There are several sayings about people, who love the seaside and others who love mountains. It’s a bit like being a dog or a cats person. One can’t have both.

My family has the tradition of spending one hiking weekend per year in the foothills of the Alps in Austria. Already till 20 years. However, we’re all more the seaside lovers. So this hiking holiday in Austria is the alibi weekend to pretend being both. Not to freeze and shiver we try to get the cabin between May and July.

It’s a self-catering cabin without electricity. Lights function with gas and the shower as well. Oh yes, there’s running water – a luxury good up there. But: no possibility to cool meat or other groceries one normally puts into the fridge. Those circumstances plus the following one make it important to choose well what to take with us.

Luckily and unfortunately it’s a real cabin, which means that you can’t drive there by car. No taxi service or lift. Our feet have to carry us all the way up. Including all the food, beverages, sleeping bag and clothes one needs on a hiking trip.

This year it was only me as my husband had no time to join us. Therefore I had one big backpack for my stuff, the ones of the 2year old Talia and Amys (4 years old). I had to choose and pack very well! That was a huge challenge and one of the disadvantages if you make a hiking holiday in the mountains.

Once up 20 other persons celebrated the good life with us: my siblings, father, friends and friends of friends. A good mixture and we all had a blast.

For the children the whole weekend is like a big party. They wake up in the morning and start playing outside. In the evening they fall asleep immediately, because all they did was playing and eating. If the weather is dry we spend the whole day outside to breath the fresh air and enjoy the beauty of the nature. Having other friends with children with us makes it even easier.

To be honest, it’s a must to have other friends with children with us. If not they are clinging on us asking to play with them, entertain and make them happy. But if there are other children I have to force them to eat something. With no doubt they would only play. It’s a bit like paradise.

So thanks to our friends providing such great playmates! We love you!