Spring Arrives in the Mountains

Spring is slowly making its way into the Bavarian Oberland. The trees are budding, showing their first delicate green leaves and buds. However, winter is putting up a strong fight, bringing heavy fresh snow to the Bavarian Alps again at the end of April. So, at midday, I stand in the warming sun by Lake Schliersee, while there’s still plenty of snow on the mountains for ski tours.

I started early in the morning from the car park at the Spitzingsee ski resort, to unexpectedly set off on another ski tour. As a beginner, I’m pleased with the opportunity to gain experience on the safe terrain of ski slopes – especially since the ski season is over, meaning an unprepared piste is available solely to ski tourers. My goal today is the Rosskopf, which offers a fantastic panorama of the Bavarian Alps. At the summit, I’m not disappointed either; from Jägerkamp over Aiplspitz and Taubenstein – another beautiful ski touring area – Hochmiesing, Rotwand, Hinteres Sonnwendjoch, Guffert, Blauberge, Risserkogel all the way to Wallberg, the peaks are still deeply covered in snow. The already strong sun is increasingly softening the snow, making the descent through already heavy snow quite an effort. Deep powder skiing needs to be learned, especially on tracked slopes.

In contrast to my winter enjoyment, the first anglers are already using the ice-free Lake Spitzingsee for fishing.