Discover the Austrian Alps with Collett’s Mountain Holidays: A Guest Review

Collett’s: “Is this the first holiday you have taken with Collett’s Mountain Holidays?” 

Meryl: “No, it is not. Our first Collett’s holiday was in 1999, pre-kids, at Chalet Brigitta in Arabba, in the Dolomites. We have such fond memories from then; sharing evening meals, chatting with other guests over Limoncello, and enjoying walks, bike rides, and via ferrata amidst beautiful scenery. It was a perfect blend of everything we love in a holiday. So, when we were looking for another alpine walking holiday post-kids and saw Collett’s were still around, we were confident we would get another wonderful experience. And we were right! This time, we stayed in a 4-star hotel rather than a hosted chalet, and our walks were all self-guided instead of with guides. But the same mix of enjoying the company of other Collett’s guests in the evenings, having delicious food, and most importantly, being surrounded by stunning mountain scenery remained the same.”

Collett’s: “Are you a keen walker back in the UK?” 

Meryl: “Yes, absolutely. Our favourite place of all in the UK is the Lake District, especially the Langdale valley. We’ve spent some of our favourite times there, walking and climbing on most of the surrounding peaks and enjoying a well-earned pint of Old Peculiar in the Old Dungeon Ghyll after our more rainy and windswept expeditions. We’ve also enjoyed lots of coastal walking in Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, the gritstone edges of the Peak District, the mountains of North Wales, and a couple of forays into Scotland, though the rain and midges have discouraged more frequent visits. Closer to home, we often walk our spaniel Pixel in the hills of the Chilterns and Cotswolds, which are beautiful, if less exhilarating, than our preferred mountains.”
 

Collett’s: “Tell us a little bit more about yourself and the others you went on this holiday with.” 

Meryl: “Unbelievably to me, I’m fast approaching 60, and our trip to Austria immediately followed my husband Jez’s retirement. We live in a village near Oxford and have both had careers in the computer industry. Jez plays golf obsessively, and I play tennis almost as obsessively and walk my dog. We still feel about 30 and we’re incredibly happy to be able to walk the moderate and hard routes in Austria with energy to spare. Jez and I spent many weekends in our 20s and 30s camping, climbing, walking, and mountain biking with friends, before having two children who we also introduced to camping, walking, and biking, though not with much success. The mountains are our happy place, especially when we get away from the crowds. We love holidays that are active, and meeting new like-minded people adds to the pleasure.”

Collett’s: “How did you find the whole experience of your holiday?” 

Meryl: “It was amazing. Stunning scenery, gorgeous walking, and good company. Jez told me his Top 3 highlights were the variety of walks, people to talk with, and the  breakfasts! The food was yummy and plentiful. We didn’t eat outside the hotel as we had breakfast and dinner included (and cheekily snaffled a roll and cheese from the breakfast buffet for our lunch).” 

Collett’s: “What did you think of the walks on your holiday?” 

Meryl: “We were impressed with the selection of walks. We had thought we’d go for a mixture of easy and moderate, but the forecast for the week wasn’t promising, so the first day we went for a long, more challenging walk and enjoyed it so much that we continued with more moderate and hard routes for the rest of the week. The variety was surprising, with each day having its own unique feel, all with beautiful scenery. The first two days were stunningly good weather, 28°C and wall-to-wall sunshine. We visited the Sebensee/Drachensee and then the Hollkopf peak, both offering huge and stunning views.”

“Our favourite walk was up past the Igelsee into a remote and barren pass with lots of scree and patches of snow fields. At the top, the clouds came right down, making navigation interesting—thank goodness for the app that showed us when we deviated from the route—and it rained for about an hour. But it was so wild and beautiful, and we had the mountainside to ourselves. The walk down on narrow paths through the forest was gorgeous. On all the walks, we were captivated by the wildflowers, many familiar to us from the British countryside, but with new species of orchids, globe flowers, and more to enjoy. We stopped at several huts to indulge in kuchen, hot chocolate, and beer.”

Collett’s: “How did you find the accommodation on your holiday?” 

Meryl: “The hotel was a classic Tyrolean building on the outside, very pretty. Inside, it was light and modern. We got an upgrade on our room, so we had a bonus lounge area, which was rather nice. The infinity pool and terrace with loungers were lovely on the couple of warm nights we had.” 

Collett’s: “How did you find our in-resort staff?” 

Meryl: “The booking process was efficient. We had friendly email contact throughout, and no problems arose. In Ehrwald, we met Sharon and Klaas, the resort hosts, who were wonderful – a very warm and inspiring couple. It was great that they have walked all the walks and could recommend different walks for different people’s desires and abilities. They were always around every morning and evening and were very helpful with the logistics of getting to and from the starting points, etc. Quite apart from doing their job, they are very lovely people, and we very much enjoyed their company – a definite positive addition to our holiday enjoyment.”

Collett’s: “Did you attend the Collett’s Office Hour? How did you find the experience?” 

Meryl: “I’d describe it as Happy Hour rather than Office Hour! We went along every evening and really enjoyed getting to know the other guests and Sharon and Klaas, our Collett’s team. Inevitably, the holiday attracts people with a similar attitude to life, and everyone got on well together. It was great to have a set time every day when we all met, shared a drink and our experiences of the day, and just had a good old chat!”

Collett’s: “Have you got any plans to take more walking holidays in the future?” 

Meryl: “We will always go on walking holidays until we can no longer walk! Mostly, we’ll go to places in the UK, staying in holiday cottages or camping, visiting old favourites and new areas. But I’ve no doubt we’ll also find new places in Europe and possibly the USA/Canada and New Zealand too”

Collett’s: “Was there any other information you’d like to share about your holiday?” 

Meryl: “I haven’t spoken German since O-level days, and I was surprised at how much I could remember! Not that I needed it—everyone spoke English amazingly well—but it felt courteous to try.”

Collett’s: “Thank you for sharing your experiences. It sounds like a fantastic holiday” 

Meryl: “It was indeed. We’re already looking forward to our next adventure with Collett’s!”