Monday 28 September 2015

Blood moon morning


Did you see the big red moon?

It was cloudy over Embach during the night, but by dawn the cloud was breaking up and the Blood Moon hung over the mist-filled Pinzgau valley.


Most people here wake up early enough to have seen it. The church bells at 6am are the village alarm clock. By 7am children are waiting for the school bus, the shop is open and people are driving down to the valley to work.

Sunday 26 July 2015

The Pot of Gold

Embach receives plenty of weather. Not just balmy summer days, or brilliant, crisp winter sun, but every so often, boisterous, rough weather.

Perched on a plateau 1000m above sea level, Embach is easy prey to the elements blasting along the Salzach valley from both east and west. From the south, the Rauris valley opens out just on the corner of our plateau bringing occasional hot föhn winds and sometimes Sahara sand.  To the north beyond the Salzach valley is the 3000m Hochkönig from where the winter snows often blanket the village.

At this time of year, the hot, sunny days often end with a storm. We can see them approaching like a black wall along the valley to the west. Then violent winds preface thunderous rumbling, wild flashes around the neighbouring peaks and crashing rain. Within an hour, the drama is passed, the air sweet and fresh and the rumblings fade into the distance.

Every so often a rain shower interrupts a sunny day and then we are often blessed with a brilliant rainbow. A recent example dropped its pot of gold right on one of the village’s guest houses just as the guests were eating breakfast…what a shame they missed the spectacle.



Saturday 27 June 2015

Eyes down for a new view

A spectacular day. Air clear as glass. Embach’s “house mountain”, The Rauchkögel beckons. Calendar quality glimpses of the Hochkönig in the distance as the climb begins. Two and a half hours later, standing beneath the shining aluminium cross at the summit; there’s a huge, magnificent view in all directions. 


But at this time of year, there’s another good reason for a day’s hike into the mountains: the wild flowers are at their best. Nature’s pallet contrasts the blue of the sky with the vivid green of the grass and peppers it with purple, yellow, white, orange and red.



Lower your eyes from the distant view to focus on the tiny white blooms clinging to bare rock and to the opulent Almenrasuch with its bold daubs of colour splashed across the mountainside.




The Almenrausch - daubs of colour splashed across the mountain



Then, heading back down, a friendly welcome awaits at the Tischler Alm or Maschl Alm for some well-earned  bread with cheese or speck and maybe a beer before strolling back to the village.
The Tischler Alm nestles beneath the Bernkögel