The Zugspitze | Hiking Germany's Highest Mountain Solo

today we begin our climb of the zugspitz germany's highest mountain let's go [Music] so and just like that we are in garmish so we've just walked past the olympic ski stadium and i say we it is me myself and anna so anna is here she's staying in munich and it's just joining me for a short stretch today because the other day a couple days ago my camera got stolen um and i'm now shooting on a brand new camera that she picked up and brought because he's just an epic human being in general uh so now we're just basically walking on to find the footpath that's going to take us up the gorge that's going to take me into the mountains it's going to take me up this looks best you ready i am cool we do that i think so you are here [Music] and it is one o'clock oh my clock is wrong ignore that so from here rock hut it's about an hour and a half so let's take it on my walk had started outside of the main olympic stadium in garmisch nearby was the famous partner clam gorge through which cascades the park naka river so it's very busy here a lot of people walking a popular spot to start day hikes up through the gorge and sort of into the surrounding peaks but i don't think it'll take too long to leave behind the crowds uh especially given the time of day i think most people will be coming down soon and then i'll keep hiking up and get to the hut the gorge was dedicated as a natural monument in 1912 and it was here that i would begin my ascent of the rhine town valley and on towards the subspace six euros we had to pay to ensure the gorge which was fine but little did we expect what we will stumble upon next huh this is a queue this is the key i have to queue to go on a hike i have to say i've never done this before i have to pay to start the hike pay to stay on the hike and pay to get down from the heights commercialism the gorge was obviously a popular place and i was starting to worry about the time at the current rate we wouldn't get into the gorge until gone half past three that's when we saw some hikers walk past us so we decided to follow suit i'm super pumped about this finally inside the gorge though still caught in a long file of people we were on our way following a path etched into the 260 foot deep crevasse of pure rock it's amazing how the water has scored away the rock thousands of years so smooth running down the sides as well it is very impressive less impressed by the queue though obviously i joke a lot about the amount of people in the gorge but at times it did feel a little claustrophobic to be honest though the walk was exhilarating and although only 800 meters long the deafening roar of the water and icy drips that fell down our neck was stimulating on so many levels uh casual that's the gorge done done oh okay so is that the hat i'm going to do three and a half hours i can work with that you can look at that green things always work out for the better set what are you doing [Applause] i feed there's no people it does feel good now on a quiet forestry track we headed up and into the mountains definitely in good spirits the river roared alongside and the lands around us were protected as a nature reserve the banks certainly testified to this too filled with wildflowers like vetch arnica and yarrow there was so much to take in despite the route being relatively straightforward pillars of rock loomed over us menacingly and occasionally we were dropped down to the river itself icy winds blasting off its surface it was an all-consuming experience and one i savoured with every step water coming down all right let's see still going the right way still looking towards the hut and zuckspitz i have to say i don't really get tired at the sound of running water it's just so good i mean i'm loving that and then down the gorge rather spectacular actually not a lot to show you on this route really it's just along this forestry track occasional signs confirming that we are still on the ride path and the gorge is further that way oh although we seem to be now skirting around towards it but it's very peaceful very quiet in the trees you can hear the crickets and our footsteps and that's about it probably blissful [Applause] can we see down hey yes we can wow that's a long way are you leaving me now i am why because i have to get back and i didn't bring my sleeping bag and there's no place in the rainta lange and i will maybe die in the snowstorm outside if i come with you there is no snowstorm you never know no i know climbing up the alps my girlfriend always says oh you have to check the weather forecast you never know whether there's snow at the top so it's for my own safety anna is leaving us heading back to munich for a few days and then coming back just a couple actually a couple of days and then we'll jump on some mountains at the same time together yeah this would be good have a safe journey i will bye all right it's happening let's take home the zuk's base there was a little bit more real now which is cool uh not sure how i'm feeling it's just late in the day a lot of cloud up ahead but the forecast looks good we've got the river for comfort let's get up the highest mountain in germany come on there's been a very simple trail so far well signed posted at each junction and otherwise just crisscrossing the river and winding through the woods we're no longer on a track as you would have seen on a path now but it's not even a single track path really it's not narrow very easy going the gradient is exceptionally steady i'll be glad to get to the hut today because i want to rest up because tomorrow is going to be the much more challenging day i don't really know what it's going to be like but i'm expecting it to be quite harsh quite rocky but then again this is the easiest descent so i know what