Description

Given how accessible this ride is to beginner/intermediates, and how utterly wonderful the Kolmhaus is, the fact that you'll probably have it to yourself is utterly bizarre.

You could easily do this ride and see people only at the start point (Brandberg village) and at the Kolmhaus itself. Park up in the small village of Brandberg where there is a large parking area right next to the church.

Ride up the main road and get onto a jeep track which snakes slowly up the hillside beneath the Kolmhaus.

The track gets plenty of sun and although there are shaded sections through the forest, this probably isn't the best ride to choose on a hot day.

Save it for a mid-summer day with a bit of a breeze, or for spring/autumn. The ride up is simple enough and although the track is steep in places, it's never technical and provided your thighs are up to it, you can just keep grinding all the way to the hut! The hut is utterly charming and enjoys an extraordinary view across the Ahornspitze and the peaks of the Penken region.

It was built in 1927 and then in 1953 damage from an avalanche meant that it had to be essentially rebuilt.

In 1987 it received another makeover, but it remains - despite its 2 facelifts - a truly traditional old mountain building.

Enjoy the view and hospitality and then descend the same way back down.

The hiking trail up to the Kolmhaus would likely be a fun downhill trail ride but bikes are explicitly banned on the trail, sadly.