In 2021 I decided to do a mountain hike just with a backpack. I haven’t had a hiking partner, so I searched for a hiking group to join. Start of the hiking experience was 09.07.2022 from Oberstdorf. The plan was hike the E5 path to Meran in Italy, sleep-over in hotels and alpine huts and taxi transfers in other regions.
Day 1 Hirschegg – Oberstdorf – Spielmannsau – Sperrbachtobel – Kemptner Hütte
First I stopped at the company head office in Hirschegg for check-in and to met the other group members. Two groups with one mountain lead started together the hike. After a transfer to Spielmannsau I started the walk 870 metres uphill to Kemptner Hütte which was the first hut for the sleep-over in a room with 5 other group members. The backpack was placed in the material cable-car for a more comfortable walk uphill.
Arrived at the hut, the hiking shoes were placed in the shoe room which was full with currently used hiking shoes from the bottom to the top of the walls. We hiked together with a second group at the first day because the originally mountain lead was ill. Therefore we got someone else who is taking this hiking route with us spontaneously.
Day2 Mädelejoch – Holzgau – Boden – Hanauer Hütte
The next day I had nice views at Mädelejoch, the mountains of Tirol were visible. I hiked to upper and lower Rossgumpenalpe, through Höhlenbachtal and down further to Holzgau. By taxi I arrived in Boden, hiked along Bschlabsertal to Hanauer Hütte with backpack transport to the hut.
The group sat in the lounge until the lights set off and many of the members drunk a lot of beer and wine and talked about their garden, favorite restaurants or how to preserving jam. As often in such situations with unfamiliar people I have no idea what to talk. Although I talked with some people little small talk I was asked why I’m so quite. In the evening I drunk one beer after the meal and in combination with a non-ability to sleep situation in the multi-bedded room for 11 people, I needed to get up searching for the toilet. The bed made loud noises when I moved to stand up. On my way back to the sleeping room I passed an open door of the hut and stepped outside. It was cold, but the starry sky was amazing. I decided bring my cellphone to take a photo.
Day3 Dremelscharte – Steinseehütte – Alfutz – Zams – Venetberg
Despite less sleep during the last night because of the sleeping conditions, I liked the hike uphill to the next stop. The landscape was completely changing from less to non vegetation. I started in the early morning with a hike alongside of chamois, climbed up with the possibility to hold onto a fixed wall cable to Dremelscharte and walked downhill to a grassland with horses grazing next to a mountain sea, Steinsee. After a break and a naked bath of the mountain lead, the group walked to the Steinseehütte and had a lunch. I ordered a Kaiserschmarren and sat in tranquility next to other members of the hiking group who talked all the time like chickens. As I continued the hike downhill, a member of the group was asking me why I’m so quite. I answered that you all are talking so much all the time, you don’t get a chance to speak. After my response she was pissed off and walked faster to reach the other members in the group and I walked alone. Downhill the chicken part of the group stood together and starred at me with their offended faces. No chicken was ever talking to me the rest of the day. Why it’s allowed to ask someone several times about their quietness, but it’s not allowed to point out their non stop talking behavior.
From Alfutz I drove with a taxi to Zams and went by cable-car to Venetberg. From the mountain lead I was asked if I want to change in the other hiking group which was hiking the similar path. I have denied the opportunity and slept this night in a four bed room.
Day4 Venetberg – Wenns – Mittelberg – Braunschweiger Hütte
The hike started at Venetberg station along the Goggelsalm with a short break at Larcheralm. Me and a 17 year old girl led the group and the chickens downhill to Winkel in Wenns. We drove by bus to Pitztal and took a break before we hiked 1000 metres uphill to the Braunschweiger Hütte.
After we finished the dinner, one of the chickens started an aggressive discussion with the mountain lead of our group and complained about his leading skills and knowledge about the route. He admitted that it is his first time leading this hiking route, therefore we hike close with the second hiking group with an experienced mountain lead. She didn’t want to stop screaming and continued to complain about the sex of the mountain guide. It was promised in the description it should be a woman who is leading the women group. I said to her it is not the blame of the mountain guide, she should complain at the company who organized the hiking tour. Another group member started to complain about the health conditions of the mother from the 17 year old girl. The complaint was about hiking too slow because of frequent breaks which were needed for the mother. I said that in this group it’s the mother that is too slow and in another group could someone else be the slow one. There is always someone who is the slowest, just be happy not to be this guy. We shared a bedroom with the group of 11 people. I went early to the bedroom, other people of the group sat in the main hut room and drunk beer and wine. I had a conversation with the 17 year old that cognitive maturity doesn’t depend on age, it depends on the kind of human. This night 2 people got ill.
Day5 Pitztaler Jöchl – Panorama – Höhenweg – Vent
In the morning we hiked up to Pitztaler Jöchl and walked or slided downhill to Rettenbachferner. The descent was covered with snow and was slippery. During a break the chickens discussed the further hiking path with the mountain guide. They decided to hike to Vent, not to drive by bus. I waited for the bus, because I felt an upcoming illness too. We drove by bus to Vent, searched for a pharmacy and waited in a cafe for the rest of the group and the hotel check-in. This evening I felt bad, went early into bed, but couldn’t sleep very well.
Day 6 Martin-Busch-Hütte – Similaun Hütte – Meran
I woke up in the morning feeling ill. I talked with the mountain lead about the hiking tour and how long the path uphill is expected. I thought about my 2 opportunities, hiking with the group to Schnalstal or drive home because of illness. I had the wish to finish the complete tour, therefore I decided to hike with the group. Along the path to Martin Busch Hütte I felt really ill, I felt a pain in my chest and my physical fitness was bad. As we arrived at Martin Busch Hütte, I told the mountain lead and the others to stop my hiking tour and decided to hike down again to Vent and to take the way home to Frankfurt. The chickens fought again with the mountain guide in front of the hut.
On my way back to Vent I felt ill but also I felt free. A herd of goats crossed my way down and I waited until they passed by. In Vent I took the first bus, changed into the second bus in Sölden to Ötztal train station. I went by regional train to Innsbruck, with the EC from Innsbruck to Munich and got on the ICE to Frankfurt. In Frankfurt I went by subway to Römer/Altstadt. Arrived at home, I did a corona test because of the chest pain, it turned out positive. The chickens send photos in WhatsApp of their stay in Meran.
The mountain tour company https://bergschule.at/
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