Adventure Is Closer Than You Think

21 km into the Wienerwald, a dead phone, a gate that closes at seven, and the strangest return to a city I’ve ever had. Into the Wienerwald I’m moving well on a runnable climb. The trail is a broad gravel path, and I’ve met several day hikers. Two of them stop me to ask how far I’m going. “Around 21 km, with 600 m of climbing. It’s a loop into the Wienerwald, if I don’t get lost.” Famous last words. The climb goes on and on, taking me deep into the Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve. The first thing I notice is the air. After the Heiligenstadt run earlier today, it feels fresh, almost cleansing. The vegetation is denser and more varied than anything I saw this morning; it feels close to a temperate rainforest. Deeper in Clearing the summits high above Hütteldorf feels rewarding. Around the Kaltbründlberg, the views are wide and inspiring. Further on, the trails narrow and the forest gently closes in. It becomes more intimate. The water source just before halfway, at 9 ...

When the trail tilts against you, don't attack the hill. Work with it. Quiet teachers Trail runners spend a lot of time climbing. Roughly 30% of my time on the trail is spent going up, so it's a craft worth learning properly. Over the years I've come to love hills. They're quiet teachers, if you listen and respond in the right way.

Just beyond the city, the landscape changes completely. You think you know Vienna. Ask someone to picture Vienna and they'll describe palaces, coffee houses and the Prater. Very few would describe rocky ridgelines. I wouldn't have either. Mödling is fifteen minutes from central Vienna. Step off the train and it looks like a quiet, comfortable Austrian town. Old streets. Cafés. Nothing that hints at what's waiting above it. Leaving the city behind The main route west out of town heads towards the viaduct, and it draws you with it. I barely needed navigation. The street simply flowed that way, and I followed. Then the steps. They lead from the park straight up into the Wienerwald proper, and they're a loud wake-up call. Louder still on my legs that morning. Mödling was the third of three Vienna runs, on the second day. Yesterday was still in them. Into the rocks Above the steps, the forest takes over, and then the trail turns to rock. Over 21 kilomet...