You might think — what could possibly surprise you about yet another alpine hike? Sure, this one starts in Lech, one of Austria’s popular winter resorts. But aren’t there dozens of those? And if you’re hiking, shouldn’t you go to South Tyrol, to the Dolomites?
Well, here’s the thing — there are almost no free huts, bivouacs, or shelters in the Alps. There are tons of paid “hüttes,” and a few free shelters in very remote places (so remote you’d have to be either a super-fit hiker or stay overnight just to reach them). Well-known Kombrig has some clear write-ups about routes where you can hike for a week staying in such free bivouacs — but those are not ideal if you’re on vacation or a weekend trip.
But here in Vorarlberg, there’s the “Green Ring” hike, which consists of three stages. There are even a few articles written about it. It’s meant to be a three-day hike with two overnight stays. However, in my opinion, the most interesting part is the one that features a “bivouac.” That’s right — a completely free mountain “hut” you can reach within just a couple of hours from the parking lot. Along the trail, you’ll also find various art installations — like… doors. Just doors, created by various artists, each with its own symbolism. But you can walk up to a door, grab the handle, open it, and step through, finding yourself in another world simply on the other side. Pretty fun.
Overnight at the “Bivouac”
The bivouac is even mentioned in official route descriptions as a place where you can “seek refuge from evil spirits.” I don’t know about spirits, but it definitely provides shelter from wind and cold. Inside are two bunk beds, easily enough space for four people, and if needed, two more can sleep on the floor.
I got as lucky as a drowned man — when I arrived, a group of six was already making dinner. To their credit, the Austrians were kind enough to pull out some planks from under the bivouac and help me build a makeshift shelter outside. Thankfully, it wasn’t too cold that night, so I survived with just one sleeping bag. So it’s wise to plan ahead: either arrive at a weekday or get there early. As the saying goes, first come — first served.
There’s a small fire pit near the bivouac where you can build a fire. I also hid a small geocaching cache not far from the summit. Though I doubt many visitors will find it anytime soon — it’s rare for fellow geocachers from our region to travel to Europe.
Logistics
Trip dates: September 14–15, 2019
The hike overall isn’t too difficult — the only tricky part is the logistics. It’s a one-way route, so even if you have a car, you’ll need to plan how to return to your starting point. I got lucky — caught a ride in just 5 minutes and didn’t have to walk back along the road. If you’re less lucky, add another 5 km of road-walking to your hike.
Despite spending the night outside, I wasn’t cold. Sure, the evening breeze was brisk — it was mid-September after all.