The hiking trails around Zauchensee are all walkable, there are just a few flecks of snow to be seen. When our Gamskogelbahn chairlift and Gamskogelhütte open up for the summer, the hiking season will really get going in Zauchensee. In dry weather the Gamskogel lift is open provisionally daily until the 20^th of September 2020. Operating hours are from 9.00 am to 12.00 pm and from 1.00 to 4.00 pm. The comfortable journey up on the Gamskogel lift not just spares your calves and saves energy – a lift journey in summer is also a real highlight for children!

A hike with children is a very special experience. We adults get the opportunity to perceive the world through children’s eyes: a pine cone can suddenly become the most precious treasure on earth, the gushing stream becomes a land of adventure and marmots fascinating mythical creatures. A few tips can ensure your day out in the mountains is fun for all the family.

Hiking with children

From the age of around three or four years, children are already steady on their feet, as a rule. When they’re being entertained at the same time, it makes it so much easier and is even great fun! The 30-minute walk along the Seekarmeile to the Seekarsee Lake is a great example. All along the Seekarmeile there are a number or stations offering interesting information about our local cows, so you can stop briefly now and again. Which is of course particularly important for children.

Tip: During the summer high season in dry weather Zauchi‘s tractor train runs from the Gamskogelhütte to the Seekarsee Lake and back. A ride in the colourful, tractor train, its bell ringing along the way, is an experience for all ages.

Hiking tour with school kids

Most children of school age like hiking – the mountains, the forest and nature offer thousands of ideas for bright sparks: there are rocks and trees for climbing (not without supervision, please), streams for water games, a variety of animals and even edible plants to discover.

Tip: In Zauchensee two extra highlights await young mountain enthusiasts: The Adventure Playground “Animal’s World Cup“ at the Gamskogelhütte and the cow nature trail along the Seekarmeile with various stations for balancing, testing your strength and answering questions about our alpine cows.

Hiking tours can take time and the routes can even be a little challenging according to your children’s physical condition. Yet the following is important: take breaks and take into consideration the children’s stamina. It’s also crucial to have plenty of food and drink with you for the kids. Should the hiking trails get very demanding, you ought to think about the subject of safety. A full climbing harness for your child secured with a hiking or climbing rope of five to ten metres in length is enough to catch falls or to secure your child whilst crossing scree or snow field or larger stream with strong currents.

Out and about with teenagers

Puberty is often a nerve-wracking phase in life for parents and youths alike. Teenagers cannot be easily motivated for joint ventures with parents, youngsters’ thoughts are generally somewhere else and their attention is not always on the beautiful nature, which spreads out on all sides in Zauchensee. On the plus side: now it’s time for action whilst hiking! Climbing trails, rope climbing parks, forest rope climbing parks and spectacular gorges can supplement or even replace hikes. Some of these activities are available throughout the whole summer in the region.

Another possibility to add a bit of pep to your hike, is geocaching. Those who’ve never heard of it: geocaching is a modern version of treasure hunting using GPS equipment or a smartphone, whereby hidden “caches” in the surrounding area have to be found.

Tip: There is a cache near the Strimskogel above Zauchensee – and many more await!

On joint hikes parents can coach their children simply and playfully in awareness for a respectful handing of the local mountains, flora and fauna. Our mountains are not just relaxation and leisure areas for us humans, but also the habitat of rare plants and various wild animals such as rabbits, marmots, chamois or birds of prey. They are just as much at home here as our farmers‘ grazing cattle. A harmonious and safe relationship between humans and animals is dear to our heart. As there is nothing more beautiful than enjoying the mountains in a carefree manner and making the experience possible for our children.

Photo credits: Liftgesellschaft Zauchensee