i'm capable of and i don't think this is going to push my limits i just want to enjoy it and relish my time working up and on the highest mountain here in germany and austria check this out from here eight hours to the top as a proper day's hike so is a bit higher than where i'm staying which is this one two hours away my watch is still on uk time so it's four ten past four ten past five ten past six hopefully so half six latest should be there not bad it's gone down now that's bizarre so an hour and three quarters from there to here i mean that was a tough stretch all good all good all right let's keep making progress i have to say i do find comfort in the signs otherwise you just kind of feel like you're in the middle of nowhere i mean kind of i'm kind of not hey look here's the broca we made it so this is the first hut on this leg obviously i'm not going to stop here i mean it's a pretty stunning location the bok forte has been lovingly run by the zollner family for over 30 years in 2011 it was rebuilt and is famed for its hearty snacks coffee and cake nearby was a smaller hut owned by the garmish alpine club and a big sign detailing of controlled explosions that take place during the winter to control the risk of avalanche thankfully this was something i didn't have to worry about [Music] huh probably can't see that there's a spider's web across the path and the spider's just there clever i don't want to get caught in that wow look all this debris brought down by the water the trees absolutely shredded and washed downstream i mean you can see the whip of the river when it's in spate this is definitely a seasonal walk even though in winter you better be prepared pristine wild intense the ceaseless roar of the glacial water made me feel as though i was an early explorer and as always the craggy peaks loomed over me keeping an eye on my progress at times they felt slightly intimidating as clouds swirled around zugspitz then was first summited in 1820 by lieutenant joseph naus and his two partners and this is most likely the route they would have taken is the easiest of the three commoner sense and it's also quite common and once you reach the top these days you get the cable car back down either into garmisch in germany or irvalde in austria and i when i reach the top tomorrow we'll get the cable car back down into irvald in austria everything about the scene through which i was walking highlighted the power of nature it made me question the early explorers who wouldn't have had a path to follow as they forged their way through the region something which much has demanded a huge amount of courage and skill so peaceful here there's not even the roar of the water right now because we're in the valley and it's quite wide it's got no force to it just me and the crickets this looks like a dried up riverbed water oh look at that water would have come tumbling down all the way all the way all the way to join the main channel there so i expect in the spring that's got an actual flow to it right now completely dead that was [Music] hey sheepies this is not a bad place to live you want to go past [Music] hi [Laughter] okay i didn't expect to get nibbled by a sheep today but there we go live in the mountains you never know what's around the corner the zook speech has actually been in the cloud all day and as we gradually ascend higher i can feel the coolness coming down from the peaks the forecast for the next few days though does look good so i think my chances of a cloud-free summit tomorrow are pretty high at least i'm telling myself that anyway i stood staring up at the menacing peaks when i suddenly spotted something glistening in the corner of my eye looking up the valley i was blown away there was the partner waterfall tumbling down tens of meters i just couldn't wait to get a closer look it's getting louder ah [Laughter] there it is that is utterly spectacular without a doubt the waterfall was one of the highlights of the route and there were no words to express just how surreal the scene was look at this landscape this is just insane i'm mind blown i mean even with the cloud base being quite low it's still really quite spectacular and i can only begin to imagine what it would have been like for those early pioneers making their way up here in the 1800s pushing through for the summit unsure of what they were going to hit next i mean if that's not bravery i don't know what is you can hear the water thundering past dare i take a look it's quite far down yeah i'm not getting any closer than that all right so the hut should not be far away at all uh also my guidebook has inferred let's see if we can find it i'll stop for the night random gates you see this here this is all been built up deposited by the river crazy sure enough a little further up the trail and i saw my first hints of humanity plaque stated that this was a no camping area and trail signs pointed to alpine climbing routes all righty here we are ryan talanga hot probably not quite pronounced by that but here we go we're here anyway so we're about 13 50 meters above sea level a little bit higher but this is what i'm excited about tibetan prayer flags over the water it's going to be nice just to have some time to hang out here for a bit and then tomorrow we push for the summit the rhine to language sits at 369 metres above sea level with the pakhnak river flowing alongside it belongs to the german alpine club and was first built in 1912 with 132 beds the area is famous for its prayer facts which hang over the rocky riverbed this is quite a rickety bridge it's on a ladder can you see that is sketchy made it right let's have some scoff talk about being anti-social most alpine huts offer a full board basis but i had decided to bring my own food for the trip so in here i have mashed