Tag Archive for: Alps

In the Lechtal Alps – from Boden to Bach

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Dremelspitze and Schlenkerspitze near the Hanauer Hütte, Lechtal Alps, Tyrol, Austria

Many years ago, I got to know the wild, pristine and quiet Lechtal Alps on a spring tour from the Ansbacher Hütte to the Memminger Hütte, and had to descend there due to a cold front with snowfall without being able to catch a glimpse of the surrounding mountain peaks and lakes. Since then, I’ve carried the wish to continue the multi-day hike along the main ridge.

Since Ascension Day fell on a Monday, it was a long weekend for Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Austria. The weather forecast predicted a stable high-pressure area – a rarity in the summer here. So, at short notice, I took the Friday off – aware that I would be sharing this pleasure with many other mountain lovers. I decided to follow the main ridge from the Hahntennjoch towards the west, i.e. in the first part climbing from Boden to the Hanauer Hütte, then reaching the Württemberger Haus in a second stage and finally descending back into the Lechtal via the Memminger Hütte.

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The Last Days of Summer

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Sunrise over the Alps on flight STR-MXP

Towards the end of summer 2011, a season many will recall as rainy and changeable, a persistent high-pressure system delivered the last warm late summer days, stretching into October. As this period of good weather drew to a close, I spent what were likely the last two summer days on a business trip to Italy. After departing from Stuttgart, I witnessed a cloudless sunrise over the Alps and the Swabian Jura. Read more

View of the Great Ahornboden

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Grosser Ahornboden, Eng Valley, Karwendel, Austria

After the climb from the Hagelhütten to the Plumsjochhütte and a long rest, my family and I didn’t head straight back down into the Risstal valley. Instead, we added the panoramic trail via the Hasentalm to make it a circular tour. Bit by bit, the last of the clouds cleared from the mountain peaks, revealing a fantastic view of the Karwendel summits. The path leads slightly uphill to the north-west through sunny mountain pine terrain below the Satteljoch, opening up a wide panorama from the Risstal in the west, across the Eng valley and the Grossen Ahornboden, to the Plumsjochhütte in the east. The harsh light and airy clouds created varied shadow patterns on the meadows and forests, making the colours shine rich and sharp – helped by the clean air following the rainy days. Read more

From the Riss Valley to the Plumsjoch Hut

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Plumsjoch Hut in front of Gamsjoch and Laliderer Falk, Riss Valley, Karwendel, Austria

The hike from the Riss Valley, from the Hagel Huts to the Plumsjoch Hut, is well-suited for a Sunday trip with children. The 600 metres of ascent are easy to manage on the steadily, but never too steeply, rising path, and as a (mid-way) destination, a stop at the rustic Plumsjoch Hut and the magnificent view of Gamsjoch, Laliderer Falk, Engtal, and the main Karwendel range are enticing. Read more

Munich Olympic Tower with Alpine Panorama

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Sunday excursion to the Olympic Tower, Munich, Germany

On a gloriously blue winter Sunday, the Olympic Tower in Munich attracts a large number of visitors, eager to admire the view of Olympic Park, the city of Munich and the magnificent panorama stretching from the Berchtesgaden Alps in the east, across the Karwendel and Zugspitze, all the way to the Allgäu region. Not all visitors leave the tower without a trace, as the numerous graffiti attest.

Wetterstein and Mieminger Mountains in autumn

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View of Ehrwald, Wetterstein and Mieminger Chain, Tyrol, Austria

On the way back from the tour to the summit of Mount Daniel (2,340 m), the highest mountain in the Ammergau Alps, I enjoyed the warm afternoon light over the Ehrwald basin, the western flank of the Wetterstein and the Mieminger Chain. The snow on the mountains and the vibrant colours of the forests are a reminder of the frosty start in the morning and the late autumn season. Read more

The summit of the Daniel and the Zugspitze

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Daniel Summit in front of the Wetterstein Massif and Zugspitze, Tyrol, Austria

On this sunny and mild November day, I decided, to round off the season, to climb the highest mountain in the Ammergau Alps – Daniel (2340 m) – from the Ehrwald Basin. On the final ridge section from Uppsspitze, I look at the nearby Daniel Summit and the Wetterstein Massif with the Zugspitze rising behind it.