Climbing the mountains
In Zell am See you have several options to awaken the climber inside you! It has something to offer whether you fancy the various climbing routes in the climbing areas, or you like the climbing gyms – especially in bad weather. An especially nice climb is the 3,229 meter summit of the Kitzsteinhorn. On the Kitzsteinhorn glacier there’s snow all year round, so you’ll find some lovely white patches of snow even in the summer!
Altogether there are around 25 climbs in Zell am See-Kaprun, all with a different degree of difficulty. Whether you’re a novice or professional climber there’s something for everyone! You can even go on alpine climbing tours here! A cool climb to go on is Ferrata Arena Höhenburg on Mooserboden Reservoir.
Whichever climbing adventure you choose, Mark can definitely help you out! He is part of the Mountain Guides in Zell am See-Kaprun and can organize various tours for you. You can write him an email or call directly. All contact information, and more about tours and climbing courses, can be found here (German only): http://bergfuehrer-zellkaprun.at/.
Stand-up paddling and SUP Yoga
I’m a huge SUP fan! Probably because I generally like to do water sports, and it’s even better when it includes some kind of board like surfing or kiteboarding! In Zell am See-Kaprun you have several options for trying SUP. You can either take a casual tour or try SUP yoga!
I must admit that I was rather skeptical about this new yoga trend, but after my first SUP yoga session in Zell am See, I feel quite different – it is tons of fun! Instead of normal yoga with a yoga mat, you get to stretch and pose on an SUP board with water beneath you. The shaky “ground” makes you tense all your core muscles so much more, and really focus on you and your body. Although I fell into the water several times, it was definitely the coolest yoga class I’ve ever taken!
You begin your class by paddling your SUP into a small nature reserve, and then it’s straight into your first yoga exercises. The teacher, Maria, is a super teacher. She’s not overly spiritual about the whole thing, but is just plain cool and relaxed! You don’t have to be a yoga professional or anything to join, because Maria explains each exercise and even gives you tips and corrections too. The class itself takes around an hour, but you should give yourself around an hour and a half to two hours for the SUP yoga schedule.
Heinz, the owner of the SUP Center, told me that they offer really cool SUP tours in the mountains as well. On the tour you start out walking with an inflatable SUP board on your back, and then get to paddle along various mountain reservoirs up to several thousand feet. I imagine this adventure is incredible, and now I have another reason to come back to Zell am See-Kaprun in the summer!