Hey there, welcome back! I’ve been a bit silent over the last few weeks. Don’t worry, nothing serious happened. It was just a mix of reasons, combining work alongside plenty of computer tasks at home and finally the rather uninviting weather that’s been around – think wet snow (if at all) and a lack of true winter vibes. Too many warm days, too much rain … To get some nice snow, I’d have to go higher up and usually through wet soaked snow. And finally, a touch of laziness crept in as well to be honest.
Regardless, I was determined to seize the last two weekends, aiming to fit in at least one hike each. I wanted to do some snowshoeing this season, but I never had (or found) the opportunity to do so. Before my last chances slipped away, I decided to get out and try a tour in the Karwendel mountains. I’ve been in that region a couple of times last summer already and had a couple of trails in mind that I could try. Not too steep, not too flat, no danger by avalanches.
Upon arrival, I was pleased to see a decent amount of snow next to the road already! However, I soon noticed that the forest road I began on had been cleared of most snow, leaving just a couple of centimeters beneath my boots. Not enough to justify getting into my snowshoes. After more than an hour, though, I finally reached the part which wasn’t cleared anymore! At the beginning, the snow was still so hard that I didn’t use my snowshoes but luckily that also changed later so that I finally had my snowshoe experience 🙂
During my walk, the sky began to shift into dark gray. The weather forecast didn’t mention any bad weather – but I started to question the conditions. As usual, I evaluated the risk of the situation: I was entirely alone there for hours, no cellphone reception, not a single trace of another person nearby and a very low chance anyone would come along. My wife knew that I was on a fairly safe trail. So, no one that would notice my absence for quite some hours. But even if the weather would change, I had backup clothes and was sure to find the way back even with low visibility. I felt confident that I would not run in a predicament I couldn’t handle. I was also fairly sure that I wouldn’t miss any stunning views or photos. The decision was easy: Time to return.
But at the same time I started to understand that this could indeed be a situation that might be uncomfortable for others. The mental aspect of being out there alone without the chance to reach out to anyone – especially when you are used to the safety of 24/7 connectivity – is something that you have to be able to cope with. And it made me think – again – about getting a satellite emergency device.
Sorry, I am drifting away from the hike itself. On the way back, I encountered another important lesson: I realized I really should have given more attention to the online maps before my hike. I was aware that I was in proximity to a seasonal wildlife protection zone that I shouldn’t enter. Unfortunately, the maps I carried with me didn’t mark these seasonal zones, which led me to decide against what I suspected would be a nicer trail on the way home. I thought I would enter at least one of the zones which I really wanted to avoid. Once back, I discovered that the trail fork could have indeed provided an alternate route as it went along but not through the mentioned zone. Well … I learned that now as well.
Although I didn’t capture a lot of photographs, and certainly none that really stood out, I did compile a few clips that I pieced together into a short video.