Tag Archive for: Mountains

The fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle

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Neuschwanstein Castle, the fairytale castle of King Ludwig II, Füssen, Bavaria, Germany

Heavy snow showers have been sweeping across the Bavarian Alpine foothills near Füssen all morning. Around midday, the first gaps appear between the clouds, so I hope for further improvement and venture on a short trip to Neuschwanstein. The motif of the fairytale royal castle of Ludwig II of Bavaria, framed by mountains and lakes (and at its peak with forests in autumnal colours), has been well known to us since childhood from many posters, postcards and puzzles and is famous all over the world. It hasn’t lost any of its beauty because of this, even if the crowds of visitors rarely allow for a romantic atmosphere. In winter, however, it’s much quieter and the snow-covered landscape shows a less familiar side – so today I’m standing almost alone on Mary’s Bridge over the Pöllat Gorge.

Zugspitze above the Lermoos plain

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Zugspitze and Wetterstein Massif over the Lermoos plain, Tyrol, Austria

Suddenly the valley opens up and I drive into the wide basin of Lermoos and Ehrwald, framed by the breathtaking ensemble of the Ammergau Alps, the Wetterstein mountains, the Mieming Range and the Lechtal Alps. However, the Zugspitze massif clearly dominates the scenery above the so-called Lermoos ‘Moos’. The area is a paradise for mountain bikers, hikers, climbers and mountaineers, not to mention skiers in winter – the region is accordingly well-developed for tourism. Besides arriving by car from Garmisch or Reutte, I recommend taking a trip on the Ausserfern Railway, which runs between the two towns – by the way, the Bayern Ticket is also valid on this route.

On the Summit Ridge of Piz Palü

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Mountaineers on the summit ridge of Piz Palü, Engadin, Grisons, Switzerland

During the steep ascent over the Pers Glacier and the icefalls, I could really feel the altitude in my legs and the thinner air here above 3500 m. After a short rest on the saddle (in the bottom left of the image), the final part of the ascent followed, along the narrow ridge to the South Summit of Piz Palü. The first section was steep and icy, before it gently levels out towards the summit. Incidentally, the border between Switzerland and Italy also runs along the ridge. At the summit, we finally reached the highlight of our Piz Palü tour, although the storm clouds forced us into a rapid descent back to the Diavolezza Hut.

The hospitality of the Diavolezza Hut

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On the viewing terrace of the Diavolezza hut, Engadin, Grisons, Switzerland

On the wide sun terrace of the Diavolezza Hut, with the dreamy panorama of Piz Palü, Piz Bernina and the Morteratsch Glacier, we recover wonderfully from our tour up Piz Palü and can look back on the progress and experiences of the trip in a relaxed way. This place, where day-trippers meet climbing freaks, marks a boundary between the civilised and unpredictable worlds, between perceived safety and looming danger.

Through the Icefalls on Piz Palü

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Mountaineers in the serac zone of the Pers Glacier during the ascent of Piz Palü, Engadin, Grisons, Switzerland

In the first steep section of the Pers Glacier icefalls on the ascent of Piz Palü, we followed the tracks of preceding groups who were also looking for an easy route through the maze of crevasses and ice walls. Nevertheless, we occasionally had to use crampons and light ice axe work, which is no problem for an experienced mountaineer. However, the view into the depths of the crevasses demands considerable respect for the glacier. During this section, one should under no circumstances allow the impressive panoramic view over the Morteratsch Glacier to break one’s concentration.

On the glacier to Piz Palü

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Panorama of Piz Bernina, Morteratsch Glacier and Diavolezza hut, Engadin, Grisons, Switzerland

After leaving the Diavolezza hut before sunrise for our tour to Piz Palü, the path first led over rock and finally onto the Pers Glacier. There, we crossed the bare ice, which was criss-crossed by many crevasses, before the steep ascent to the saddle and the summit ridge begins at the first icefalls. We quickly gained altitude and could enjoy the panorama down towards Pontresina. Meanwhile, the Diavolezza hut almost sank into the billowing clouds (on the right in the picture), which heralded the rising danger of thunderstorms and urged us to hurry.

The Bernina and the Biancograt

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Sunrise on Piz Bernina, Engadin, Grisons, Switzerland

The Bernina (4,049 m), seen here from the Diavolezza hut during my tour up Piz Palü, is an enticing and challenging goal for many mountaineers. The Biancograt in particular, a long, snow-covered ridge curving towards the summit (clearly visible in profile here on the right), is considered the most beautiful part of the ascent.