Mind Blogging. Mind Boggling.

GaPa is a hiking paradise. Plenty hikes to choose from, across difficulty levels. All trails well marked. Plenty stay options in traditional Bavarian cottages, range of cuisines in multiple restaurants, including vegetarian. Good shopping. Bavarian town experience, with murals decorating the cottages, with cottages themselves in standard Bavarian style. Beautiful natural scenery: gurgling streams & rivers, meadows, alpine flowers, gorges. Valley town GaPa surrounded 360 degrees by massive mountains, including Germany’s highest- Zugspitze.  

Upon arriving at GaPa (R Bahn train from Munich), walking from the train station to the hotel, I witnessed the usual race-ending scenes of onlookers cheering, runners trudging 1 km away from the end but towards the last 200 meters turning on the afterburners. It was the end of the Zugsptize Ultra trail marathon. I learnt later that this is Germany’s largest trail running event. This was a great introduction served up by GaPa to me, informing me about its stature as the premier hiking town of Germany. 

Hiking options

1. Kramerplateau and chapel, 2 hours hiking round trip from Garmisch center: Easy warm up is to explore the ‘Kramerplateau;’ – a pleateau midway up Kramer mountain (one of the towering mountains around Garmisch). It is replete with hiking paths. I went to a nice viewpoint, a chapel (Kriegerdachtniskapelle). The path and the viewpoint offered nice views of Garmisch town and Zugspitze. The path is gravelly with gentle undulations- comfortable and easy to walk.  Exploring Kramer plateau set the stage for my hike of Pflegersee the next day. 

Pflegresee and Schmolzersee lakes, 3 hours hiking round trip from Garmisch center: ‘See’ means lake in German. I started smoothly, using my knowledge of Kramer plateau from the previous day. The path was more undulating, rough and unstructured compared to previous. There were patches of thick forest, at one of which I got up close and personal with a big jungle squirrel. Blackbirds and other chirpers were aplenty. Pflegersee was a beautiful lake, with the Königsstand mountain looming just over it and the reflection being covered entirely in the lake. There were just 5 other people enjoying the beautiful view, making it quiet and peaceful. I chatted with one of them, a Berliner, who gave me important advice : do not go to Partnach-klamm today (Sunday) – too crowded. Go to Elb-see. Which I followed to the T. On the way back, I also walked to the equally beautiful Schmolzer-see lake. It was smaller then Pflegersee. It has beautiful yellow and pink lillies; pink bloomed and yellow shut-eye. 

Partnach-klamm gorge  + Graseck meadows- beautiful natural confluence of light, sound, water, rock; and later - green grass punctuated by alpine flowers: Partnach is a stream running all along Partenkirchen, with roots up there in Zugspitze. Klamm is gorge in German. The walk from the bus stop to the entry to the gorge runs along the green-white waters of the Partnach. Once you enter the gorge, it’s a 600 m walk thru rocky tunnels you have to duck and weave through. The water roars, the rock walls are lofty verticals, through the gap on top rays of light stream and trickles of water fall. All very enervating. I waited at a spot and had a mystic experience, also related to my current meditation journey on the app -The Way: I felt connected deeply to the natural elements: earth, light, warmth, water. On the way back, I walked up to Graseck, which has wonderful ‘hummocky meadows’ bedecked with a carpet of white-yellow-violet alpine flowers. The way back involved a 32 degree decline for 300 m, which was punishingly enjoyable for the legs. I saw plenty of picnickers heading for the gorge as I sat sipping a coffee at the exit, so I was glad that I had entered early, enjoying my solitude. 

Elbsee lake- a global legend among emerald lakes. In a remarkable serendipity, just as I was going to show pics of Elbsee to Sw and Ap back home in Bengaluru, Windows popped up on its rotating wallpaper show Elbsee with Zug and Alp looming over it. Took the narrow gauge Zupspitze rail from near main station, got off at the Elbsee station. The lake is an emerald gem, with the Zug and Alp towering over it. Lots of friendly (and hungry!) ducks floating and waddling around. However, my own circumstances here were less than ideal- I was zonked by the time I was here (having hiked Parnach-Graseck in the morn), I had less time, the clouds meant that Zug and Alp were covered, I had gone thru some work messages so my mind was there. So, to shake it up, I ran 5 km around the lake, which is in keeping with lakes being the main running venues for me back home. I was carrying my pack too, so I went thud thud thud.  

Apart from all these hikes, there is the tough ‘Kandahar’ route to Zugsptize, Koningstand starting from Kramer plateau, all-day hikes to Wank mountain, Alpsptize and Eckbauer. Lots to choose from!  

Dining : good continental veggie fare

My top 3 were Max café, Berge café and La Baita pizza. La Baita had excellent vegetarian pizza and was packed to the gills, and was dinner on Day 1. I spent 3-4 hours at Max café after the Pflegersee hike for brunch and coffees, while I did some creative writing. Their playlist was pleasant and I now have it on Spotify. Café Berge had some great brunch set menus. Apart from this, I ate Donner one day, some cake from a bakery, waffles, ice cream, and pasta at a much advertised place called Maroni's. Those were regular fare.  

