Bavaria (Part 2), Oct. 2021

This is a continuation report of some hikes in Bavaria. Here is part 1.

Kampenwand (1668 meters, 5472 feet)
It was a rainy day, but the weather forecast had hinted that it should open up after lunch. So my cousin, nephew, and I decided to go hiking. Right from the start there was rain. In the forest we were somewhat protected by trees. As we got higher we found ourselves in meadows and more exposed to the elements. When we reached the Steinlingalm, just some 500 ft below the peak, we were wet and cold. Precipitation changed from rain to graupel and the peak was in the clouds. Since this peak involves some scrambling we decided that the conditions were not suitable. The limestone gets very slick when wet and slipping could have some serious consequences.

Fortunately the Alm was open and we went in to warm up, have a hot soup, and some beers before hiking back down. We found a perfect table right next to the warm Kachelofen (Masonry heater). When we came out an hour and a half later the precipitation had stopped and we caught glimpses of the peak through the clouds. My nephew was very eager to get to the top, so we went up. The most scrambly spots were protected with steel cables and rebar steps in the rocks. The fog added an interesting atmosphere to the climb through the rocks.

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Kleiner (1722 meters, 5650 feet) und Großer (1852 meters, 6076 feet) Traithen
Everyone else wanted to take a day off, so my nephew and I went for a hike by ourselves. It was another windy day and we had to deal with some slippery and muddy conditions since these mountains got soaked in the previous day. The fast-moving clouds provided us with ever-changing views.

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Aiplspitz (1758 meters, 5768 feet)
This is the one I really wanted to get on this trip. As a kid I spent many summers vacationing at the foot of this mountain, but we never climbed it as a family since the top has some tricky sections with some exposure. Accidents up there happen regularly. We climbed the “Nordgrat” which has the most exposure. Once up there it became clear why it’s advised to avoid this route when it’s wet or icy. There are some serious drop-offs. I’m proud of Srisuda and my nephew who had to dig quite deep to make it past a couple of spots. On the way back we chose an easy route, that seemed to not have existed in the old days (?), to make it all a nice loop hike. On the way up we got to taste (and buy 🙂 some cheese at the Geitauer Alm, right where it’s made.

(click any image to enlarge/start slideshow)