Daniel snowshoe

Published on 2009-1-6 by Michael Stanton

Daniel

January 6, 2009

It was Dreikoenigtag (a holiday) in Germany, so I thought I'd get in a snowshoe hike. I'd always wanted to climb Daniel, the highest peak of the Ammergau Mountains. I'd climbed Hochplatte, Schellshlicht, Friederspitze, Kramerspitze and one or two others...it was time for the big daddy!

The weather was unsettled, the long high pressure spell was finally over. But the forecast said the sun should appear in the afternoon. Correspondingly I got a late start, leaving the trailhead at 9:30 am. This is actually a very popular peak, there were ski, boot and snowshoe tracks all over the place...like some kind of massacre! So I didn't have to think too hard, wending my way through forests up to the Tuftlalm hut. I put on snowshoes here, and kept going, eventually traveling on a hogsback ridge going northwest to the summit of the Uppsspitze. I tried to go kind of slowly, because I didn't want to sweat too much and get all wet. For the last climb to Uppsspitze, I took off snowshoes again, following a snow-drifted boot trail on a moderately steep slope (40 degrees?). At the col the wind was screaming! I bundled up, even put on crampons in a little nook on the north side out of the wind. The mostly horizontal walk to the summit of Daniel was very uncomfortable! Any exposed part of my face would hurt and go numb very quickly. Even my hands in thick gloves lost feeling several times. A cloud was whipping over the summit. I had to be careful on the narrow ridge, but eventually I was there. A few quick pictures before my camera died of the cold, then the equally oppressive return trip. At least now my right side could warm up a little bit. It seemed like cold air was rushing into our region from the south, I saw massive clouds boiling down the Stubai slopes far south, on the other side of the Inntal.

Back at the col, a couple was standing there with way too much exposed skin on their head. I warned them about the wind. They seemed like they were going to go visit the summit, but on the way down I looked back and saw they changed their mind. Pretty smart! Because even with thick ski goggles, hood, warm hat, etc. my cheeks and nose were frozen...I half suspect I'll get black spots on them.

After about 30 minutes of descent, it was as if no storm occurred at all. The sky became mostly blue, there was no wind. I wondered if it was still screaming above or not.

Below the Tuftlalm, the trail was quite nasty...very icy and slippery. I tried to leave it wherever possible to prevent pratfalls. I reached the car at 2:45 pm, for a 5 hour, 15 minute round trip.

Great summit!

Cold wind on the summit of Daniel.

Frozen self-portrait.

Looking down to Lermoos.

Looking up to the summit.