Powder snow at last!

A cold front finally brought some fresh snow to the Bavarian Alps on a Saturday. Sunday then promised some sunny spells, meaning good winter sports conditions. This is bound to draw plenty of people to the mountains again. Skiers, ski tourers, sledgers and hikers – everyone finds their spot at Spitzingsee.

Despite an early start and journey, I already had to join the caravan of ski tourers from the Taubensteinbahn car park. First up was the short, steep and once again unpleasantly icy lower section of the piste, before heading off-piste in a few hairpins up towards the Schönfeldalm. There, the panorama opens up around Jägerkamp, Tanzeck and Rauhkopf with its tempting downhill slopes, a former ski area. After continuing the ascent through the mountain forest and a break at today’s destination, Tanzeck (1,703 m), I glided down through wonderful powder snow – far too briefly – over many untracked slopes.

Before heading home, I took a short walk along the frozen Spitzingsee and followed many families pulling their children on sledges from the car park to the toboggan run on the other side of the lake. From a distance, I also saw (and heard) a group of men and women on the shore – laughing, screaming and dancing on the ice. Getting closer, I realised that a pool had been sawn into the ice with a chainsaw. I got talking to some of the bathers and learned that they were all Polish people living scattered across Bavaria. They were meeting here today to take a traditional ice bath – which is why they call themselves the Bavarian Walruses (bawarskie morsy).

So everyone found their fun, relaxation and enjoyment on this dreamy winter day at Spitzingsee.