05 - 08.08.23: Stage 05 Semmering - Waxriegelhaus Rax

Tuesday 08.08.23: New game - new luck! After 4 days of weather-related break - which my body gratefully accepted - I am back on track. Early in the morning by train to Semmering, and off we go....or so I thought...

Already on the train I tried to load today's stage on Bergfex....nothing....I blamed it on the GPS reception in the train. But even when I arrived in Semmering, it didn't work 😞😓 Tried everything; turned off and on my phone...uninstalled and reinstalled Bergfex....nothing....the routes of the Nordalpenweg 01 are gone....can't find them...as if they're blocked.

Yesterday I checked all upcoming routes...easy....today....nothing....Nordalpenweg doesn't exist anymore !? What a fu...I definitely needed the navigation assistance...I have already gone the wrong way several times and only realized it through the navigation! How am I supposed to go without a GPS? Markings are not always easy to find....damn modern world!

I waste almost 2 valuable hours with the app, and then at 10:30 I leave Semmering desperate and grumpy - too late!

But the beautiful stage today compensates me: Over the Pinkenkogel, the Ochnerhöhe, the Kampalm and the Tratenkogel, it goes uphill and downhill on narrow forest paths. Every time the forest retreats, there is a beautiful panorama with Rax and Schneealpe. Then it goes down wild again to Preiner Gscheid, and then halfway up to the Waxriegelhaus with the last bit of energy! In the many downhill sections, there is a peculiar phenomenon that makes my life more difficult: The forest floor has been so soaked in the 4 days of catastrophic rain that my hiking poles sink up to 20 cm when under load! That once forced me into an elegant roll forward - nothing happened! I will have to get snow plates for my poles 😉 By the way, the photo of the perforated tree trunk represents a multi-family house for forest dwellers - the latest trend in gentrification!

20 km real mountain tour - 6 1/2 hours pure walking time - I will enjoy the roast pork in the hut.

Body assessment: Feet still fine! Hardly any muscle soreness. Left knee has problems downhill but otherwise fine. Right knee sympathizes with the left knee and now hurts downhill too.....but nothing serious. Totally exhausted overall - I will be in bed at 09:00......