My hike to Höllentalklamm and Zugspitze is the last of my four part series around the Bavarian mountains. Not only was it the last but it was the most beautiful as well.
Typical Bavaria
Typical Bavarian landscape
We were very lucky that day to have perfect weather. According to our student guide, there are only about 30 days (or less!) a year that one gets to see the entire Zugspitze. More often than not, it will be shrouded with clouds. On that day we got clear blue skies with some fluffy clouds as ornaments for photos.
Magical Waterfalls
Waterfalls from the sky
Mini waterfalls were coming down from the source upstream and it was as if we were in a water park. The sunlight made the water droplets glisten as if we were in some magical Elvish kingdom. The best part was, the water is completely safe to drink as it is direct from the mountainous sources. No need for Evian.
Deep gorges high rocks
My favourite part of every hiking trip is to sit by the river, eat some food and drink straight from the rivers. Trust me, the water was so fresh and it tasted a little sweet. I am still alive so it probably wasn’t poison.
Fresh water, fresh face
All in all, this hike was pleasant and very beautiful. We didn’t hike up the Zugspitze as that would require more advanced skills and experience but the plan was to enjoy the view of the mountain while hiking in the Hell’s Valley Gorge (Höllentalklamm). For ticket prices and more information about the gorge, click here.
Getting There
As usual, I went together with the student group during the weekends, hence the usage of the Bayern ticket. With the Bayern ticket, we travelled from Munich HBF to this station called Untergrainau and we walked a fair bit to get to the entrance of the gorge.
For the journey back, there are several options. You can either head back to Untergrainau, walk further to the next town and take the train at Garmish-Partenkirchen.
Challenge Completed
During my exchange programme in Munich, I told myself that I wanted a different experience that does not simply involve travelling. I wanted to do something to improve myself, do something that I may never have the change to do again in a long time. I enjoyed pushing myself through the physical and mental challenges along the way because it served as a reminder about life. Life is full of ups and downs and, more often than not, nothing comes easy. At the end of everyday, we come back home and we know it was a good day because we gave it our all.
