Day 41 – Rotwandhaus to nr Grubereck

Daily Distance – 20km + detour for trail closure
Daily Ascent – 1300m
Daily Descent – 1350m
Total Distance – 677km
Distance Remaining – 340km

My wild camp abode has a telescope just outside. Supposedly one can spot golden eagles, mountain goats and marmots. So far all the nature that I have managed to spot are cows.

Given the lack of accommodation in the touristic town of Kreuth, where this stage is supposed to end, finding a clean, spacious and sturdily built wood cabin was a real stroke of luck. Well, when I say wood cabin, it is intended as a nature watching area, so is missing half of one wall to give a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and small valley below. Drafty, but the view is wonderful. I will wrap up warm for the night as I anticipate temperatures up this high (1640m) will drop quite low especially after such a clear and sunny day. Overall though, I couldn’t wish for a nicer place to spend the night. I had hoped to camp somewhere high at least once on this trip, so providing no officious park ranger appears to kick me out of here in the next hours, it’s nice to finally have the opportunity. Of course, if I am to get any sleep, my cow neighbours, some 100m below where I sit, are going to need to be rather quieter. The clink-clonk of the bells are very atmospheric, but surprisingly loud and a little wearing after several hours. It is beginning to feel like I have been locked in Notre Dame bell tower. The thought occurs now that alpine cows either have very poor hearing, or have worked out some way of plugging their ears to muffle the sound. Maybe moss or chewed grass?

The perfect solitude amid unspoiled nature feels a long way from my midday misadventure. The day was proceeding very smoothly, even helped by an earlier than usual start on account of noisy hut room mates, until my route was closed for logging activity. This will teach me for saying that since passing into Germany I have barely seen any logging work. Delving into “choose your own adventure” territory, I managed to find a detour, at the loss of forty minutes or so in unavoidable backtracking. Galling, especially for the lost elevation, but it could have been worse. For a moment I was concerned that there wasn’t a feasible alternative, and I would have to abort the remainder of the stage. I am very glad to have avoided that as the summit view for this leg was spectacular even by my own recently privileged standards. Tegernsee Lake glittered to the north dappled with tiny sailboat specks, the still snow-capped alps rose up on the southern horizon and dozens of paragliders buzzer around a neighbouring peak. Indeed, I spent so long enjoying the view, and the conversations with fellow summit sitters, that the grocery store in Kreuth would have closed before I could reach it tonight. Another reason not to worry about reaching town tonight. Everything will be there waiting in the morning, but I am unlikely ever to see these sights again.

Tomorrow morning I will attempt an early start and descend the final 6km and 900m into town for grocery shopping and the all important 2nd breakfast.