We allowed ourselves a little extra sleep this morning, not stirring until 7:15 since breakfast didn’t begin until 7:30. The spread was another classic Austrian start to the day — breads, cheeses, and muesli — before we packed our things and caught the 8:45 bus back to Hintersteinersee to resume the trail.
The air was cool and slightly misty, perfect hiking weather. The path led uphill over tree roots and through quiet forest. We found a steady rhythm, and after about an hour Heather and Dermot caught up with us once again. Together we climbed toward Hocheck, pausing for photos at the top and enjoying the sound of cowbells drifting across the meadows as we passed a farm.
Around lunchtime we came across a small inn, where we met Heather and Dermot again and stopped for a bowl of warm soup. Refreshed, we continued until we reached the cable car station. The descent option was either a long forested trail with little view, or a 20-minute cable car ride down to the valley. We chose the cable car — a little nervous about dropping our phones while taking photos, so we kept them tucked away and simply enjoyed the sweeping view. Later, we were glad we had; when we bumped into Heather and Dermot again, they confirmed the walk down had been a slog.
In the valley, we checked into our hotel and treated ourselves to coffee and apple strudel before wandering into town. Ric took photos of Kufstein Castle, and we stopped for supplies and cash to prepare for the next stage. Supper was a relaxed pizza meal, followed by sorting out our train tickets for tomorrow.
It was a gentler day than the last two, with time to pause, enjoy the scenery, and breathe in the alpine air. A good balance of effort and ease — exactly what we needed before the next stretch.