Going to the alpine pasture …

An alpine hut also belongs to our Zittrauerhof. The Zittraueralm is located on the Stubnerkogel at 1,872 m above sea level near the middle station. Our hut is very old and simple, but rustic and simply cozy.

Even though no food or drinks are served to guests at our alpine hut, there is plenty of work. Preparations for our alpine time start as early as spring, because before the animals come up the mountain, the fences must be renewed, larch posts cut and carried to the fences. Klamperl (U-hooks for fastening the barbed wire) have to be bent back into shape so that they can be reused. And new pasture fences are stretched.

The path gullies must also be cleaned out so that the water can drain away better during storms, which are more frequent at the moment. Also, the most frequented paths of the animals must be “gstoant,” which means collecting the larger stones lying on the animal paths so that they don’t injure themselves while walking. The gates need to be checked and repaired if necessary.

And of course, it’s not just preparations outside that are pending; the hut must also be cleaned thoroughly, the beds freshly made, the milk room cleaned, and the rooms prepared for us… And when all that is finished, it can start and the dairy cows along with Grandpa Hias (and the children) spend the summer on the alpine pasture.

Today we have already brought the calves and horses to the alpine pasture. Because not only the majority of the cows spend the summer months up there, but also our Noriker horses and the Icelandic mare.

Other alpine farmers, who need the pasture in summer for the hay harvest, also bring their horses to our alpine pasture for their summer retreat. A particularly beautiful sight for every hiker when you ride up with the gondola lift and see many horses and cows.

But it’s not just our animals that spend the summer on the Zittraueralm. Grandpa Hias also moves up the mountain for the summer months and takes care of all the tasks that arise with love and dedication. And you really have to say: Hias was born for the life up there. He is a real “Alm-Öhi” and has already received awards from the province for his many years of loyalty.

You have to be called to it to get up so early every day and go out in wind and weather to complete the pending tasks in nature and with the animals.

Our cows are milked twice a day on the alpine pasture. Very early at about 4:30 AM, Hias, Matthias, or the children fetch our cows for milking. Usually, he drives them near the hut in the evening so that he can see or at least hear where they are in the morning. Especially in the morning or in extremely bad weather, you notice how important the cowbells are to be able to locate them. After the animals are milked, they are let back into nature, where they fill their bellies with fresh grass and herbs and enjoy their lives. The “Scherm,” as the simple “stable” on the alpine pasture is called, is then cleaned, bedded with fresh straw again, and the milk is cooled.

Hias then drives down into the valley with the fresh alpine milk and brings it to the farm. The tanks are cleaned and after lunch, he makes the trip back up to the alpine pasture. Afterwards, he looks after the young cattle and the horses on the way up, and at four o’clock the cows are fetched and milked once more. After dinner in the cozy parlor, Hias can rest before the milking starts again at 4:30 the next day.

We wish all dairy people, farmers, and those taking a time-out a good, healthy, and accident-free alpine summer. Best wishes from farmer Katharina, Zittrauerhof www.gasteinurlaub.com