Zugspitze or Bust!

We have written about Zugspitze, the highest peak in Germany, and its influence on this community. So, with less then a week remaining, I (Bob) decided it was time to conquer the mountain! At 4:20 AM I headed out on my bike to the Hollentalklamm (June 27 post) trail.

I entered the gorge but didn't have to pay the requisite 3 Euros because I got there before it opened! I went up through the gorge--in 30 minutes this time, not the usual 45 minutes on our two prior hikes there.

At about 7 AM I reached the Angerhutte where we stopped for coffee and apple strudel on our last trip with Sylvia.

The Via Ferrata (Italian for "iron road") is a series of u-shaped steel brackets fastened into the rock that forms a ladder to assist climbers up vertical rock walls. There is also a suspended cable to the right that I used to clip into with my carabiner, attached to a sling and my climbing harness.

The Brett ("board") is a series of long, steep, zig-zagging trails on the face of a high wall.

Near the top of the Brett there is the last of the vegetation (right). Looking back provides a spectacular view of the Tal (valley--the Holental)  with the Hammersbach creek running through it. 

At the top of the Brett I had my first view of the glacier (right) that I did not know I would have to cross. The hikers ahead of and behind me were equipped with crampons. (A crampon is a set of 12 steel spikes that attaches to each hiking boot). I had on my trail running shoes; my crampons were in Virginia. This could be problematic!

At the foot of the glacier we had a "glacier party," hikers discussing the best way to proceed, putting on their crampons and arranging their ropes and other equipment.

 

One couple (right) graciously offered to let me clip in to their rope to help me across the glacier. Without their help, I would have had to turn back at that point. I slipped and fell to my knees several times anyway and the climber also pulled me up many steep, icy grades.

But that wasn't the last challenge. We came to where the glacier meets rock again but because the glacier had receded, there was a chasm between the soft edge of the glacier and the vertical rock. We had to cross the  very deep, 10-foot wide chasm in order to continue our climb on the rock. An ingenious, experienced climber concocted a way of transforming ropes into a swing. Gulp!

The first one to swing across (right) was too low on the rope and actually fell a short distance into the crevice and awkwardly climbed up from there. 

Our "hero" went next and started from a position of sitting on the glacier and was successful on his first try.

I didn't want to be the last one and offered to go next. My helpful climbing buddies said, "Jestzt springen!!!" ("Just jump!"). I was petrified but knew I had to do it because there was nowhere else to go; I could not turn back and traverse the glacier alone. So I clipped into the rope, hung on for dear life, and jumped!

Once I hit the wall, I stabilized myself with my feet, found a protruding bracket, clipped into it, then pulled myself up to a higher anchor. Most of the Via Ferrata brackets at this point were either missing, bent or loose, making the climb more harrowing.

Next came 2-3 hours of 5th class (very steep or vertical) climbing--most of the time with a cable to clip into. Because of the difficulty, there wasn't much opportunity for looking at the surroundings.

But when I did, there was a magnificent view of Eibsee, a beautiful lake Dorothy and I biked to and around (left; July 6 post).

To the right you can see the glacier below, hikers ascending and the cable "lifeline." What you cannot see are other hikers on the glacier that look like fleas against the white ice.

There was also a spectacular view of Holentalklamm, far below (left).

Approaching the peak, I was just about 10 minutes ahead of these climbers (right) with Eibsee still in the distance.

During the final push to the peak (left) I was extremely tired--I had been hiking and climbing for almost 8 hours and was really dragging.

But I made it! 

The rocks were polished smooth by thousands of hiking boots over many years and were somewhat treacherous. So, given my fatigue, I had to be extra careful to clip into every anchor I could find. I certainly did not want to fall off the pedestal I and the other climbers were on from the tourists' perspective! 

There were many tourists who came up by train to within 100 yards of the peak so I only stayed 5-minutes then joined others on the descent. You can see the golden cross on the peak at the right--probably 30 feet tall.

I enjoyed meeting and hiking with a number of German hikers. Unfortunately, their pace was faster than mine so I stayed with them for a while then watched them proceed ahead of me. I don't like the idea of being the slowest person on the trail--even though I was the oldest.

I took the train (Zugspitzbahn) back and arrived home around 5:00 PM, exhausted but thankful for the experience and safety all along the way.