Here we are hiking on Schafberg in St. Wolfgang, Austria. After Laura got all the singing out of her system we were finally able to hike the wonderful mountains of Austria. One big difference between the Alps and the mountains in the US is the mountains are pasture land for cows, goats, sheep etc. Hence the name Schafberg (sheep mountain). They bring up the cattle in May and then take them down in September.
Hiking in the Alpine region is very very serious business. People take tremendous pride in where they have hiked. And what better way to show your pride then to have little pins attached to your hiking stick. Everywhere there is a town with a famous attraction, mountain and so on have these little badges called stocknagel (stick nail). They are little badges with pictures of where you are that you literally nail to your stick. They are relativity inexpensive. Most run of the mill average badges cost €1,80. Ones that are little more fancy that are hand painted instead of printed can cost about €3,40. Of course if your are in Switzerland stocknagel regardless of what kind will cost between 4-5 CHF!
Of course whenever you hike you must be very very careful. The higher up in the Alps you go the thinner the air becomes and you tend to get tired faster. Always carry water with you to stay hydrated. Wear good shoes with good tread on them because if there is a light shower or traces of snow things can become very slippery. This is why walking sticks are almost an essential part of the hiking experience. Otherwise you'll end up like me in the picture.
