Wednesday 19th June: Weather: 12°C to 20°C: sunny, blue skies and cool in morning, warm afternoon
Garmische to Rientelanger Hutte: 15k: 8am to 1.30pm: 5 hrs 30 mins with 2 small breaks
Accommodation: Rientelanger Hutte
Video clip Partnachklammgorge
20k walk around Chevreuse
Map around Zugspitze
Map around Zugspitze
Blue skies to Partnachklamm Gorge
80m high wall Partnachklamm Gorge
Into dark tunnels
Morning tea in the forest
Magnificent mountains, blue skies
Partnach River Valley
Snow capped mountains at end
Washing feet in icy water
Is this glued of really balancing
A magical day in the mountains
Lunch at Reintelanger
Lunch with a mountain view
Reintelanger Hutte at 1350m
Views to the Zugspitze platt
Bed bugs - Microwave your sheet!!
So many highlights today. We’ve seen lots of deep gorges in the past few weeks, but today’s Partnachklamm gorge takes first prize. 800 metres long and up to 80 metres high, the walkway beside this raging torrent passes through narrow dark tunnels and chiselled rock shelves. The air temperature was about 5°C and I was pleased to get back into the sunshine. The rest of the day was a magnificent 14k walk beside the Partnach River valley rising steadily through high mountains and pine forests to Rientelanger Hutte where we have lunch with a beer. We’re informed on checkin that they have a “little problem with little creatures” - bed bugs.
We’er awake at 5am to the DB express train whizzing past our window. We’re awake so may as well have an early cup of tea from the kitchen downstairs. A quick check of emails then down to the kitchen for our own muesli, yoghurt and cream for breakfast and pack teh rest of our cold food into Ian’s “fridge” bag with frozen bottles of water.
We’re away at 8am, and within minutes pass the Olympic Ski Jump. Originally built for teh 1936 Winter Olympics, it has been replaced several times, and was the training ground for Eddie the Eagle, famed for his daredevil ski jumps in Calgary 1988. Within a few minutes we’re at the start of the Partnachklamm gorge - 5 euro each. Immediately, there’s tunnels and shelves cut into the rocks with the raging torrent just metres below. We’ve seen many gorges in recent weeks, but nothing like this. It’s very noisy, cold and dripping water as we feel our way along, sometimes in tunnels so dark there’s no light for 20 metres. Eventually we emerge into the sunshine and warmth.
It takes me another 30 minutes to warm up as we follow the forest track rising steadily along the River Partnach. There’s a few other hikers going our way. One couple are hoping to do the walk we wanted to do - go to the next hut Knorr Hutte - then climb even further to Sonn Alpin and take teh glacier train to the top of the Zugspitze, but they too had been told there was still 5 metres of snow on the track. This just confirms our decision to walk up the Reintelanger Hutte then walk back to Garmische.
The track winds it’s way through pine forests and ever steepening mountain walls until we here the thunderous sound of a waterfall seemingly shooting out of a hole in the wall of the mountain. There’s a few snow patches to cross, indicative of the snow higher up. But this track is one of the prettiest we’ve been on. It’s quite warm as the track steepens and we stop by the river and I take the opportunity to dip my feet in the unbearably icy water.
By 1pm, we see a seat, but we know we’re only 1k from the hut and decide to keep walking rather than stop for lunch. Besides, Ian would like a beer with lunch. In another 30 minutes we’re at Reintelanger Hutte, located in a magical position on a flat turn of teh River Partnach. Check in is 3pm we’re told, so there’s time for lunch. We drag out our cheese, tomatoes, avocado and bread to have with a beer at the tables near the rushing river with a magnificent view to the mountain wall opposite and the snow fields above near Knorr Hutte. There’s many hikers coming and going in both directions, some stopping, others rushing through.
Soon after 3pm, it’s time to check in and were greeted by a tall german lady who informs us that “We have a little problem here with little animals!” Ian immediately thinks mice or birds of foes, but I immediately think bed bugs. And I’m right!!!! Bed Bugs!!! We’re told microwave our sheet sleeping bag for 30 seconds before we use it and before we leave. There’s mattresses stacked in the corridor near a vacuum cleaner - signs that a clean up is underway. Our room is a small twin bunk dorm for just us, with a shower downstairs accessed by a 2 euro token.
After unpacking and microwaving our sheets, we have a hot shower which is nice. Then back to our room to set up the bed and sort photos before dinner. Come 6pm and we’re downstairs for 2 dark beers, but most of the dishes on offer are pasta, so we settle on a share plate of weiner sausages and potatoes. We’re not hungry after a late lunch. There’s 20 or so others ordering dishes but mostly soups and pastas as there’s no road access into this hut.
Then back to our room to finish photos and blogging while eating Aldi chocolate. Already I’m thinking I’m itchy. It will interesting to see if we have unwanted visitors in the night.