Phespirit Goes To Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße, Austria, September 2007 [images 1]

OFF TRACK, PART ONE Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße is to Zell am See what, for example, Liechtenstein is to Austria: thoroughly eclipsed by its larger neighbour but no less pleasant. Phespirit visited the larger country and took lodgings in the smaller village, at the highly pleasant Hotel Lukasmayr, as seen here.

OFF TRACK, PART TWO Hiking trails 57, 67/68 and 64 link a ridge of peaks and Alpine huts above Zell am See. Here Phespirit has departed the main trails to ascend the Sonnkogel peak (1856m); as ever, his pose is as rigid as the mountains.

OFF TRACK, PART THREE

Now, what's this?

Phespirit thinks it could be a Black Grouse fleeing one of the aforementioned trails just a few metres in front of him.

Whatever it is, it brightened his rainy day.