Children's Course

On the traces of wild animals

Over there a cheeky badger sitting in the tree says hi, a little marmot squeaks happily on a small wood pile. Young snow adventurers discover all kinds of masterfully recreated wild animals along the children's course in Hochoetz. Skiers who are able to ski down on "red" slopes effortlessly take the turnoff to the child-friendly adventure route at the bottom of the ski run no. 9. Interesting information boards with excitingly prepared content inform about Alpine animals in their natural habitat. After passing the 10 stations, the trail joins ski run no. 9 again. Afterwards, all nature explorers can return comfortably to the Hochoetz top station by taking a ride on the Ochsengarten mountain gondola.

All you need to know about the Alpine animals pictured along the children's course can be found in the separate flyer which is available directly at the ski ticket office.

Download - Flyer (PDF - german language)

The badger	Ahoy, this is the badger! Although I look very cute I am a real predator and omnivore. My teeth are very sharp and dangerous for other animals: I prefer earthworms, insects, mice and snakes but also grain, fruit and roots. My favorite habitat: woodlands, woodlots and hedges where I can dig my own burrow that features several small passageways. So I can protect the badger sow and her kids. In winter, I restore my energy by staying inside the burrow for a quite long time.
The owl	Hoo hooo, where are going? Just stop a minute and look at me, the owl. I am a fascinating and very wise bird of prey. My hunting grounds are forests, especially by night. Even in the darkness my eyes and ears perceive every movement. I am able to fly away silently while my beak and the sharp claws are the most dangerous weapons. I catch mice, bats, fish, frogs, snails and earthworms. During the day I often hide in the trees. Maybe you discover my hiding place if you watch carefully.
The marmot	A whistle from far! Yes, you are right - I am the marmot. As soon as I discover something important in the high Alpine area you can hear me whistle. But sometimes it sounds more like a cat. Therefore the female marmots are also called "cats". Male marmots are "bears", young marmots are "monkeys". We are a funny and curious family! As we are rodents we prefer grasses, herbs, blossoms, seeds, fruits, roots and tubers. In winter we hide in our burrow for a six-month hibernation period.
The ibex	Hello, how are you? I would like to introduce myself: I am the ibex - the "King of the Alps". My mighty horns are much bigger than those of the female goat and the fawn. We are closely related to the goat, and our favorite activity is climbing beyond the tree line, close to the ice fields. Up there we find tasty grasses, herbs, bushes, moss and lichen. I am much faster than my enemies in the precipitous Alpine area. And there is always enough food also in the winter. A thick winter coat protects me from the cold.
The hare	Oops, you have already found me! Normally hares are very shy because we have loads of enemies. Thanks to the long ears we can hear them in time! Often we hide at the edge of a forest in the high meadows where we enjoy grasses, herbs, tree barks and branches. Hares are a rodent species. The male hare is called buck, he always stays on his own. Only during mating season he is looking for a female companion and they have little hares three or four times a year.
The wood grouse	Hey kids! My name is capercaillie or wood grouse. I live here together with a wood grouse hen and the chicks. We belong to the gallinaceous bird species and live in the dense forests of the lower and high Alpine mountain ranges. We love grasses, berries, needles, buds and insects. I am extremely shy, so you won't see my brightly colored feathers often. Thanks to the feathers on my feet I can walk on snow safely. I don't like it if someone disturbs me. I am sure you understand that!
The red deer	Have a good day! I am the red deer and I am very proud of my beautiful antlers. Some experts can even estimate my age by the number of antlers! My family consists of the hind and the fawn, we all live amid the forest where we eat grasses, leaves, herbs, buds, branches and grain. Either we are grazing or ruminating followed by a relaxation period. During rutting season in autumn you can hear me bell - maybe it helps to find a lovely hind. But I must be very careful and hide from the hunters.
The chamois	Hello folks! I am the chamois - can you see the typical horns? You certainly know that the female chamois is called goat and the young chamois is a fawn? I am related to the goat species, I don't live in the stables but high up in the mountains right between the timber line and the eternal ice fields. I prefer buds, grasses, new shoots, moss and lichen. I live in quite precipitous areas as I am a real climbing expert. My hoofs are just perfect for walking on snow. In winter, when we suffer from food shortage, I descend down into the valley sometimes.
The roebuck	Hi kids! My name is roebuck. You recognize me by my beautifully shaped, small antlers. Every year in late autumn I shed my antlers because new ones will grow over the winter months. The female roe deer is called doe, our kids are fawns, but they don't have antlers. The Alps are a perfect habitat: we live on pasturelands, mountain meadows and in the forests. We are a shy and graceful animal species. Grasses, buds and germ buds, herbs, tubers and mushrooms are among our favorites. The red deer is of the same ruminant species. We both try to hide from the hunters.
The fox	Hello, dear young explorers! I am the sly fox, belonging to the species of dogs. Therefore I am a real predator. I am living at the edge of the forest where I find the best hunting grounds. And I am a very skilled hunter of mice, rabbits, lambs, hens and fish. But I also like beetles, larvae and forest fruits. Furthermore they call me an omnivorous and carrion-eating animal. Are you as smart as I am? Yes, for sure! Then remember that the female fox is called vixen.

Children Parcour Hochoetz Skiing Snowfun