Oh wow, I’d love to do that too. How did it all begin? Did you take courses before heading into the mountains? What would you recommend to an absolute beginner? I’m asked these or similar questions all the time on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. I’ve collected the most common questions about learning mountaineering and am sharing my own experiences with you.
mehr lesen>
Until now, I had only seen the Hohe Tatra in pictures. I had never set foot in the mountain range on the border between Slovakia and Poland. That has changed. I even stood on Slovakia's highest mountain, Gerlsdorfer Spitze. After that, we had to move fast. A thunderstorm suddenly rolled in. It's likely to stay with me for a long time.
mehr lesen>
The hike to Schönfeldspitze is supposed to have great views. At least, that’s what the route description says. There’s not much sign of those views yet at the Riemannhaus car park. We get out, gather our things from the boot and can barely see a hand in front of our faces. Great. Half-blind, we stumble off. The first part of the trail isn’t spectacular anyway. The forest road winds steadily uphill. Maybe it’s a good thing we can’t see how far up we have to go.
Continue reading “Like being on the moon: a mountain hike to Schönfeldspitze”
I lie awake in the dormitory, my eyes wide open. There’s no trace of tiredness. I toss and turn restlessly. Around me, I can hear steady breathing. Am I the only one who can’t sleep? Am I the only one wondering whether she’s up to the challenge ahead? The only one unsure whether she can make it up Mont Blanc and back down again? The bed creaks again as I roll onto my side and reach for my phone. A glance at the screen tells me it’s already 23:00. Breakfast is at 1:00. And here I lie. Eyes wide open, heart pounding.
Continue reading “Can I Do It? Climbing Mont Blanc”
The alarm goes off. Still half asleep, I stretch my arms and legs as far as they'll go. I sprawl out, try to blink the sleep away and reach one hand towards my backpack. My toothbrush is within easy reach. The washbasin becomes our morning meeting place. With toothpaste in my mouth, I mumble a barely intelligible good morning several times. The clock reads 5:10. Time for breakfast. The coffee finally starts to bring me back to life. Ahead of us lies the climb up the 3.537-metre-high Schalfkogel.
Continue reading “Tour tip: Alpine climb up the Schalfkogel”