Three years ago, as our first real adventure as husband and wife, Menno and I visited a really special place in Tirol and ever since I’ve found my love of photography, I wanted to go back.
An almost two-hour drive and a six hour round trip hike, the Gepatschferner Glacier in the Kaunertal Valley is the second largest in Austria. From the road there’s an easy hike along the valley floor to the tongue of the glacier, but for anyone willing to put in the effort to make the hike up from the valley, you can reach the edge of the glacier and come face to face with the giant crevasses, which are absolutely breathtaking. Just whatever you do, don’t walk on the ice unless you are with a mountain guide with special safety equipment!
The area that surrounds it is also magnificent and if you’re really lucky, there’s a chance you won’t see another soul during your hike in to the mountains. But you might come across sheep, alpine chamois and even marmots!