I started writing this blog after spending three hours sitting on a rock above Hallstatt, watching shadows move across the Dachstein.
Nothing profound happened. I didn't have an epiphany. But I couldn't stop thinking about how those mountains had been there for millions of years, and I'd been there for three hours, and somehow that felt both humbling and comforting at the same time.
Why Mountains Matter
The Salzkammergut has been home for most of my life. These aren't the tallest peaks in the Alps. They won't make it onto most bucket lists. But they've watched over this region since long before humans showed up to mine salt and build lakeside villages.
Think about it. The Dachstein was here when the Romans passed through. It was here during the medieval salt trade that made this region wealthy. It watched the Habsburg Empire rise and fall. It saw two world wars. And it'll be here long after we're all gone.
That permanence means something to me.
What This Blog Is About
I write about the mountains as witnesses. Not in some mystical sense, but in a literal one. They've been the backdrop to human history in this region. Every generation has looked up at the same peaks I see from my window.
Sometimes I write about specific historical moments. Sometimes about geology and how these mountains formed. Sometimes just about what it feels like to hike alone in November when the tourist season is over and you have the trails to yourself.
The common thread? Time. Scale. The way mountains put our brief lives into perspective without making them feel meaningless.
A Bit About Me
I'm not a geologist or a historian, though I've learned plenty about both over the years. I'm just someone who can't help noticing how the light hits the Traunstein differently in winter, or wondering what this valley looked like 500 years ago.
I grew up hiking these mountains with my grandfather, who had stories about nearly every peak and pass. Some were true. Some probably weren't. But they all connected me to this place in ways I didn't appreciate until later.
Now I spend my weekends on the trails, my evenings reading about alpine history, and my early mornings writing about what I've learned and felt.
What You'll Find Here
My posts aren't travel guides. You won't find lists of the "10 Best Hikes" or tips for getting the perfect Instagram shot. There are plenty of other sites for that.
Instead, I write about:
- The geological history of specific peaks and how they formed
- Historical events that happened in the shadow of these mountains
- Personal reflections from time spent hiking and observing
- The changing seasons and what they reveal about the alpine environment
- Stories about the people who've lived and worked in these mountains
Some posts are research-heavy. Others are more personal. All of them come back to the same theme: the mountains have always been here, and they'll outlast everything we build and do.
There's something grounding about spending time with things that measure their existence in millions of years while we count ours in decades.
Why I Share This
Writing about mountains might seem niche. It is. But I've found that plenty of people feel the same pull toward places that existed long before us and will continue long after.
You don't have to live in the Salzkammergut to understand what I'm talking about. Maybe your permanent place is a coastline or a forest or a desert. The specifics don't matter as much as the feeling: being in the presence of something that puts your own timeline into perspective.
I share these thoughts because writing them down helps me process what I'm experiencing. And if someone else reads them and feels less alone in their own fascination with deep time and permanent places, that's worth it.
Get in Touch
I'm always interested in hearing from people who share this interest in mountains, history, and the way places shape us. If something I've written resonates with you, or if you have your own stories about the Salzkammergut, I'd like to hear them.
You can reach me through the or subscribe to get new posts in your inbox. I typically publish once or twice a week, depending on what I've been thinking about and where I've been hiking.
Thanks for being here. The mountains aren't going anywhere, and neither am I.