With train and babies to the mountains

Kids need lots of stuff like toys, food, diapers and cloth. Fitting everything into a car is easy. But since we already went hiking with airplane+rental car we wanted to reduce our carbon footprint and take the train. But we did not want to carry everything on our back! So we decided to use our strollers and switch to baby carriers when we arrive at the mountain. A good idea?

Reaching the main train station

We had our first shock in the morning, when the app said low-floor coach but it really was not, it was an ÖBB train class 4020 with stairs and small doors…

While I was still in shock Patricia started deconstructing the stroller and pushed the bassinets into the train. I still had to haul the structure over the handrail. If it would be just me this would have been impossible because the doors can close quickly and then the babies would go without me. We would appreciate it if the ÖBB App gives the right information, then we would have been able to prepare for this.

Train ride

We made the “mistake” to enter the train to Payerbach-Reichenau in the front. (It was a bi-level push-pull train, so it would be hard to tell which end was the right one anyways.) Unfortunately there was only a small space for strollers and bikes.

After an elderly couple entered with their e-bikes we decided (not fully voluntarily, the conductor convinced us) to change to the rear end in the next city (because other passengers with strollers and bikes could enter later).

Bus ride

The bus ride was without anything special happening:

Cable car

The cable car to the Rax mountain was very spacious and since the weather was bad, we did not have to make a reservation. We paid 30 Euros per person (discounted price because we slept on the mountain).

As one can hear in the video we were not really welcomed on top:

Employee:	“You will not have a lot of fun with this stroller on top”
We [ironic]:	“We want to go to the summit”
	“We should tell you from Ms. XYZ that we can leave our strollers in the restaurant because there is plenty of space”
Employee:	“But only if you fold it as small as possible”
🙂

Obviously this is not happening too often… or let’s say many times tourist go to the Rax mountain without the proper equipment. So I think he had those people in mind and not us 😉

Accomodation

So how was the night with the babies in the Ottohaus mountain hut?

Well it was survival of the fittest… but what can you expect in a mountain hut that is 100 years old?

We had this room for 108 Euro for 2 nights (alpine club member price):

It was cold. That’s why we put the babies under the blankets and held their hands during the night so that they stay warm. We were in the 3rd floor, the washing room was in the 1st floor and there was no socket to charge our phones in our room. 😉

Hiking

The plan was to hike from Ottohaus to Neue Seehütte and then make a loop

• using the Seeweg (red)
• to Dirnbacher hut (schwarz)
• or alongside the mountain cliff to Preinerwand (blue)

Since the weather was so bad we just used the Seeweg which is more like an “Autobahn”.

It was not so trivial to protect the babies from cold, wind and rain… but on a positive note we were the only hikers!

The patron advised us not to go back on the Ho Chi Minh-Pfad. Also it was getting dark already, dinner was only until 7 pm. We did not want to starve and also they would send a helicopter if we did not come on time.

Even though I was carrying 8+ kg babies in front and an even heavier backpack I was not satisfied with my achievement. I was not too excited to go back the way I came. So I separated from the group and went with the baby to the summit and alongside the cliff edge which was a black (difficult) route!

On the last day the weather was improving and we went to the Höllentalaussicht viewpoint:

Here is a video about our adventure:

Conclusion

Is it a good idea to go with babies on the train instead of going by car? I am not sure: If we don’t fit or manage to get in a train or bus we would be stuck. Also hauling all the stuff is not so much fun. But with a stroller it is kind of ok! And it is convenient to change diapers in a train and feed the babies, even though the other passengers were disturbed by our babies crying.

So the next logical question would be: Is it really necessary to go with 6 month old babies hiking and to sleep on a mountain hut? What is your opinion? Post in the comments!

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