always further away from where I was: Der Traumpfad // day 3 // Bad Tölz

Der Traumpfad, day 3.
Distance: 21.8km (88.5km), time spent: 9:04.
Weather: Grey and depressing, a different story higher up.

Today was to be the day when I finally got to the mountains and started climbing, the day when the real adventure should begin, but it is hard to believe that when I look out of the window in the morning. If anything, the weather is actually worse. Yesterday it was also grey and gloomy, but there was with some hope in it, now it is downright depressing. Somewhere hidden in the grey blanket in front of my eyes, lies Benediktenwand, the first taste of the mountains to come. It would seem that I have to tackle that ridgeline in fog, it is not a motivating thought.

Leaving Bad Tölz in the morning.

The day is a walk split into two halves, one half continuing in the flat landscape of the two first days, one half the steep ascent and traverse of the jugged ridgeline of the Benediktenwand. Leaving Bad Tölz it is back to the flat scenery next to the Isar river again. In other circumstances I think it may have been a satisfying walk, but I feel a little bit drained and tired of the depressing weather now. Everything that I see that resembles any kind of elevated scenery is just disappearing into the clouds, to the extent that I feel like I am more walking in Denmark than in an area surrounded by mountains.

Walking through a flat and empty scenery, all mountains obscured by clouds.

Approaching Arzbach, here the Alps would normally be visible in the background.

It goes as far that at one point I feel the need to sit down and think through what I am doing and why. I feel demotivated, despite trying to keep my spirits high as much as I can, but I am fighting against my own expectations and that is a hard fight at times. In the end I have to scold myself into motion and keep on, it will be better, it always does. It might be good sign that I find myself chuckling a little when I approach the small village of Arzbach. In the guidebook, the village is depicted with the Alps in the background, all I can see is a grey nothingness.

Approaching the climb towards Benediktenwand after Lenggries, the whole of the mountain hidden in the clouds.

After walking for about 10km through the bland scenery, I arrive at Lenggries. It is from here the trail turns towards the mountains and the Benediktenwand, but they are only partially visible. I stop for a coffee break at a café in the village. I check my GPS track for the hike to the Tutzinger Hütte, as expected it does not work, I would have to rely on my map up there in the clouds. It depicts quite the network of paths.

View from below the clouds.

Ascent in mist.

The real climb starts from the ski station above Lengries. Venturing into the clouds, I briefly meet a young woman who believes it to be far better higher up. Given the thick clouds above me, I find that hard to believe. By now I have succumbed to the thought of spending the rest of the day in fog, which eases the passage into them. It is kind of entering a mystical realm when the mist steals the scenery around you. For all my yearnings of climbing the Benediktenwand with a clear view of the Alps, I cannot deny the fact that I also enjoy walking in 'mistical' surroundings, it is just not what I had hoped for today. Thankfully, the mist is probably also hiding some of the awful ski paraphernalia from the view.

Speichersee Garland, and blue sky is suddenly appearing above me.

Miracles, of course, do happens.

View from above the clouds.

Having climbed for a while, the hue of the sky is slowly turning blue. And suddenly I am in that twilight zone between mist and clear sky, it is a vigorous moment. The young woman I passed by at the start of the climb was right. When I am up at the cable car station at the top, I can look out across a landscape that is more like an ocean of clouds. Like cliffs rising up from the depths of the sea are the Alps. The ridge of the Benediktenwand is sort of swimming up and down in the sea ahead of me like an ancient serpent or sea monster, and I will be climbing on its back while it does so. Up here and down below the clouds are two different worlds. I celebrate by having a sausage and a beer for lunch at the Brauneckhaus, before I climb up to the top with cross above (Brauneck-Gipfel) and continue my now dreamlike walk.

The Brauneck Gipfel (aka the top of the Brauneck) with its gipfelkreuz (summit cross). Bavaria underneath the clouds.

A beautiful ridgewalk from Brauneck towards Latschenkopf.

