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.

Reinebringen is undoubtedly the highly recognizable and photographed viewpoint in the Lofoten Islands, and perhaps all of Norway. This short, aggressive 1.2-mile (2km) round-trip hike skyrockets out of the ocean to an altitude of 448m. The trail was famously dangerous and eroded due to massive over-tourism, so a team of Nepalese Sherpas was hired to build a massive, 1,978-step stone staircase up the mountain. Conquering the stairs leads to a dizzying, knife-edge ridge that drops vertically into the ocean, offering a mind-blowing bird's-eye view directly down onto the picturesque fishing villages of Reine, Sakrisøy, and Hamnøy, connected by bridges across the deep blue fjords.