Perseids Stargazing Retreat

The Perseids meteor shower that occurs every year around August 12, is the strongest of the year. Up to 100 shooting stars per hour can be seen from a truly dark place. The remote Rosswildalm is one of the darkest places in the Kitzbühel Alps and can only be reached on foot. Stefan Ringler, a professional photographer and friend of mine, took most of the Milky Way photos on my website here.

Experience three nights under the majestic summer Milky Way and stargazing tours with a different focus every night. Learn how to find your way around the starry sky and immerse yourself in the basics of astronomy. Observe the starry sky directly from the hut with a professional telescope and astronomical binoculars under conditions that you will never find in the city.

During the day, discover the beautiful peaks and mountain lakes around the Rosswildalm on guided half-day hikes with your nature and hiking guide sternenguide.tirol. Learn, for example, which alpine herbs you can use to refine your dishes. Or just let your soul dangle in the hut.

Four days to slow down, pause, arrive, marvel. You have never been so close to heaven before.

FAQ

1. How do you get to the hut?

Travel to the meeting point at Gasthaus Wegscheid will be individually by car. The access road is a toll road to Kurzer Grund, and the toll for cars is €5.00. The parking lot at Gasthaus Wegscheid is free for the duration of your stay.

We will all ascend to the Rosswildalm together in the early afternoon of the day of arrival. It takes about 2.5 hours to hike the 650 meters of vertical height to the hut.

You will be informed of the exact start time and a packing list after registering for the star retreat.

2. Can the Retreat only be booked as a group?

The Rosswildalm hut can accommodate six people, in exceptional cases up to eight people. The retreat is designed for six people. You can participate in the retreat as an individual or as a group.

If you would like to stay among yourselves as a group during the star retreat or there are more than six of you, please get in touch with me. I will make you an offer depending on availability.

3. Do we have our own room at the hut?

The Rosswildalm has two triple rooms, each with a double bed and a single bed in the attic. You can find information about the hut's amenities here. Depending on the group composition, it is possible that participants have their own retreat area, but this cannot always be guaranteed.

The division of rooms will be discussed with all participants on the day of arrival at the hut.

4. Are smoking and alcohol allowed in the at the hut?

Smoking is not allowed in the hut. Alcohol may be consumed during the retreat - a glass of red wine under the stars is a real treat - but the catering fee does not include alcoholic beverages.

Otherwise, there is also the possibility to stop by the DAV's Bamberger Hütte mountain hut, which is located within a 15-minute walking distance of the Rosswildalm, and enjoy a beer.

5. What happens in case of bad weather during the retreat?

The Stargazing Retreat is an event in the great outdoors and weather conditions are therefore only predictable to a certain extent. With three overnight stays, the probability of at least one good starry night is high, but of course can never be guaranteed.

In case of bad weather before or during the event, the following four options come into consideration:

1. Cancellation by the participant before the event:
   If a participant does not attend the event due to expected bad weather, corresponding cancellation fees are to be paid. In this context, please also note my terms and conditions.
   
   A cancellation of the event by sternenguide.tirol before the event solely due to the weather forecast will not take place: The retreat will take place in any case, even if the weather forecast is unfavorable for the time being.
   
   
2. Alternative program points in case of intermittent bad weather:
   If individual days or evenings are cloudy or rainy, there are a number of alternative program points on the Rosswildalm, for example:
   
   > Stargazing tours with the naked eye and binoculars are also possible when the sky is slightly overcast
   > Hikes and nature tours are also possible when it is overcast and damp
   > Night-time nature tours and mindfulness exercises focusing on all five senses
   > Starry sky lectures with a mobile planetarium in the seminar room of the Bamberger Hütte
   > Participants will make a fully functional rotating star chart
   > In-depth telescope theory
   > Wilderness cuisine workshop with alpine plants and herbs
   > Fly-fishing course with hut tenant Martin Schoissengeier, Fliegenfischen mit Herz (only on request).
   
   
3. Cancellation by the participant due to bad weather during the event:
   If a participant decides to leave the retreat early due to persistently bad weather forecasts, there will be no refund of the accommodation and meals from Fliegenfischen mit Herz and the retreat price from sternenguide.tirol.
   
   
4. If the event does take place without a single night of stargazing with a telescope possible:
   If the three nights of the retreat pass without a single night of sustained telescope observation for all participants, the following refund policies will apply:
   
   > A refund of the accommodation and meals provided by Fliegenfischen mit Herz is not possible.
   > sternenguide.tirol will reimburse 35% of the respective tour price per participant.
   > In addition, each participant will receive a voucher for one person for a Public Stargazing Tour from sternenguide.tirol worth €75.00 (adults) or €39.00 (children).
   
   In this case, the refund rate of sternenguide.tirol in case of bad weather is almost 50%. The vouchers cannot be redeemed for cash. If you have any further questions, please refer to my terms and conditions.

Cancellation conditions Perseids Stargazing Retreat

If you do not show up at the event as agreed or if you cancel your participation in the Star Retreat within a certain period of time before the event, the following cancellation conditions will apply:

• Up to 6 weeks before the event: no cancellation fee
• Up to 3 weeks before the event: cancellation fee of 25% of the tour price
• Up to 1 week before the event: cancellation fee of 50% of the tour price
• Within 1 week before the event: cancellation fee of 100% of the tour price

However, should something come up – you never know what life has in store – please get in touch with me and we will find a solution, be it rebooking for another date, issuing a voucher or a refund as a gesture of goodwill.