Day 79 - A Rest Day in Grünau im Almtal with Mountain Creeks and Snow Play

Day 79 was a rest day from the slopes, and honestly, we needed it. We were all pretty wrecked after the day before, so a slower pace was exactly what the doctor ordered.

We were out of bed around 7 and straight into coffee and breakfast. The kids settled into some schoolwork while I tinkered away on the website, and Kia headed off for a walk with the Norwegian and Austrian mums. They showed her where to find farm-fresh produce around the valley, which we’re very keen to start making the most of. She was gone for a good couple of hours and rolled back in around lunchtime, pretty stoked with what she’d discovered.

After lunch, we decided to get out and explore a local park that had been described to us as a bit of a Ninja Warrior–style course. It’s in a small town further up the valley called Grünau I’m Almtal, and the park sits right beside a mountain creek with the clearest water you can imagine. Crystal clear. So clean you could drink straight from it.

We went with the Norwegian family, and the kids immediately took off, running around and playing on the equipment. I spent most of the time wandering between the walking bridges, taking photos of the creek below and the mountains rising up all around us. It’s one of those places where you keep stopping, not because you’re tired, but because it’s just really beautiful.

Eventually, we found a little path down to the edge of the creek that felt almost like a rocky beach. That turned into rock skimming and rock-throwing competitions—pick a target, take your shot, and see who could get closest. Simple, timeless fun. The park itself was still full of snow and ice, so there were a few snowballs thrown, and Maddie proudly built a tiny snowman to top it all off.

After a few hours, we packed it in and headed to the local village grocery store to grab dinner supplies and snacks. Then it was back home to cook dinner, put the Winter Olympics on, and ease into an early night.

A calm, grounding day. Exactly what we needed before another big day of skiing and snowboarding tomorrow.