#11: [31-Jul-15]

#10: [30-Aug-14]

#9: [31-Dec-09]

#8: [18-Jun-09]

#6: [16-Jul-05]

#5: [22-Jun-03]

#4: [16-Oct-01]

#2: [16-Apr-01]

#1: [31-Mar-01]

#3: [19-Sep-01] (incomplete)

23-Feb-2008 -- This trip started in Zurich, Switzerland, about 180 km from the confluence point. I used a car for transportation – which is quite unusual for me. But hiking or biking was not an option considering distance and season.

On confluence day, the alarm clock was set to 4 o’clock. Nevertheless I slept until 5:15 a.m. and started 15 minutes later. After a one and a half hour’s drive I reached the town Bludenz, where I left the motorway and turned into the famous “Montafon”, a beautiful Tyrolean mountain valley. St. Gallenkirch is a small town in the upper valley about 2 km beeline from the confluence. Here I parked the car at the main ski-lift station (7:42 am).

Since I had not read the previous visitors’ reports, I had to find my own way. With 1.7 km beeline distance on the GPS display, I headed towards the mountain on foot. Several times I had to cross the ski piste, until I came though dense forests without a layer of snow on the ground. My trail ended soon, but I continued my hike on small paths that normally deer use. The terrain is quite steep and progress accordingly slow. It took me an hour to reach the confluence – but I had walked far too high, up to 1300m altitude. Climbing down was no problem, so I reached the confluence without any problems.

The clearing, where the confluence is located had a high snow cover. I located the confluence just at the corner of a wooden hut. Considering that I had not seen any house since I had left St. Gallenkirch this is quite a coincidence.

I left the confluence at a by far easier route that took me to the village Gortipohl. Just 20 minutes later I was back at my car in St. Gallenkirch.

CP visit details:

• Time at the CP: 9:01 am
• time: 1 hour 40 min (from the ski-lift station)
• hiking distance: 1.7 km (beeline)
• Distance to a road: 300 m (there is a better approach than mine possible)
• Distance to a track: 20 m
• Distance to houses: 0 m
• Topography: steep grades in general, at the clearing it flattens out.
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 1 m
• Position accuracy at the CP: 9 m
• GPS height: 1107 m
• Vegetation: spruce forest. The vegetation of the glade was not identifiable due to the layer of snow.
• Weather: overcast, high fog, 12° C (felt temperature)
• Description of the CP: In the westernmost parts of Austria near the Swiss border. Half way up between the valley grounds of the Montafon.
• Given Name: The Deer Trail Confluence

Story continues at 47°N 11°E.