27-aug-2022

It has been on my bucket list for over a year now to climb the highest mountain of Germany; The Zugspitze with a peak of 2962 meter. This seed was planted last year when I met up with an old Couch Surfing friend, Stephanie, her partner Matthias and their newborn baby Leopold. We met at the Eibsee, a beautiful green lake at the foot of the Zugspitze Mountain. At that time we just had a relaxing day as we sat by the water. I already knew that I would want to climb that mountain one day.

Fast-forward more than a year and I am in the same area, for work as usual. I have a project in Munich and Vogtareuth (a town, not so far from Munich). I will be in the area for almost four weeks so there is plenty of time to go around. Would I finally be able to live my dream and go to the top of Germany?

On the first weekend of my trip, I invited my family to come over to Munich for a city trip and to spend some quality time together. Mom, Dad, Keesje (the dog), Elke and Romy all came over to my hotel. It was really nice that they were able to come over and see me. 2022 has been a year of many travels for me so I hadn’t spent much time with my family yet. The weather was perfect and I took everybody to Eibsee for a stroll around the lake and a refreshing dip in the water. Seeing The Zugspitze again, I was really motivated to go and I shared this wish with the family. The next day we stayed in the city and we visited the massive English garden. It was nice to be spending some time with my godchild Romy and to be bonding as well. Thank you to my family for coming over to see me, I had a good time and I would love to do it again.

A week later, I visited Stephanie and Matthias again, in Munich, to catch up. I also made a new Russian friend Daria, who seemed to have the dream of doing the Trans Mongolian express one day (also one of the many things still on my bucket list). If I would ever go, it would be great to do it with a local (Russian). The more the merrier to take such a beautiful trip.

Matthias and I started talking about doing the Zugspitze together and we made serious plans for it. We picked a date and we prepared to go in the weekend of 27 of August. I bought all the gear at decathlon (a helmet, a hip-harness, climbing safety clips and shoe crampons for the ice) and I was set to go. The hotel was booked in Garmisch Partenkirchen (our base) and everything was set, there was nothing that could stop us anymore… except… the weather :-/

The whole week we had been excited about the hike but forgot the check the weather forecast. When we did so the night before, it was not looking good. In fact it was terrible. They forecasted some rain, which would have been somewhat OK, but they also forecasted lighting, which can be extremely dangerous when climbing on the Via ferrata. On the Via ferrata you are basically holding a steel cable and when lighting hits the mountain, this steel cable is a good conductor to get electrocuted – not something you would want to happen in the mountain, or even ever for that matter.

Last minute, we were forced to cancel our trip. We were bummed but it just did not seem to be a good idea with such a forecast. Matthias planned to stay the night with me in Garmisch Partenkirchen but ended up staying at home in Munich. I had already checked out in Rosenheim and booked the next hotel, so I would go nonetheless. I was not quite sure yet what I would do though when the weather would be so bad. I was considering doing some online work or just relax in the room if it would be constantly raining.

This was such a bummer, but we cannot have it all and I am sure there will be another opportunity one day.

I had still set the alarm for 6 PM on Saturday to check the weather forecast one more time before making the final decision. The forecast did not get any better, in fact it looked slightly worse. As I really did not want to reach the top drenched by the rain, I turned my alarm off and went back to sleep. I woke up again at 8.30 and decided to go for a short run. When running I wouldn’t mind getting wet because I would take a shower shortly after. These plans changed as well, it was supposed to stay dry for at least another two hours.  I went for a walk instead of a run, and I did the first part of the Höllental route (the route I was supposed to take all the way to the top of Germany). What was supposed to be a short, 1-hour walk, eventually turned into much more than that. It is easy for me to get carried away when I am hiking. Eventually I was gone for five hours. To my surprise, and with mixed feelings, the weather had suddenly cleared up and in those five hours I did not feel one drop of rain. I also checked the weather at top of The Zugspitze and it actually remained dry there as well. It would have been a perfect day today to do the climb, but I did not bring any climbing gear.

The first part of the route is relatively easy but already very beautiful. The idea was to go to the Höllental eingangshutte (the entrance of the Höllentalklamm – a deep gorge) and then turn around. It was a three kilometer walk and had an elevation of only 300 meters. It was a forest path that followed a beautiful and wild river with clear blue water and many rocks in its stream. From the very first step of this route, the beauty is prominent and never ending. What I found to be the most distinctive piece of nature on this path, was a big dead tree covered in moss and a mountain on the background. It was standing out from the rest of the trees, as you can see in the photo.

When I reached the Höllental eingangshutte and it was still not raining, I decided to keep moving forward. I wanted to keep climbing even more. That is what I like to do the most: covering a long distance with many elevation meters. I always set myself up for a physical challenge. To enter the gorge – The Höllentalklamm – an entrance fee of six euros needs to be paid. But it is well worth the money. This gorge is absolutely magnificent, it’s something like I have never seen before.

