Graukogel — Pine Forests & strenuous Ridges

Standing sentinel over the Belle Époque spa town of Bad Gastein, the Graukogel is a mountain of contrasts. It is famous for its ancient 'Zirbenwald' (stone pine forest), with trees over 300 years old. While the 'Zirbenweg' near the cable car station is a gentle sensory walk, the true Graukogel experience involves the strenuous, steep ascent to the summit (2,492m) and the traverse to the Palfnersee lake. The terrain transitions from scented forest to unforgiving granite ridges and scree, offering unparalleled views of the High Tauern's 'main chain' and the Ankogel massif.

Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı) is a massive, dominant dormant volcano and the highest peak in Turkey, towering at an immense 5,137 meters (16,854 ft). Geographically situated in the extreme east of the country, jutting up aggressively from the surrounding plains near the borders of Iran and Armenia, it is famous worldwide as the biblical resting place of Noah's Ark. Climbing Ararat is a strenuous, non-technical high-altitude mountaineering expedition. Typically completed over 3 to 4 days from the southern route near the town of Doğubayazıt, the trek involves slogging up vast fields of volcanic scree, establishing camps at 3,200m and 4,200m, and finally executing an exhausting, freezing midnight summit push over the permanent ice cap that crowns the peak.