Rofan hiking

Published on 2019-6-8 by Michael Stanton

Sunday

Barbara, Mara and I hiked up the Spieljoch from Maurach. It was good fun, though we were both tired. She had a headache all the day before, and so did I, though not as bad.

A heroic looking fellow on the ridge between the Spieljoch and Hochiss.

Mara is intensely interested in cheese!

Me and Barbara on the Spieljoch.

Mara on the Spieljoch.

Life on the Spieljoch Sunday.

My gal on the Spieljoch.

My ladies coming down...

Monday

Georg and I returned to the region at my insistence...it was just really cool and I wanted to go back. He balked with (understandable) fears of traffic jams. However, there was no worry about Sunday Münchners out for a drive -- it was raining when we met at Holzkirchen, and continued sprinkling most of the way.

About five minutes into the hike, Georg took off, basically running up the steep slope. I joined him "in spirit" but moseyed along at my own slower pace. What a crazy trail -- 60 degree forested slopes. They look really scary as you look down. Barbara and I were here before. After the steep trail, I enjoyed Apfelstruedel and Milchkaffee at the Bayreuther Hütte. After a few minutes walking above the hut, I met Georg screaming down. We agreed to meet later. He went and took a nap in a meadow and woke up with 7 ticks on him! Oh man...I hate losing the meadows...I love them!

View out from breakfast at the Bayreuther Hütte.

Passing a host of bleating sheep, I climbed steeply to the summit of the Vorderes Sonnwendjoch (2224 m). Boy, I was tired here. But the weather had cleared up nicely and there were views all around.

Looking down on the Bayreuther Hütte from the Vorderes Sonnwendjoch.

Summit Panorama from the Vorderes Sonnwendjoch.

Looking over to the Haidachstellwand from the Vorderes Sonnwendjoch.

I hurried down, found Georg, and we decided to jog down the road which runs east of our steep ascent trail. We were scared of slipping on the oily, wet roots above 60 degree wet grass -- yikes!

We joked about the blood-fed darkling blooms of the Edelweiss on the steep and trecherous slopes of the Allgäu, determining that they only bloom in full glory when fed by sacrifice. We surmised that the fire-pits of Reutte in pre-Christian times were tended by fallen Druids of the "left-hand path."

Later, we talked of more cheerful things, like global civilizational collapse. Of the failure of the Energiewende in the most committed, wealthy and idealistic country to attempt it. Of the blindness of our discourses (economic, political, social) to the fossil fuels which underlay everything that happens to such an extent that they are invisible.

Of the need to live, and rejoice in primary experience. After all, just because we wound ourselves into complexity we cannot manage, doesn't mean we intended harm. On our good days, we do love, and love well.

• Spieljoch: 1200 meters up and down.
• Vorderes Sonnwendjoch: 1600 meters and down.