Alpine Dream

Many dream of a life on the alpine pasture, of peace, quiet, solitude, the simple life, and a break from everyday routine. If you rent an alpine hut somewhere in a hidden forest, all these experiences can certainly come true. However, if you live on the alpine pasture as a dairyman or herdsman, daily life looks a little different!

They say you have to be born for an alpine life.

I wouldn’t necessarily put it that way, but you really have to like alpine life and the work associated with it and fully embrace this special time. For me, a real ‘Alm-Öhi’ is my father-in-law, Grandpa Zittrauer. He wrote ‘Almöhi’ as his dream job in our daughter’s memory book, and for him, it truly is. For decades now, he has been going up to the alpine pasture from mid-June to September, depending on the weather, where he is responsible for milking the cows and making sure nothing happens to the heifers, calves, and horses on the Stubnerkogel in Bad Gastein.

But what does that actually mean?
Checking on the animals every day, counting them, and being mindful that all gates are closed and the fences haven’t been broken. And you have to be a morning person; Grandpa gets up at four in the morning to look for the cows. It is often difficult to find the animals, especially when there are thunderstorms, rain, or fog. Once the animals are gathered, they come into the ‘Scherm’ and are milked. In the beginning, bringing them into the ‘Scherm’ isn’t that easy either; the young cows aren’t used to the milking area and don’t know their stall. After milking, the cows go back out and can graze until late evening and recover in the alpine pasture area.

However, for the two-legged residents on the alpine pasture, the work continues. Early in the morning after milking and a subsequent breakfast with Christiane, the milk tanks are hoisted onto the alpine car and brought down to the Zittrauerhof in the valley. The fresh alpine milk is then served for breakfast in the farmhouse parlor. My father-in-law lives very simply and modestly on the Zittraueralm; electricity is only available when the generator is running, and he goes to bed with a headlamp. Yet, this special way of living and working there appeals to him and all his grandchildren. On the alpine pasture, besides stable work, there are many other things that need to be done – clearing paths, removing large stones from the trails so the cows don’t get injured, moving pasture fences, and much more.

This year, the Zittraueralm is being managed again after a long time, and Christiane, herself a passionate farmer, places great importance on simple, high-quality farm products for her snacks. Her Pofesen (sweet fried pastries), which she always made on her Böckfeldalm, are particularly popular and delicious.

If anyone wants to visit Grandpa Hias, he can be found on the Zittraueralm until September.

Your farmer Katharina