Walking heightens your senses: the meditation trail in the Hochoetz alpine region in the Ötz Valley of the Tyrol

Up in the mountains. Breathing in the pure air, you can shake off all your cares and create space for that wonderful feeling of a zest for life. Why not combine this feeling with thinking the right thoughts? Students at the Ötz Secondary School have been working with educationalists on a project to create a meditation trail among our spectacular alpine pastures. From the upper station, this circular tour takes you past the new Bielefeld Hut to the old Bielefeld Hut (disused). From there, you continue to the Acherberg Alp and back again to the Acherkogel cable car. Eight stopping points depicting the contemplative and meditative thoughts of the students accompany the walker along this exciting path. You can obtain the brochure containing a description of the stopping points and their accompanying text for free at the lower station.

The meditation trail in the Hochoetz Alps – brochure (pdf)

The stopping points as you walk along the meditation trail in the Ötz valley of the Tyrol:

1, Concrete slab “Alpha and Omega”
2. Metal sculpture “Signpost confusion”
3. Metal sculpture “Heart and stone”
4. Mountain path with the road sign “Dead End”
5. Metal sculpture “Telescopic sight and crosswires”
6. Stone circle “Community”
7. Wooden bench “Farsightedness”
8, Wooden sculpture “United”

Use all of your senses as you walk: The meditation trail in the Ötz valley of the Tyrol:

Stop 1: On our WAY together

I dream of a world
where people travel the road together.

I dream of a world,
     where there is no strife
     because all are looking in the same direction.
     A world that has room for all.

I dream of a world
     where sharing is valued more than having
     Of a time
     When each has his opportunity
     because there is no one
     to begrudge him it.

I dream of a world
     where no one is left alone to cry.
     Of a time
     when newspapers no longer
     tell tales of woe
     because togetherness is cherished
     more than conflict.

I dream of a new world,
I cannot build it myself,
but I can take the first step.

Many steps are taken - unknowingly.
Much becomes easier when we work together
If we go forward step by step
without rush,
then we sense that God is with us each step of the way
(Jaqueline and Christoph)

Stop 2. Signs pointing the WAY in our lives

Where is my life’s way going?
Does my way have a destination?
Do I know which way
I should take?

We have often taken decisions
that have steered our lives in
a certain direction.

Sometimes we stand confused
at the signposts and do not know
which course to take.
Then we need courage and confidence
to choose the way forward.

The easiest way is not always
the right one. It is often easier
to move forward when I am not walking alone
but have travelling companions.

But there are questions, too:
Am I standing in someone’s path?
Who sets the pace?

Take your time if you have to take
a decision. Do not allow yourself
to be too much influenced by others. Good friends
will always come to your aid, whichever
path you decide to take.
(Nadine and Sabrina)

God, you are the One who makes decisions for us!
Whether we think them to be good or not.
(Gabriel)

Stop 3: Being in the WAY

Being human means being a traveller.

Sometimes we know exactly the way
we want to take,
but obstacles stand in our path;
our own sense of ease
mistrust, envy or
our pessimistic train of thought.

The boulders
that prevent us from continuing on our way
seem insuperable, as large as houses.

Yet it is well worth employing
persistence in clearing these boulders
from the path
and setting our hearts free as
we go on the path of self-discovery.

We have no desire to journey alone
through life, in hardship and sorrow.
Each of us needs devotion,
love and security.
By building bridges to one another
our path through life becomes easier.
(Nici and Barbara)

Stop 4: Wrong WAYS in our lives

We are always
starting out

But we do not always
take the right way.

We must recognise our mistakes
And wrong ways lead us nowhere.

Those who do not have the courage
to change paths
or retrace their steps for a way
to find the right direction
remain on the wrong track.

If we allow ourselves the time
to listen to our inner selves,
we shall sense whether the way
we have taken is the right one.

It is so difficult
to avoid taking the wrong way
or to depart from it.

Only our experiences in marginal situations
give us the sensitivity
to know how we should act.
(Sabine)

Stop 5: Do not lose your WAY

Not losing sight of your goal means
that you will keep to the right way.
It is reassuring for us when we
do not forget the goal for which we are aiming.

Three masons were cutting stones
when a stranger went up to them
and asked the first: “what are you doing there?”
“Can’t you see then?” he said
without looking up, “I’m cutting stones!”

“And what are you doing there?” the stranger
asked the second man. With a sigh he answered:
“I must earn money to provide
bread for my family.
And my family is large”.
The stranger then asked the third:
“What are you doing there?”
He looked up to the heavens and
softly answered with pride:
“I’m building a cathedral!”

We often strive towards a
certain goal. But then we forget
to care about our fellow men.
It is good to have a goal in view,
yet we should not allow ourselves
to be led astray from the way of
our common humanity!
(Tatjana and Stefanie)

Stop 6: Moving along the WAY

Going along the way,
we constantly gather images
and let them go.
We pass so many things,
trees and flowers,
beautiful stones and mighty crags.

You can carry nothing with you;
only pictures in your imagination.
Marvelling at nature’s beauty
is a form of prayer.

Recognise the magnificence
of God’s creation and never
underestimate the forces of nature.
Man is puny in such a place.
We want to stand here together in wonder
and enjoy each other’s companionship.

Hello, God, we are called Maria and
Lisa Marie, but we probably do not
need to tell you that because you
can see us anyway. We want to speak
with you about “our common sense of wonder”.

Whenever people are sad they should
walk in the country with open eyes
and they will be astonished at
your creation. When we have climbed a peak,
we always marvel at the amazing distant views.
Thank you for listening to us.
(Maria and Lisa Marie)

Stop 7: Far aWAY - distant views

Let us sit down here
where there is no road or fence in view.
Let us look into the far distance
And feel we know no bounds.

Looking into the distance and
being unconfined raises the spirits.
We can leave our boundaries and constraints
behind us and
enjoy the freedom of the moment.

It is good to sit together and
gaze forwards in the same direction,
this is sometimes more important
than gazing at oneself.

Take time to let
good thoughts float to the surface,
to send a prayer heavenward or
just to sit in silence,
this spot will help you to do this.

Take your time and make some space,
That’s what many adults say,
but are empty words enough?
Only by peering far-sightedly among the
generations can each unfurl his destiny
and remain on the right track.
(Nina and Vroni)

Stop 8: Accompanying each other along the WAY

A man had a dream one night
In his dream, he was walking along the beach
with the Lord. Scenes from the man's life flashed
across the sky, and for each scene, sets of footprints
were etched in the sand.
When he looked back at the footprints in the sand,
he noticed that sometimes there was
only one set of prints. So he asked the Lord:
"Lord, I have noticed that at the
saddest moments of my life there is
only one set of footprints. But you have
promised that you would always be with me.
I cannot understand why you left me alone
When I needed you the most“.

Then the Lord answered:
“My dear and precious child. I love you and
would never leave you. On those days
when you suffered the most and had greatest
need of me, where you can see only one set of
footprints, those were the days
when I was carrying you“.

Accompanying each other without barring
the way means not nagging, nor
always finding fault or eternally criticising.
Accompanying each other means trusting,
being generous in giving, and forgiving.
(Patrick and Marco)