Trail maintenance crew
The Achensee region boasts a huge variety of hiking routes that let visitors experience alpine pastures, mountain huts, and gorgeous views of Tirol’s largest lake. With its diverse network of hiking trails, Lake Achensee is the perfect destination for hikers and mountaineers. Keeping our trails safe, clean, and well-maintained is our top priority. Since 2004, the Achensee Hiking Trail Association has managed trail maintenance with an annual budget for four crew members. From the beginning of May until the end of October, the crew maintains over 500 kilometres of hiking paths in the Achensee region.
A day with the trail maintainers
At the beginning of the season, the crew members check the trails close to the valley. They can’t get to the tops and summit crosses until the summer because of the lingering snow. Maintenance work includes repairing winter and weather damage, removing rocks, trimming vegetation, and renewing markings and signs. Furthermore, the crew installs stepping stones, stairs, and steps, checks scarps and fixed ropes, and repairs benches and bridges. Occasionally, the Hiking Trail Association also coordinates major renovations with nature conservation organizations.
Each day, the crew selects the trails to be checked. Depending on the route and workload, all four members either set out together or split into two teams. Again this year, Peter, Gerhard, Wolfgang, and Matthias will be out on the trails of the hiking area Achensee. The job involves walking hundreds of kilometres and climbing over hundreds of metres of elevation in all weathers. By the end of the summer season, the crew will have logged over 4,000 hours. "At the end of the day, you're really exhausted," says Peter Kröll, who has worked for the Achensee Hiking Trail Association for 15 years. "Not only do we have to walk the paths, we also have to bring tools to maintain them. It's hard work and very demanding. But I still enjoy it and working on the mountain keeps me fit."
TIROLEAN SEAL OF QUALITY FOR THE HIGH STANDARD OF TRAILS
Every five years, the state of Tirol awards a seal of quality to regions whose mountain trails meet certain criteria, such as proper difficulty ratings, ensuring that trails are kept safe and useable, uniform marking of trails complete with signposts, as well as information provided at the starting points of trails. The Achensee region has again earned this award in 2022. Our special thanks go to the Achensee Hiking Trail Association for their tireless efforts to keep the hiking trails in Tirol’s Sports and Vitality Park safe and well-maintained.
In addition to the four members of the Achensee Hiking Trail Association, there are also volunteer trail keepers of the various sections of the Alpine Association. And let’s not forget the hikers who occasionally remove rocks or other obstacles.
