2019 Adlerweg Austria

Tuesday 18th June:  Weather: 12°C to 27°C: warm sunny blue skies.  Almost hot in afternoon

Garmische:  11k: 3k down town, then bus to Eibsee and 8k circuit walk, bus back to Hostel

Accommodation: Hostel der Athleten Garmische

Definitely the highlight was playing tourist and walking the 8k around the Eibsee with the massive Zugspitze in the background. We also had to spend time re-orgainsing the next 10 days as some routes are closed due to the heavy snow falls, and other huts are closed because there’s no access.  

We’re awake at 5am to the sound of a train zooming past our window, less than 20 metres away.  We need the time this morning to check tomorrows walk to the Rientelanger Hutte at the back of the Zugspitze and also to re-route next week’s tracks.  After a few hours of checking maps and googling info, it’s time for breakfast of our own muesli and yoghurt before heading off to the tourist information Office in the town centre  to confirm what we already think - too much snow in many places.

It's almost 3k into town and the morning is crispy cool with blue skies, but within the hour, it’s already warmish.  And yes, the Tourist Office confirms that the route we had planned for two days time from the Rietelanger Hut to Knorr Hut then the  glacier train to the top of teh Zugspitze and down in another cable car to Lermoos is not possible.  So we'll need to return to Garmische after one night in the hut on the mountain and catch a train around to Lermoos the next day.  Not surprising given the amount of snow in the region.  But on checking our route for next week through the Lechtalen Mountains, we find there’s also key huts that are closed and we’ll need to walk mostly in the valleys to get to our final destination of St Anton.  

We leave the tourist office with a plan to visit the Eibsee then return to our Hostel room to re-organise and book some accommodation. It’s 10k out to the Eibsee, but we’ve been given “Gastepasses” - free bus rides all over Garmische to tourists for the time they are here - and soon we’re in the long queue waiting for the Eibsee bus. It takes 45 minutes by a long pick-up route on a hot crowded bus including 6 dogs, to get to Eibsee.  But so well worth it. The Eibsee is picture perfect today - surrounded by pine trees with blue skies, snow capped mountains and crystal clear water.  The car park is full, there's hundreds if not thousands of tourists everywhere, and it’s not summer holidays yet.

We join the throng of people walking the 8k circuit around the lake but soon stop for a coffee on the lake edge with a piece of bread and jam. There’s views to the mountains from every angle,  but particularly from the far side looking back at the Zugspitze. Many peole are in swimming, so I test the water expecting it to be icy cold but it’s surprisingly warm, I’m guessing about 24°C on the edge, but maybe colder out further.  It takes us one and a half hours to walk the circuit and with 10 minutes to spare til the bus arrives, there’s just enough time for a cheese sandwich.

At 2pm we’re back in town, and recheck some info at the tourist office re trains and buses for our return to Garmische in two days time, then spy an Aldi opposite the bus stop.  Time to stick up for dinner before catching the bus back to the Hostel.  It takes 2 hrs to book the next 6 days of accommodation on booking.com between Lermoos and St Anton, choosing places close to the valley floor and not snow bound.  By 5.30pm we’ve finished and go downstairs to teh kitchen to have a beer with cheese, and cook our Aldi dinner of pork fillet, mushrooms, zucchini, onion and capsicum followed by dark chocolate and hazelnuts.  There’s even enough left to takeaway - maybe lunch or dinner tomorrow. 

After dinner, it’s blog and photo time while sorting and packing for tomorrow when we’re hiking around the back of the Zugspitze.