in the tour was stopping all the time to take photos the tour would take at least 6 hours instead of 70 minutes. So I get it...but still. :-) It must have slipped my mind at the time.
hahaha I get it too, not that you put it like this, but of course, it slipped your mind :)
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wonderful discover friend mattifer, love your photography, Austria is really wonderful place, thanks for share with us ❤😊❤
Thanks for dropping by! I had a wonderful time in Austria. It was quite magical. It's almost time to go though. Lichtenstein is up next on the European Tour. I do hope you'll join in again.
You are very brave to walk into an icy cave with summer clothes haha
That’s a beautiful hike
I have been meaning to brave this hiking thing and have actually committed to one 3 Saturdays from now
I am nervous about it but your adventure has given me some extra motivation 😊
Thank you for sharing
Thank you! Bravery and lack of planning often look quite similar. 😉 I do love hiking though, and I've long pondered the difference between hiking and walking. I've come to the conclusion that hiking is simply walking done without a paved trail in a natural setting. So there's nothing to be afraid of. Go at your own pace. Bring some water. You'll be fine.
Congratulations on your ascension to minnow status! How exciting!
Let's stick to "brave" haha
I chickened out of one when I read the blogs but the one I am going for has been recommended for beginners and I am going with some serious hikers so fingers crossed they won't regret extending the invitation... haha
Thank you so much, you put in a word for me 😊
You're very welcome.
I hope you enjoy the hike and I look forward to reading your post about it. :-)
That's a goal right there! I've been to Austria many times but I've never come across this place. After reading your article, this place totally goes into my travel goal and hopefully, I'll make it there when I am back in Germany in the coming months :) Good work!!
In that case, mission accomplished! I'm glad I could share a fun adventure with you. Please let us know how it goes. 😀
wow I must pay it a visit. I was down working in Austria for a couple of months and loved it down there. It is beautiful. A hidden gem really. Great post #steemitbloggers
Yes, before I went everyone asked me, "why Austria?" I couldn't tell them; the place just called to me from across the world. I'm so glad I went.
Thanks for stopping by, and welcome to the #steemitbloggers community!
An adventure to remember with quite a beautiful photography. The walk, the bjrd the cave mouth and the chill...make a memorable moment to cherish.....awesome photography and thanks for sharing the amazing sport adventure.
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Thanks! I'm so glad you like the bird. Matthew's mother was with us on the trip and she told me to make sure I put that bird into my blog. So of course I did. 😀
I liked everything especially the cave entrance...awesome photography👌
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Thanks! There's nothing quite like walking into 0 degree gale force winds on a hot summer day. :-) I'm glad you enjoyed.
Yes indeed...i like these kind of outing👌
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Amazing
Thank you!
Absolutely beautiful photos. If I were much younger, I would be tempted to do this trip, but now, I know I would not be capable of doing it. That is the disadvantage of growing older...I wonder if they wouldn't let you in the limestone part of the cave as it may be too unstable?
Thanks for visiting! I hadn't considered the instability of the cave as a factor. That's a good point. I prefer to think that they are doing special Austrian magic back in the depths of the caves...
My mom is also getting older and is unable to do things as she used to. She asked me to to do exciting things in her name. This was one of those exciting things! I'm glad you were also able to enjoy it.
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Thank you so much! I appreciate you @appreciator
I love caves. So many interesting things to do. This one looks really cool.
Me too! The davy lamps added a really neat effect to this one.
Thanks for stopping by!
Wow. That's incredible. I never knew such things existed. thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for enjoying! 😀
This is an amazing post, thank you for sharing your adventure into those caves. Austria looks so beautiful! I'm a Vegas city boy but I love nature...
Thanks for dropping by! Vegas has some beautiful surroundings as well. The Grand Canyon is the first that comes to mind. Are there any caves near you?
What an incredible experience hiking up to the cave, back down in stormy weather not easy @mattifer
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Our legs were trembling by the time we got to the bottom again. It was such a steep climb down. But that was my favorite part - climbing down the mountain in a thunderstorm. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Thanks for dropping by!
We visited an glacier ice cave on top at Mt Titlis in Engelberg, Switzerland in the late 1970's did not hear about pathways, it sure was a long way up!
Hiking must have been extreme going from the hot conditions directly in the cold, then hiking back in rain, muscles must have ached after that.
Oooh, that sounds like a lot of fun. I bet they have tons of trails now.
And yes, it was pretty extreme, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Each separate climate was a welcome relief from the one before it.
Wow, cool! Looks like a really neat place and a fun adventure. You got some great shots as well I really liked the one looking out of the cave. Also liked the one with the bird and the first one and the last couple. What a pretty place! Thanks for sharing. Cheers. ._,
Thanks for stopping by! I'm glad you enjoyed the pics. 😀