“A 30 km loop with 1,500 meters of elevation gain, ideally with three 500-meter climbs – can you be our guide for that?” Egon asked me a few weeks ago.
“Sure,” I said. “We’ll just squeeze in a couple of coffee breaks—then you’ll get your three climbs.”
“Let’s keep it focused,” Egon added. “The goal is to finish in under six hours.”
Challenge accepted.
That was the simple plan. It was surprisingly crisp when I stood in front of the Waldschlössl at 7:15 a.m.—but the slight tingle in my legs told me: today would be something special.
By 8:30, we were already at the top of the first climb (700 m gain). Egon grinned, clearly pleased. I took a five-minute break—almost mandatory according to my training plan. That morning, the apple juice with hot water at the Knofeleben mountain hut tasted like a holiday drink. Cheers to that!
Since moving to Austria, I sometimes forget that in Hungary, we celebrate name days. But honestly—what better way to spend it than out on the trails with someone like Egon? A trail expert, running buddy, and all-around motivator.
He was the one who introduced me to trail running—before we even moved to Reichenau—after I got into ultrarunning through him. And today, he showed me something new again: how to use trail poles properly (thanks, Anne!) and how to run downhill efficiently.
Single trails? Bring it on!
Our route:
Waldschlössl – Mariensteig – Eng – Knofeleben – Krummbachstein – Emmysteig – Waxriegel – Baumgartner – Bodenwiese – Waldburgangerhütte – Waldschlössl.
By the end, my watch showed 29.7 km and 1,770 meters of elevation gain in 5:45, including breaks—featuring (more or less) three solid, rewarding climbs.
A name day morning filled with views, apple juice, trail running, two summit crosses, lots of laughs, new skills—and one (or rather two) big smiles. And the sense of being exactly where I’m meant to be.