Mhairi's time for nature

Time for Nature2 – 6 July 2012

Hut walking in Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany

Mhairi McFarlaneSouthwestern Ontario (London)

6 day backpacking trip traversing habitat between 600 m – 2713 m

Day 1: 1328 m 6 kmClimb to Watzmannhaus, watching vegetation transition from valley floor conifer forest to subalpine.

Martagon Lily (Lilium martagon)

Watzmannhaus (1928 m)

Day 2: 1351 m 13.5 km

Early start to avoid being clipped to 4 km of steel cable during an afternoon thunderstorm….

Easy walking to the first summit, but we were wishing the weather was more stable…..

Lots of fossils – some sort of bivalve?

Wondering where the “hard bits” start – we soon discovered – time to gear up! Nice of them to provide a bench and emergency shelter for the purpose.

4 km of easy rock scrambling over exposed terrain. No need to worry about being injured if we fell! The route was well protected with steel cable pegged into the rock (via ferrata). Fortunately, the weather held off.

Yup, it was as

exposed as it

looks!

Final peak – Watzmann south peak 2713 m – the highest mountain wholly within Germany

Most mountain tops in the Alps - even obscure ones - are marked with a cross, and many have a summitbook where you can record your name and date of ascent.

Karlingerhaus, digs for next two nights. Running water, hot food and Bavarian beer! Perfect after a 12.25 h day.

Day 3: 600 m 13.5 km“Off” day to rest our leggies…..just aiming to climb the Grosserhundstod (2593 m)…….

But a rapidly approaching thunderstorm made soup, hot chocolate and beer a more attractive option at the conveniently nearby hut on the Austrian side of the border!

Stuffed Alpine Marmot (Marmotta marmotta)

Globeflower (Trollius europaeus)

So we explored the “Steinernes Meer” – the “Stony Sea” instead – a remote area with sparse alpine flora and spectacular limestone formations.

And a few surprises too!

And some friendly locals. Even quite remote areas are still “farmed”.

Alpen Rose (Rhododendron ferrugineum)

Gentian (Gentiana sp)

White Dryas (Dryas octopetala) Cushion Pink (Silene acaulis)

Snail (Cernuella sp?)

Day 4: 1008 m 16.5 kmTaking the obscure route (seemed obvious to us!) over a remote alpine pass through the Steinernes Meer.

Our first of many Alpine Salamanders (Salamandra atra)

And our first close encounter with Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) for the trip – it dislodged a cooler-bin sized rock from the cliff above us which smashed to pieces a little too close for comfort.

We spent the day (and in fact most of the trip) skipping back and forth over the German – Austrian border, marked by these paint marks, often on obvious natural features like this colossal boulder.

We descended to 1290 m, low enough to encounter

European Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Day 5: 1130 m 10.5 km

How can we resist a “little” side trip to knock off a peak and do some more via ferrata?

More cool wildlife! Big, male Alpine Ibex (Capra ibex) keeping cool on summer snow patches.

Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus)

Trumpet Gentian (Gentiana acaulis)

Stumbling into our final sleeping spot: Carl O Stahlhaus (1728 m)

Where we once again had to support the European

economy by having a beer

Day 6: 664 m 8 km

Final day was a lovely ridge walk (unfortunately shrouded in cloud) then an exhilarating via ferrata where we were really glad to have our climbing gear.

….ending at one of the most popular tourist destinations in southern Germany –

Kehlsteinhaus, or “The Eagle’s Nest” – Hitler’s country retreat………

Photo credit: http://www.hotelfriesacher.com/ausflug-kehlsteinhaus/?L=1

…..Where we emerged from the cloud behind the dire warning signs, much to the horror of several sandal-clad tourists…..

Total ascent: 6081 m Total distance: 68 kmDays: 6Sets of clothing: 1

Other points of interest

Seeing Norway Maple, Herb Robert and Garlic Mustard in their native habitat….

…..and an Alpine hay meadow full of [native] Queen Anne’s Lace (Dauca carota).

LOTS of buildings with photovoltaics (for generating electricity from the sun) and solar

panels (for heating water) – Germany is one of the few developed countries which has

reduced its carbon emissions, partly due to increases in the renewable energy sector.