Hochgeneiner via St. Judok, Schmirn

Not a cloud in sight this morning as we woke, however there was still a strong wind, even more than yesterday, so we needed a low level trip. Yesterday we went up the valley, so the logic dictated that today we go the other way, and down to St. Judok. This also included an opportunity to come back via a disused ski tow on the northern side of the valley.

We set off in the cold, but sunny early morning, down to the centre of the village, and picked up the road down the valley.

The village is long and drawn out along the road, and we walked to the lower end, before taking the "old" road on the opposite side of the valley to the main road.

The "old" road followed the river down the valley past a hydro scheme (with lots of debris over the leate take off). The river dropping down over several "steps". This section was barred from traffic in general.

The road crossed over and continued steeply down the valley following the river, until we met civilisation once more at the outskirts to St. Judok.

Coming out by the railway as it curved around above the village centre, and then followed it to the station.

We continued on the path beside the railway as it continued around the valley end until we met the point the path to the via Ferrata left it climbing up to the cliffs above, where there were already a number of people on the via Ferrata.

At this point I realised that I was heading off route - too far along the valley to pick up the route to Hochgeneiner - it is a problem of using a sat nav in place of a larger more overview map. So we returned until we could pick up a path beside a chapel heading uphill.

This path merged with a road that snaked around some avalanche protection bunds climbing gently into the trees.

We left the road where a broken sign indicated that the narrow trail heading very steeply up into the trees was the route we were after.

The climbing continued winding steeply up through the woods, before easing slightly and traversing across the slope.

The objective danger of this very narrow path cutting across the grass and tree covered slope.

After a while we stopped at a convenient semi cave beside a babbling brook for some refreshments, before continuing ever upwards.

Suddenly the path emerged from the trees and we came out at some pasture looking across to the farm that now replaces the lower ski lift. the pasture would have previously been the ski slope.

Climbing up and across to the farm we merged onto a road/ drive to the farm.

Following the road gently downhill and then a couple of hairpins and some more road in the general direction of the apartment.

Down in the valley we merged back onto the road we used on the descent this morning and followed it back up to the village, continuing through it and up the final climb to the apartment.