potato that's what i've got tonight and i'm gonna put it in there and eat a lot of it oh and pretzels and very tomatoes which i found in my bag i forgot i had them yum yum okay then i don't know how much to stir into this nice give it a go i also brought half an avocado i just needed using this mashed potatoes quite sad i thought it had herbs in but it doesn't it's literally just mashed potato wait pretzel mashed potato warm pretzel mashed potato i did think about putting the tomatoes in but i don't want to ruin the tomatoes dining fit for kings so it's 39 euros thank you this is the room looks like i've got top bunk someone's on the bottom bank and this is the view not bad all righty i am feeling tired um but i've just sorted out some of my stuff and i'm gonna get to sleep i think it's only just gone eight but the accumulation of a lot of days hiking here and the alps is wearing me out mentally especially so i just want to get to bed wake up nice and early sort of six-ish um we're gonna have some breakfast and then get hiking um i like to get started early in the mountains i like to get ahead of the game with people my pack's quite heavy i don't want to rush tomorrow so if i can get out early you can obviously have food here dinner and breakfast but i'm gonna pass on that um and just do things myself uh i like doing that i like trying to be independent when i'm out and about here so it's all good fun um anyway it's starting to clear up out there which is leaving me feeling really optimistic about the weather tomorrow so i'm gonna sleep well and then i'll see you in the morning sleep wow those mountains that is amazing good morgan it is a new day uh it's quite fresh actually i sort of wish i had gloves on but i know pretty soon i'm gonna be climbing and climbing steeply so today we're heading up to the summit of the zugspitz first up is kno hote which is the next hut uh two and a half hours away uh it's beautiful with the sun just dripping down the mountains ahead of us um i'm the second person to leave it's 6 30. everyone else is just getting up uh i didn't sleep so well last night i didn't expect to really just everyone was very loud wooden flooring and snoring people and yeah and my part of the experience i had somewhere to stay and that's the main thing so anyway on the move it feels good i'm really excited and i'm just loving this scenery right now let's do it all right we've got this sign here so you see a earth spring or sprung whatever uh that's the the spring for the park naka river so i thought we could see that and then it reroutes back to the canoe it doesn't really add any time that's the main way if you just want to avoid that so let's go find it whoa i think this is it the water just bursts out of the mountain i did not expect that i thought we'd just come and take a closer look can hear its thunder what literally that's it huh that is so puzzling or it must be maybe under here and it just goes down carved see how the rock is carved by the water and it just goes down and down and down through the valley into the sunrise i really couldn't work out the exact point where the water burst from the rock but it was foaming and throttling and the force was really quite overwhelming just like that we leave the roar of the water behind which accompanied us all through yesterday and now heading up into the real gnarled up peaks gonna get a bit more serious from now on i was as nervous as i was excited so far i had only ever seen pictures of this place and now my feet were actually on the ground and my lungs breathing in the alpine air i wasn't sure what to expect especially in terms of the technical difficulty but i was ready to give it my all crossing this dried up riverbed again just a sign that the landscape's changed so much with the seasons here and uh rejoin it neither path was a tribute to sherpa angrelsen he was born in the shadow of everest and visited this area for 17 years in a row [Music] so here in the mountains is you usually want to start early so 5am i'm quite late today because the sun comes down and it's hot and today is supposed to be hot so i'm gonna wet my bandana because i know there's not a lot of water today and just keep that against my skin on my neck and it should just help keep me cooler for a little bit longer the area through which i was walking has been used as an alpine pasture for sheep and cattle since the mid-1400s their bells echoing throughout the valley through spring and summer ahead of me lay a trail of white and red flags these marked that i was on a stretch of the via alpena a network of five trails across eight alpine regions spanning five thousand kilometers here comes the sun just uh peeking over the mountaintop such a glorious feeling so so good so parker's that way we've got this rock to go up and see how smooth it is palmy wonders if this has been formed by glaciers the ice sheering the rockaway leaving it all sort of uh cut up like this but also worn interesting very interesting also interesting to get up it seems there we go the sun felt sublime on my skin as it casts a surreal light on my surroundings already i was sweating heavily the steep gradient making my whole body work hard walking in the mountains never fails to enchant and challenge offering immeasurable rewards if you put in the effort awesome views ahead looking up to the peaks and then dropping down into the sunlit valley really beautiful i really enjoy how in mountainous landscapes the flora changes so in the valleys you have the meadows and then you get the pine forest shed with deciduous trees then you climb higher and you get into the uh sort of dwarf pines like this this is as big as these guys will get and then you get the alpine wildflowers all different kinds most commonly out sort of june july time so i missed a lot