Despite having warmed up by the climb up, the change from the flat path to this undulating path is noticeable. The path winds its way up, down and next to the ridgeline. Fully escaping the clouds though, is not entirely possible, as at times wisps of mist comes streaming over the ridge. The best view is to the south, most of the clouds that streams over the ridge comes from the north, blocking the view thither. There is less worry when it comes to finding the way, just keep to the path that stays closest to the top of the ridge.

A ridge in clouds, view from the Vorderer-Kirchstein.

My mood was definitely left behind underneath the clouds, I am all smile now, walking at the top of a green ridge with views of the Alps in the distance and the mountainsides below me disappearing down into the clouds. Behind me the Brauneck disappear in and out of view. I step off the trail and climb up to the top of Vorderer-Kirchstein (1670m), followed by the climb up to the highest point of today, the Latschenkopf at 1712m. Both peaks has a cross as the top, as well as great views. I am fascinated by what people put at the summit of peaks. Here they erect crosses, back home in Norway we usually build cairns, in Korea they put stele monuments, in Japan they make shrines.

View from Latschenkopf.

Up to now, the ridgewalk has been fairly easy, but after Latschenkopf the climb gets into another gear. The descent to the Feichtecksattel is at times steep and on an uneven path with loose stones. All the time with wonderful view of the ridge ahead, with peaks like islands in a sea in the horizon. From the Feichtecksattel there is an option to bypass the exposed parts of the main trail going over the Achseslköpfe. Not an option for me. Again this strange feeling that I suddenly appeared in the mountains, it was such an abrupt change from the flat scenery of before.

Benediktenwand rising from the clouds.

A ladder assists the hikers on the climb up towards Achseslköpfe.

The most exhilerating, but also the most demanding, walk follows after the Feichtecksattel. Here the ascent and descent of the Achseslköpfe is assisted by both ropes and ladders, with the path being treacherous sometimes. The descent is particularly steep, but exciting too. Having a break after coming down from the last climb, it is amusing to look back at where I have come down from, I could not see how narrow the ridge was when descending.

View down from the Benediktenwand, green meadows and trees disappearing down into the clouds, views of the Alps above the clouds in the horizon.

I have come to the point where the trail descends down towards the Tutzinger Hütte. Here there is also a path that heads up towards and going over the summit of Benediktenwand, it is tempting to take that path, but I stick to the trail (I do not expect to see so much more from the ridge now). And heads down into the fog again. The sheer cliffside of the Benediktenwand is rising straight up from the clouds, like it is cut in half. Then it is back to that twilight zone again, between mist and clear sky. The sun plays strange games with the light and the world goes quieter as I descend. I can hear voices coming from somewhere. I pass by a young couple that is on the same mission as I am.

A sea of clouds.

Warned that the Tutzinger Hütte could be very busy at times, I had booked a bed in advance. Not something that I usually like, but it sounded reasonable to do so. In the end, I ended up booking the first five nights, as my fifth night would also be in a very popular hut (the Karwendelhaus) and it would be on a Saturday as well. Then I could just as well book the fourth night, but after that I would try to book as little as I can in advance. There is a little bit loss of adventure in always booking ahead.

Looking back at the Achseslköpfe, seeing the narrow ridge I have just climbed down.

The Tutzinger Hütte, suddenly appearing in the mist, is my first experience of staying in a mountain cabin in the Alps (let us call it that for the moment). It feels quite similar to the staffed mountain cabins we have here in Norway, I get a bed in a shared room and a shower before settling in for the afternoon and evening. As warned, it is busy here, there appear to be a school class here. It is a cosy place, especially with the fog outside. I meet again the young woman, Julia, who reveals that she also is walking Der Traumpfad. Suddenly they have appeared too, the other Traumpfad-hikers, there are others here too. I have kasspatzen for dinner, which is like noodles with cheese.

Sunlight breaking on the Benediktenwand.

Descent into the clouds again, with the north face of the Benediktenwand rising straight up from the layer of clouds.

First part of today was a solid letdown, where I felt I lost my motivation for this hike. Then the second half of the day arrived and restored everything in an instant, it was a wonderful ridgewalk over the Benediktenwand rising up from the clouds. It was also a solid reminder to myself not to give up too early, another way of having faith. In all a good day ending in a pleasant evening in an Alpenverein cabin.