Hotel Aschenbrenner: too hot for comfort in the weather, but a gem nevertheless. 

Stay was at Hotel Aschenbrenner in Garmisch. Charming place , wooden upholstery per usual Bavaria standards, replete with alpine blooms at the lobby and the beautiful garden lawn. Excellent location right on a gurgling stream, which I later learnt to be the Loisach river. The proprietor and staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast was excellent. The one challenge which is to be expected in this part of the world is that during summer when temperatures hit 37 degrees plus in the day, it can get real uncomfortable coz they don’t have ACs or fans. Thankfully, because of the altitude, the heat produced thunderstorms in the evening (like it happens in Bengaluru) and it became pleasant outdoors. However, inside was still uncomfortably warm most times. It produced an unexpected gem, though: right next door is the Aschenbrenner museum, which has a spectacular collection of intricate porcelain figurines and life-like dolls. 

And those are the specifics, especially written for those of you who want to plan a trip yourself.  The below sections are more details and context on GaPa, and the treks undertaken by my mind independent of those undertaken by my body. The rambling begins:  

Context on GaPa

It may be tempting to call it just Garmisch but then Garmisch (more cosmopolitan)  has a very different vibe from Partenkirschen (shops open only 9 30 – 11 30 AM on the Monday I was there). So I will call it GaPa. Maybe I sing Ga-Pa the way it sounds on Indian classical music scale. I can say Garmisch when I am talking about the Garmisch side, which is where I stayed put my first 1.5 days. Ga and Pa are separated by the Hauptbahnof (main train station), and also by the narrow-gauge Zugsptize railway that originates at GaPa.

GaPa is a small town surrounded 360 degrees by massive mountains which loom all around it. I read that while the absolute height of these mountains , 2000-3000 m, pales in comparison to some of the world’s bigger peaks, they are dramatic in Gapa because they rise up steeply.  While Zugspitze is the largest, the Alpsitze, also a German top 5, looms larger over GaPa since its closer. Aplspitze and Zugspitze are part of the same range, when viewed from Gapa seem neighbors, and I learnt later are connected by a technical and challenging “Jubilee ridge walk”. 

Trip plan was not as clean as it seems above: Emotional ups and downs in the mountains: 

This was my first solo hiking adventure; earlier, I’ve gone with groups of strangers but never alone. Big thanks for the German Alpine Club (DAV) for maintaining the trails so well. It’s the world’s largest climbing association. Their logo is a beautiful Edelweiss, of which I now sport a lapel pin on my backpack.  

Easy to say now that options were plenty, but when I was there by myself I was struck with good amount of analysis paralysis, fomo, anxiety, regret, and other psychological perils. Here are some questions that weighed on my mind: 

• It’s so hot (day 1 afternoon)- what if I am unable to sleep the entire night! How will I hike in this weather?
• If I go to Pflegersee today (day 2), will I miss the legendary Partnachklamm?
• Day 1: Should I go to Zupgsptize? Came all the way but did not go to the highest point of Germany? But wait, I’ve come hiking. I should not take cable cars. 
• All days: If I hike too much I will be too tired for creative writing or reading
• Thunderstorm! I should not be in the open hiking when thunder strikes (day 2)
• This rain jacket is too warm. Instead of one jacket fits all (warm + wind + rain), I should have brought my simple rain jacket. Damn. 
• How will I keep this umbrella from the hotel when I go for long hikes? (in the end, I figured out a clean way to keep my trekking pole and umbrella- tucked into my bag’s waist belt)
• I should have brought two trekkling poles from home; not only 1 . 
• I’m getting late to buy souvenirs – stores will close! (And that’s when I ran the 5k around Elbsee, which was critical in terms of giving me some time to shop)
• Need to buy something for the kiddo since Germany has good toys. What!!
• Germany has good optical shops, could buy a spectacle frame for myself. Which shop do I go to? 
• Should I go to Wank mountain, or Pflegersee? Will Wank mountain be too challenging? Will Pflegrsee be too easy? (and I read a couple of blog posts on Wank mountain climbs)
• Will my thigh injury flare up- will my leg hold up? 
• Will I miss breakfast all 3 days at the hotel? Breakfast-inclusive-fare was one of the USPs of Hotel Aschenbrenner.  

Options, options

• Choice is not only stress but also excitement and freedom. In the end, most choices will turn out fine, so relax when picking between equally good options. 
• Felt confidence in my problem solving abilities- in the end, (with some luck- such as the improved weather) , will be able to work things out. 
• With my work involving lot of people interaction, sitting in an open plan office with regular din, I enjoy quiet and solitude during holidays and weekends. 
• I went to Munich after this (just half a day) and saw a huge distinction between such a hiking holiday and a big-city holiday. Both have their own charm, but are very different from one another. 
• Cross body bags are amazing during hikes- pack essentials (snack, maps) in them

Smile this way or that!

Enjoyable sidebar activities:

• Poring over the maps given to me by the hotel
• Figuring out the public transport 

To dos: 

• Hiking is a key desired part of my vacations, so plan accordingly! 
• Make those flower pots at home, like commonly seen in houses in GaPa

Labels: Travellog

# posted by Ashwin Ravikumar @ 11:39 AM