of them here in august but still it's nice to be able to spot the odd late blooming alpine rose or the hair bells and uh really immerse myself in the landscape because it changes as i climb higher see the path goes up there and then then i'm not sure somewhere in that region the going was tough simply because it was relentlessly steep and so stony i breathed hard and my heart pounded in my chest i was loving every step though and as i progressed i passed a few climbers and hikers coming down the trail who had likely stayed at konorhoti my next destination nice to have some shade for two minutes it's very hot already sweating buckets gonna have to stay on top of hydration today hopefully i can refill at the canola and then at the top happy days a big view ahead really getting into rocky terrain now just casually working up this rock face here you see not far but just up oh there's the hot oh that was sooner than expected where's the time 8 15. huh i can't be the heart if it is and i've made a very good time cool freshen on no hot day feels good what a fantastic location oh almost not quite there sits at 2052 meters above sea level on the edge of the zugspitz platz it was first built in 1855 as a small refuge hut but has since adapted and evolved to cater for the heavy football in the area the location was stunning with alpine coughs circling around found in mountainous regions around the world sheep grazed in the morning sun jangling away with their bells the scene was so pure and perfect and i soaked it up filling my heart and smiling in gratitude this was a full-on 360 experience and one i didn't want to forget in a hurry there you go six feet three hours nice i have to say i expected it to be really busy here uh i kind of thought people would have had breakfast and be leaving as i reached this spot doesn't seem to be the case i'm quite happy about that i'm enjoying the thinking time today all good that seems to be my phrase of the day all good just a little further on we've got a split here so you can head to the zugspitch via the ridge obviously that's quite technical so we're going to keep pressing on along our way still on the vr alpina nice all the sheep are coming down the mountainside that is quite loud [Music] steady sheepy steady [Music] what do they know that i don't know grubs up oh hi hi oh oh it's a nibbled by a sheep bag please don't ramen to me all right that was fun bye didn't think that's how i was gonna die push down a mountain by a sheep oh well [Music] on and on and on the trail climbed twisting and turning through the lunar-like landscape shaped by the now much-retreated northern schnifer and glacier i mean look at this behind me just crazy crazy crazy crazy very very cool i'm loving it here i was feeling tired simply because i had spent 10 days previously bombing about in the mountains but i knew that no amount of fatigue or anxiety would stop me one small step after another head up heart open this was an experience to be truly lived in the moment all right so this hat here is sun alpine this here is an environmental center that there is a switchbacking scree path and then it gets a bit scrambly and i think just beyond that is the top is happening crossing a patch of snow probably more like ice to be honest or slush yeah nice we are i'm just a little further on the sign saying one and a half hours to the top which is up that way before my final bid for the summit i decided to stop and get some sugars in me i tried to take it all in ski buildings cable cars interstellar architecture clean air snow patches rocks and an endless mountainous horizon all right hour and a half let's do this thing to the top and so begins the climb all the way up it's really quite windy very icy i guess the wind's blowing down the snow there just take this steady the glacier which was rather unimpressive and sad to look at is germany's highest and largest glacier once it would have covered the entire area through which i was walking but as with glaciers worldwide its retreat has been drastic since the 1980s really is quite slippery stuff actually little steps required oh that wind i've come down this kind of screw before i haven't gone up it that many times the going was exceptionally slow i had to dig in with each foot to ensure i didn't slide backwards and maintain a brace due to the strong winds i could see why most people catch the cable car up to the top making a haul interesting technique there avi it's uh quite steep now and really quite screwy just trying to watch the footing as much as possible and try not to send big rocks like that [Music] polypoly slowly slowly all right place to work though is it really all right nearly at the end of the screw field and then we have like a cliff basically rocks cliff exposure stick can go away it's unlikely i'm gonna need that now probably gonna get in the way more than anything dislocate my arm all right i'm pretty pumped about this it's gonna be good all right let's go yeah so good okay this requires hands now actually not too bad very clear trail all the way up the only issue when a path is heavily used like this is it gets all worn and then it gets slippier but actually it gets craggier over there so all good i'm genuinely having a lot of fun right [Music] now [Music] this is not the path for you if you don't have a head for height [Music] look at these little guys clinging on for dear life on this rock face look like stitch little metal steps in this rock one two three four pivot one swap hands up nice it's a bit of a free-for-all to be honest i was following a path down there there's that one there this one here sort of just see how you go really feels very much like we're getting there now ah good progress strong legs i'm feeling so pumped i'm really really enjoying this and i think we're