Mountain, country, river: Four Tyroleans cross Austria in 16 days

Alaska was originally on the agenda, a wilderness that stands for adventure like no other. Here, Stefan Ager (Aga), Andreas Gumpenberger (Gumpy), Martin Sieberer (Mascht), and Hannes Hohenwarter (Fuzi) wanted to expand their favorite sports of skiing, mountaineering, and paragliding with a fourth: packrafting.

The plan failed due to the pandemic, but as is often the case with any exciting idea, the four alpinists couldn't get it completely out of their heads. But did it have to be Alaska? Why not start right on their doorstep? Across Austria – by water, land, and air, even if Austria, with its mostly well-developed mountains and culturally rich cities, isn't necessarily the first country that springs to mind when thinking about an "expedition." But ultimately, it all depends on how you approach it. And when it comes to changing perspectives, these mountain enthusiasts are always at the forefront. They've even abseiled from a zeppelin to a mountain peak, followed by a deep-snow descent, or crawled and scrambled through a cave for several days (also including a ski descent). So, let's get started on the Austria Cross.

When assembling the equipment, it becomes clear: only high-end gear is suitable for a successful expedition. Superlight paragliders and reliable packrafts ("TrekRafts" from Nortik, for example, available at faltboot.de) are quickly found. But perhaps some experience would be advisable for the kilometers of river travel? So it's a good thing that Fuzi, not only another top alpinist but also an experienced whitewater paddler, is on the team. He teaches the other three the most important tricks for the new discipline.

Motivated by this, the four set out on a warm May day with a clear goal in mind on their extraordinary adventure through Austria: from the Lake Constance coast in the west to St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna in the east. And they did it CO₂-neutrally, using only muscle power, powered and supported by the forces of nature.

The first three days are characterized by classic hiking. With Lake Constance behind them, they head across Vorarlberg toward the Lech Valley. Their gear weighs 15 kilograms, and unexpectedly long traverses of old snowfields during the crossing from Schönenbach into Kleinwalsertal and at the Gemstel Pass on the way to Warth leave the four alpinists sweating profusely, even without complicated climbing sections. In Lech, everyone is looking forward to cooling off their blister-ridden feet – and to the first challenge in the packrafts.

The small, lightweight boats are ready for action in no time. However, the first stage is quite challenging. After just a few meters of river, Fuzi shakes his head: "Not even 200 meters and the first swimmer is already there!" The Mascht, who is hardly outdone on the big walls of this world, has to get used to the new, wet terrain. He deepens this new relationship a few rapids later.

There are more pleasant ways to dry soaking wet clothes than your own body heating. At least it's turned up to full power on the following mountain stage to the Hahntennjoch. "Cheers!" – a schnapps up at the Pfafflar mountain hut further enhances the feeling of well-being. Hut owner Werner not only offers a warm room, but also other drinks in small glasses during a game of Schafkopf.

On day five, the team takes on the next river, the Inn, in a relaxed manner. However, a pet that's actually rather water-shy sneaks into the packrafts. Fortunately, the somewhat wider and more leisurely river provides the opportunity to quickly shake off the hangover, including with a counter-beer. The now more experienced paddlers even indulge in a game of canoe polo with a passing soccer ball. That their passage through their hometown of Innsbruck is then delayed until late in the evening, and they glide past here, so to speak, blind: a shame.

In the Kitzbühel Alps, the good weather is giving way, and persistent rain is somewhat dampening morale. And the fog-obscured view from the summit of Steinkogel (2,299 m) toward Salzburg doesn't bode well for flying. An overnight stay in a haystack (densely packed with agricultural machinery) is supposed to give the elements time to take their course. "First, cuddle up with the tractor, and everything will be fine overnight," predicts Aga.

The next morning began drier, and the sky cleared a bit, but the mountain wind had also picked up by a few knots. So they waited and drank tea. "Right. Now we can fly," Mascht finally decided. And so, with the gusts still strong, they unpacked their paragliders for the first time below the Steinkogel summit. "We've had more elegant takeoffs," Gumpy would later comment. But the thermals were right, and, inspired, they all reached the Salzach River that same day.

For over a week now, the group has been working its way through Austria in a steady sequence of mountain hiking, paddling and occasional flights: on the Enns, they travel through the Gesäuse National Park to Altenmarkt, on foot in the Eisenwurzen Nature Park over the Tanzboden (1727 m) and the exposed panoramic peak Stumpfmauer (1770 m) to Hollenstein an der Ybbs.

"Final spurt!" everyone rejoices as they reach the Danube, the last river of the expedition, on day 15. But no spurt – the slow flow of the "beautiful blue river," combined with the whitewater-loving maneuverability of the boats, can drive adrenaline-loving mountaineers crazy. "Reminds me of a bad-weather bivouac when you've planned a thrilling gully descent," says Aga. It's easy to reach for the harmonica. Or, like Gumpy, read Fritz Steiner's love poems ("Drowning in you, beloved river") to your companions. And Fuzi asks the most important question: "When will the first Buschenschank actually arrive?" But neither the recurring rain nor the passing tourist steamers can discourage the Danube sailors. With a mixture of euphoria and exhaustion, they finally sail into the capital on day 16. A small step from the water to the land at the foot of the Urania Observatory, and you are back in civilization.

Which, of course, would mean too tame a tour end for the seasoned mountaineers. And so, in a discipline familiar to them, they master the final meters of altitude right in the heart of Vienna's city center: No less a "summit cross" than the one on top of St. Stephen's Cathedral (136 m) marks the emotional climax and end point of this successful and exemplary environmentally friendly tour through all seven Austrian provinces. If that isn't a good reason to celebrate!