The rocks and cliffs are very narrow with a very strong water current, and many small waterfalls cutting through the rocks. The water is crystal clear, and forces itself with greats speeds through the rocks, creating an almost deafening sound. The narrow cliffs act as a soundboard, which causes the loud noise of the water, but this is almost forgotten by this magical place. The route followed the water by mostly man-made tunnels and bridges for a few hundred meters long. I remember thinking only 1 thing for the entire time I was in this gorge; WOW, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS I HAVE EVEN SEEN. And I have already seen a lot in my traveling life. It is hard to describe in words, and even the photos don’t really do it justice but without a doubt it is a marvelous piece of nature.

After the gorge I walked for another two kilometers through a green valley until I reached the next mountain hut; the Höllentalangerhut. From here, the climb to the Zugspitze starts. The sign indicates it would take another six hours from here. At this point I really regret I did not bring any of my climbing gear, otherwise I would have continued going forward because the weather was perfectly fine. But I also knew that going without the gear is not an option. Safety is not an option but a must. It did get me thinking though, if the weather forecast for tomorrow would be the same as today, I might just take my changes and climb to the Zugspitze summit the next day. There is still doubt however, whether I should do it or not.

After the break I turned around, back to the car, but following a different route. This was going to be a long detour of about three or four hours extra and even more elevation meters, but I still had plenty of time. At times I would walk alongside steep cliffs and rocky paths, one misstep and I would be tumbling down the mountain. To me it is very relaxing to be walking through these green and lush hills, being one with the nature and experiencing the thrill of walking on small and rocky paths. And the views were very rewarding as well with the town of Garmisch Partenkirchen in the background. I was on my way to the Kreuzeck house where I planned to have lunch but somehow along the way I must have taken a wrong turn because I ended up back on the track from before. In hindsight this was probably a blessing in disguise because the motivation to climb the Zugspitze the next day was getting stronger and stronger. and if I would do it, it was better to get back to my hotel relatively early to save my energy and have an early rest. It was best to not take the longer route.

Since I ended up back on my old track, I also passed the Höllental-Eingangshut again where I stopped for lunch. I brought just enough cash to order a delicious split pea soup (erwtensoep) and bread, a perfect dish for vitamins and energy. And lunch with a mountain view is even better!

On the way back I saw a bush of nice red juicy looking berries. I would have loved to try some but I am not sure if I can eat them and perhaps I have seen to many movies but I don’t want to eat them and get sick the next day. So I just left them where they were.

Although it was not a real physical challenge today, I still walked 12 kilometers and did about 800 meters of elevation. Nonetheless it was also a spectacular route and the Höllentalklamm area was by far the most beautiful part of today. It was a relaxing walk and great hike that did not require any special equipment. I would love to come back one day and do a multiple day cabin hike. This area has many beautiful sceneries to offer with multiple huts, which makes it suitable for a multi-day hike.

By the end of the afternoon, while I was sitting in the car, it was decided: I am going to climb the Zugspitze the next day and I am not even going to check the weather forecast anymore. That might only scare me again, so I will take it as it comes. Maybe I will be in luck and stay dry, just like today.

There is only one thing that I truly enjoy after such a long hike and that is a good massage. I went for a relaxing Thai massage. Although I don’t know if relaxing is the correct word. At times it felt like the Thai lady was trying to break every bone in my body and she was using a lot of pressure until the point it started to hurt. But it wasn’t my first Thai massage and I knew what to expect, it was a good way to loosen up any stiff muscles. By the end of the treatment I did feel good and lighter.

Since I decided to climb the Zugspitze, I was still looking for a new day backpack and proper shoe crampons for the ice. I went shopping in the evening and I found a nice and suitable backpack for an affordable price; a 35-liter grey backpack (brand: Mountain warehouse) for about 65 euro. I was very pleased with my purchase and I am looking forward to take this backpack to many new places. The nice young lady who sold me the backpack, did the hike to the Zugspitze herself as well and was able to give me some advice. She also showed me a photo of how crowded it can be on the mountain, when the weather conditions are good. The lady also told me that ice-crampons are a must. But as most shops where already closed, I could not find them anymore. I would have to make do with the ones I already have (and which are actually too small).

To prepare for the trip tomorrow I had also rented a bike and dropped it at the parking area of the Eibsee in the evening. After reaching the summit of the Zugspitze, the plan is to take the cable cart down to the Eibsee. And then from here I can take the bike back to the car so I would not have to rely on public transport. Public transport might take ages and I do not want to waste my time by waiting and taking several busses to reach my car. And by bike it would only take me 16 minutes to get back. And the road was downhill, so that was perfect.

I was excited for the next day, and I went to bed early so I could rise early as well. It was really going to happen. And whether I will make it to the top or not, at least I am going to make an attempt.

I am going for it!

~ THE END ~