Photography: Frits Meyst
Text: Jillian Macdonald

The air is filled with the scent of pine in the midst of the Silvretta and Verwall ranges which wrap themselves round the small pristine villages in the valley below. The trail to the Darmstadter Hutte, at 2384 meters, is normally a four to five hour trek depending on how fast you walk. "Don't worry. The speed is of no importance to me," says Gottfried, who is fit as a fiddle. "Besides, if I go slow for you then I get to see more!" As we zig zag our way through the first handful of kilometres, we quickly pass the tree line, carrying on up through the higher meadows of green and wild blossoms.

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