13.3 miles ascent 4622′ descent 1126′
Our brief stay at Schloss Fernstein was like stepping back in time. Some of its out buildings, were visible as we left the castle.
The trail began with a gentle ramble through a lush forest and soon joined an ascending, steep, gravel track which included a number of sharp hairpin turns. After roughly an hour the angle of ascent eased and the forest thinned allowing views of charming mountain meadows.
Putting the climbing aside for awhile, we would amble along and just enjoy the terrific landscape.
Once we emerged from the forest the Tegastal Valley opened up revealing an ideal mountain countryside.
We were happy to spy Hintere Tarrentonalm through the trees as we were in need of lunch. When we finally arrived, the caretaker told us they had closed just the day before for the season. Thankfully, I always carry a Snickers bar in my pack for just such situations, although the small bar did not compare to the anticipated freshly baked kuchen.
The trail began to wind toward rocky terrain as we progressed toward Hinterbergjoch.
The trail up a rugged, unstable, mountainside was a bit of a scramble.
The view of the Zugspitze back over our shoulders was a treat.
The long, zig zag path continued. As we eventually took a rest stop, we met and chatted with two hikers from Belgium, who assured us that we were not far from the top. By this time I was hungry, really craving the lunch that we had missed at Hintere Tarrentonalm.
The reward for all the effort to get up the mountain was well worth it!
And now we dropped over the other side and began the a long, tedious descent. Our next goal was Kromsattel col, the notch straight ahead.
A glance behind gave us a feeling of accomplishment as we took in the descent we had just navigated on our way to climb up to the Kromsattel col. Now most of the work was done, we were “home free” for the day.
The remainder of the day’s hike was riddled with marmot sightings. They were not shy as they lay in the sun, enjoying the afternoon.
What a welcome sight, as we finally reached our hut for the night, Anhalter Hütte. This hut had been remodeled in 2021 and was in beautiful condition.
The mountain view from our room.
The hut staff prepared a great meal which we shared with our new Belgian friends (both university students) we had met on the trail. The crowning experience of the evening was the amazing sunset from this high mountain perch.
