Mountain Avoidance Strategy

It was clear we were heading into the mountains after I yielded to the daylong whining of my travel companion for a 'new adventure in the mountains' with a reluctant 'okay' after my repeated 'leave me alone.' It was also understood that one must expect inclines and climbs here. However, I must admit that the narrowness of the valleys and the steep ascents of the surrounding mountains did not instill a good feeling in me. A glance at the topographic map confirmed my worst fears: The hiking trails here are very steep. The contour lines are so closely packed together that one can barely discern gaps with the naked eye, provided one is wearing the right glasses. The wild zigzag of the marked hiking paths also indicates that it will push the old steam locomotive to its limits, if not beyond, when my travel companion demands the hikes. And she will.

So a plan was needed, because capitulating every day at 11 o'clock with a heart rate of 200 and a soaked T-shirt, with the summit not even in sight, was not something I wanted to deal with.

One could also cover some routes alternatively by car, but that idea was shot down shortly after voicing it with a 'are you crazy?' from my travel companion. After all, we are in the mountains to hike, and it would do me good, plus the parking fees on the mountain would be far too high.

Things looked bleak, and unfortunately, the weather forecast showed exactly the opposite for the coming days—sunshine and thus perfect hiking weather.

So, on the first morning, we went straight to the tourist center to stock up on all the hiking maps. For me, it was a bit of a hopeless situation until I realized there were many cable cars in the valley that were also operational in the summer. Now, cable cars are not really an option for the thrifty, and I assumed that the travel companion would refuse the idea of using a cable car just like the car. But then I saw salvation: The Gardena Card. All cable cars for 6 days, as often as you want. So, a cable car flat rate. Once you're at the top of the mountain, you don't have to walk up anymore, so the reasoning goes. While my travel companion was busy collecting all the brochures, I was already at the counter booking 2 Gardena Cards for 141 euros each. That's 23 euros per day per person, which I actually found acceptable for the health damage I was spared.

Quickly paid with Google Pay, which doesn’t hurt as much as cash, and then informed my travel companion about the 'bargain.' The initial reaction was disbelief, as such a cable car card is usually something for hiking enthusiasts. How the Gardena Card will affect our tour planning and whether I managed to escape with only a black eye remains to be seen in the coming days.