about to get views on the other side uh let me just get up here oh my word oh my life oh my gosh look wow just reached this peak oh gosh it's pretty harsh up here but it is incredible try not to get blown over there that would be sad okay last little bit let's go to the top it's a bit too windy for my hat right now so it's come off i hope you're scrambling now good fun just keep going all right come on code card [Music] [Music] i found a rather large hole almost like a mine shaft generator view up another view down over austria as the cable car will be taking down in a bit very close now [Music] [Music] last few steps so windy with the scrambles and screw behind me i had finally reached the metal steps that would take me up to the summit it was astonishing what lay behind me and i was lost for words at what i had achieved i knew it had changed my perspective on my capabilities and opened doors to endless adventurous possibilities the harmonious thoughts were short-lived though as the top was certainly unlike any other summit i had ever experienced [Music] well we're up just not entirely sure where app is right now i wonder if that's my cable car down gosh there's so many people everyone get a cable car you see dude that's intense where's the actual top or are we actually on the top i do not know i passed by the munchen house on the eastern edge of the summit and then made my way through the crowds and on towards the summit cross it was a bit of a maze and really quite overwhelming with the people and the views all blurred into a massive noise and color oh that's the cable car i don't want that but at least from here we can see the view it was very rewarding to be here but just so insanely bizarre with all the people just coming from like hiking by myself most of the day to just boom a lot of people we made it though let's not lose the satisfaction the views over the german alps were insane not only that but i could see across to the italian and swiss alps as well snow-capped and jagged distant on the horizon they absolutely marked inspiration for travels to come i looked back along the exposed ridge along which i had just traveled amazed at what i had conquered simply by showing up for myself i feel like i'm just wandering around quite directionless because i'm not sure what to do with myself [Music] let's have a look at the austrian side oh look wow that is pretty congested [Music] there has been a summit cross on top of the zugspitz since 1851 and the history following its repairs and replacements is definitely worth taking the time to look up for me though i had no desire to climb to the top i didn't want to queue and the magic was lost by the busyness of the scene instead i stepped back and went inwards congratulating myself on my achievements and saying a silent thank you to the mountain as i looked out over austria after a few deep breaths i knew most importantly it was now time for a coffee the construction of the summit buildings had come at a high cost for the mountain with the dynamite being used to blow out the rock to create platforms just come on to the austrian platform it's kind of cool there's these like little wooden sculptures you need some mountaineer and then here which looks like an imax it's a bit quieter which is nice oh and a bit warmer actually i'll take that feeling very chilled okie dokie let's go find this cable car let's head back down to erwild austria the descent wasn't cheap and the car itself was crammed i didn't mind though i just wedged myself into a position where i could see the view feeling utterly calm and content inside that's where we were just up there that's it now folks we're back down and i've got sort of a 20 minute walk down into irval where i'm staying tonight so we're in austria now wave goodbye to germany we have goodbye to the looks bits although i'm going to be sleeping under its shadow which is all good uh that was just the most wonderful adventure i really enjoyed that i felt like it was much needed um it tested me it pushed me and at the same time it just offered such a sense of freedom and elation uh that i just feel so pumped by that experience i'm going to hold that close and dear to my heart for a very very long time so i want to say thank you so much for hiking with me over the last day or two it's been really really good to be able to share it with you and guys until next time enjoy your own adventures wherever they may be whether on a mountain in a valley somewhere entirely different enjoy and until next time stay well sometimes the hardest part about traveling alone is just not having the words to share what you've experienced so i turned to nature knowing that there i would always find a reflective space to remind me of who i am and to inspire me onwards into brand new adventures climbing the zugspitz had never been on my to-do list but now having gazed out over endless mountains from its summit and pushed myself into uncomfortable realms i realized that life is not so much about doing what we love but loving what we do and living in gratitude for the beauty that surrounds us you

Channel: Abbie Barnes / Spend More Time In The WILD

Views: 26,133

Rating: 4.927361 out of 5

Keywords: Abbie barnes, Thru Hiking, Backpacking, Song Thrush Productions, Adventure, Hiking, Day Hikes, Gear review, Foraging, Walking, Mental health, wellbeing, physical health, Nature, mindfulness, Trekking, National Park, Mountain, spend more time in the wild, travel, trail, community, long distance, national trail, scotland, lake district, snowdonia, dogs, camping, wild camping, expedition, stay wild, UK hiking, alps, italy, france, garmisch, ehwarld, climbing, solo female, via alpina, partnachklamm

Id: C_8-KQOcnLY

Length: 54min 0sec (3240 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 28 2021