Swimming weather in Serfaus

Guys, it's a real heatwave! If it's this hot up here in the Tyrolean mountains, I don't even want to imagine what it feels like in a big city. After all, Serfaus already sits at 1,400 metres above sea level, so you'd think we'd be spared the worst of the summer heat. But I'm not stupid, even if I am just a little plush pony! What do you do in temperatures like this??? Yes, you simply go swimming!

Off to the Serfaus outdoor pool … but first I picked up a Super.Sommer.Card from the hotel … for our holiday guests, this makes entry to the outdoor pool free … well, okay, I'm not actually a holiday guest, but since I normally live at the riding stable with the Haflinger horses, I figured I'm basically a guest at the hotel too … So off I trotted with my Super.Sommer.Card around my neck. It's just so great that everything in Serfaus is within walking distance, so you get to the pool really, really quickly.

I quickly claimed a shady spot on the sunbathing lawn and dove straight into the refreshing water! What a treat! But after a long stint in the water, I started to worry I'd turn into a seahorse … so back out I went … but outside it was still soooo warm … hm, what to do, I thought … well, as already established, I'm not entirely stupid … the higher the altitude, the cooler the temperature … well, usually …

No way around it … off to the cable car and up to Lake Högsee! Lake Högsee sits at over 1,800 metres above sea level after all! With my borrowed Super.Sommer.Card, I took the Alpkopf lift up in search of the hoped-for chill … well, chill wasn't quite what I found! But I have to say, the water in Lake Högsee had a really refreshing temperature, which felt great for a moment, but there was no danger of me staying in there long enough to turn into a seahorse. The warming sunshine, though, was genuinely pleasant for a while!

Restored and full of energy again, lying around by the lake soon got boring. I already know all the play stations at Lake Högsee by heart, and in this heat they seemed like too much effort anyway. Curious whether my altitude theory would really hold up, I bravely took the cable car up to Lazid. That's already at nearly 2,400 metres. And sure enough, in direct sunlight it was still pretty warm, but in the shade with a gentle breeze, I actually started to feel a little chilly.

That confirmed I was on the right track! Full of determination, I set off on my four little stubby legs along the Marmot Trail to reach Lake Furgler, another 100 metres higher up. A jump into the ice-cold mountain lake … that was my goal for the day! And then there it was in front of me, small but still majestic. After the strenuous hike, I could practically hear it calling out, "Come on, jump in!" Hm, I went back and forth … take a running start and dive in with a splash??? Or, no, maybe better to test the water carefully, one hoof at a time, I thought!

So very carefully, I dipped just the tip of my hoof into the water … Um, no, no, no … goosebumps … way, way too cold! Quickly shifted into reverse — this is clearly not for a little plush pony like me! So there I sat — unsatisfied. Nothing was working out for me, I thought to myself.

Frustrated, I headed back down the mountain to the hotel. If anyone could help me, it would surely be our team at the Darrehof. At reception, I poured my heart out to Christa … too warm here, too cold there … nothing was right! And what did the lovely lady do for me … ??? She set up my very own pool with a sun umbrella, lent me her sunglasses, and mixed me a delicious refreshing kids' cocktail. I even got a beach ball to play with!

Yes, folks, now that's more like it … I could have saved myself the whole swimming adventure — why look far away, when the best is so close to home!