We decided to stop off in Innsbruck to see some of the Austrian Alps in order to break up the journey to the far east of Austria. In Innsbruck we finally had a chance to try out couch surfing and were taken in by a young couple who were studying in the local university. They lived in a small flat with a spare bedroom where they had two mattresses on the floor and were happy to let travellers use on their way through the area. They were both quite fond of Innsbruck and often did hikes in the surrounding mountains so they were able to pick out the best trail for us.

Unfortunately we were again unlucky with weather as it was cold, wet and misty the whole time we were there. We didn't want to waste a day so we attempted a hike anyway and got a good portion of the way up the mountain before it got too muddy. Although we didn't have the same amazing experience as we did in the Swiss Alps, we could appreciate how spectacular it could have been and chalked it up to bad luck and a reason to return.