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With a tail wind to the sunset

Higher, further, more relaxed

Infinite views, blossoming meadows, culinary highlights and a spectacular sunset crown an e-mountain bike tour to the 1510 m high Ganiskopf in the Almenwelt Lofer.

I glance slightly jealously at the toned calves of my friend as I hop into the saddle in front of the Bikeshop in Lofer. Grinning, I remark, “Your training advantage won’t help you today as I won’t be left behind on my e-bike.” We have planned a special excursion for this evening. With the electric mountain bikes we have hired in the village, we are going to cycle up to the Ganiskopf to enjoy the sunset. “A great big cinema“, promised our sporty host in our holiday accommodation, who gave us the idea for this tour.

“Right then, let’s go or we’ll arrive too late for the show”, urges my friend laughing and pedals off. To warm up we cycle leisurely along the Saalach to Reith. The roar of the river accompanies us along this wonderful cycle path until we turn off onto a forestry trail in the direction of Liedersberg. Thanks to the electric motor we bike up the ascent to the Unkenberg Mähder almost effortlessly. Colourful flower meadows stretch out in all directions on this picturesque plateau and we take a short break to take a few photos. We hop back into the saddle and thanks to relaxed pedalling we have enough breath left to enjoy the spectacular view.

Refreshments at the Kechtalm

Just before the Schwarzeckalm we meet a few climbers. They have already completed their route on the Dietrichshorn for today and have rolled up their rope. We overcome even more ascent effortlessly as we cycle in the direction of Schwarzeck. We meet numerous hikers and we can tell from their happy smiles that they have had a fantastic hiking day in the Almenwelt Lofer. Our next stop is the new panorama hut Kechtalm, where we make use of their e-bike charging station to charge our batteries.

Meanwhile we settle down on the sunny terrace for dinner. “Are you waiting for the sunset?” asks the hut host Günther Flatscher, who sits down at the table for a short chat with us and adds, “That is really something special up here!” Over a hearty alm snack made from regional products we enjoy the peace and quiet which gradually creeps over the mountain as most of the hikers and mountain sportspeople have already set off long ago for the return to the valley.

Breathtaking colour show

Our adventure really begins now and we conquer the last 5 minute ascent to the 1510 m Ganiskopf with recharged batteries. The birds are performing their evening concert and near the peak a robin sings his final aria of the day. A couple of bees make use of the last rays of the sun to collect the nectar from the blossoming alpine herbs and flowers. We sit down near the summit cross and enjoy this natural spectacle. A buzzard glides past us in the evening light and searches for a place to sleep in a spruce tree. “The animals are getting ready for the night,” we remark while the orange ball of the sun just touches the mountain peaks. It is silent here on the mountain as if the world is holding its breath and the small clouds in the summer sky are coloured a delicate pink. The colour disappears from the surrounding mountain ridges and shadows settle over the Loferer Steinberge and the Steinerne Meer. Meanwhile a fiery red has developed from the delicate pink and spellbound we watch the slowly fading colour play of the heavens. “Wow, an enormous cinema”, we agree. We unpack the headtorches from our rucksack and freewheel slowly back to the Schwarzeckalm. We turn off onto the asphalt toll road at Gasthof Schönblick and return leisurely downhill to Lofer. Laughing, we decide to ask our host tomorrow for even more great tips for our holiday.

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