This 6-day backpacking trip through Berchtesgaden National Park in Germany involved hiking between elevations of 600m to 2713m, traversing varied alpine habitat. Day hikes included climbing multiple peaks, traversing via ferrata routes, and encountering wildlife like Alpine ibex and salamanders. Camping in mountain huts provided shelter, food, and beer each evening. The trip showcased the park's stunning limestone formations, diverse flora and fauna, and panoramic views from Germany's highest peak.

1. Time for Nature
2 – 6 July 2012
Hut walking in Berchtesgaden
National Park, Germany
Mhairi McFarlane
Southwestern Ontario (London)

2. 6 day backpacking trip traversing habitat between 600 m – 2713 m

3. Day 1: 1328 m 6 km
Climb to Watzmannhaus, watching vegetation
transition from valley floor conifer forest to
subalpine.
Martagon Lily Watzmannhaus (1928 m)
(Lilium martagon)

4. Day 2: 1351 m 13.5 km
Early start to avoid being clipped to 4 km of steel
cable during an afternoon thunderstorm….

5. Easy walking to
the first
summit, but we
were wishing
the weather
was more Lots of
stable….. fossils –
some sort
of bivalve?

6. Wondering where the “hard bits” start – we soon
discovered – time to gear up! Nice of them to provide a
bench and emergency shelter for the purpose.

7. 4 km of easy rock scrambling
over exposed terrain. No
need to worry about being
injured if we fell! The route
was well protected with
steel cable pegged into the
rock (via ferrata).
Fortunately, the weather
held off.

9. Yup, it
was as
exposed
as it
looks!

10. Final peak – Watzmann
south peak 2713 m –
the highest mountain
wholly within Germany

11. Most mountain tops in the
Alps - even obscure ones -
are marked with a cross, and
many have a summitbook
where you can record your
name and date of ascent.

12. Karlingerhaus, digs for next two nights. Running water,
hot food and Bavarian beer! Perfect after a 12.25 h day.

13. Day 3: 600 m 13.5 km
“Off” day to rest our
leggies…..just aiming to
climb the Grosserhundstod
(2593 m)…….

14. But a rapidly
approaching
thunderstorm made
soup, hot chocolate and
beer a more attractive
option at the
conveniently nearby hut
on the Austrian side of
the border!
Stuffed Alpine
Globeflower Marmot
(Trollius (Marmotta
europaeus) marmotta)

15. So we explored the “Steinernes
Meer” – the “Stony Sea” instead – a
remote area with sparse alpine
flora and spectacular limestone
formations.

17. And a few surprises too!

18. And some friendly locals. Even quite remote areas are still
“farmed”.

19. Alpen Rose White Dryas (Dryas octopetala)
(Rhododendron ferrugineum) Cushion Pink (Silene acaulis)
Gentian
(Gentiana sp) Snail (Cernuella sp?)

20. Day 4: 1008 m 16.5 km
Taking the obscure route (seemed obvious to us!)
over a remote alpine pass through the Steinernes
Meer.

21. Our first of many
Alpine Salamanders
(Salamandra atra)

22. And our first close encounter with Chamois (Rupicapra
rupicapra) for the trip – it dislodged a cooler-bin sized
rock from the cliff above us which smashed to pieces a
little too close for comfort.

23. We spent the day (and
in fact most of the trip)
skipping back and forth
over the German –
Austrian border,
marked by these paint
marks, often on obvious
natural features like this
colossal boulder.

24. We descended to 1290 m, low
enough to encounter
European Beech (Fagus sylvatica)

25. Day 5: 1130 m 10.5 km

27. How can
we resist a
“little” side
trip to
knock off a
peak and
do some
more via
ferrata?

28. More cool wildlife! Big,
male Alpine Ibex (Capra
ibex) keeping cool on
summer snow patches.
Alpine Chough
(Pyrrhocorax
graculus)
Trumpet Gentian
(Gentiana acaulis)

29. Stumbling into our final
sleeping spot: Carl O
Stahlhaus (1728 m)

30. Where we once again had to
support the European
economy by having a beer

31. Day 6: 664 m 8 km
Final day was a
lovely ridge walk
(unfortunately
shrouded in
cloud) then an
exhilarating via
ferrata where we
were really glad
to have our
climbing gear.

32. ….ending at one of the most popular
tourist destinations in southern Germany
– Kehlsteinhaus, or “The Eagle’s Nest” –
Hitler’s country retreat………
Photo credit: http://www.hotelfriesacher.com/ausflug-kehlsteinhaus/?L=1

33. …..Where we emerged
from the cloud behind
the dire warning signs,
much to the horror of
several sandal-clad
tourists…..

35. Total ascent: 6081 m
Total distance: 68 km
Days: 6
Sets of clothing: 1

36. Other points of interest
Seeing Norway Maple, …..and an Alpine hay
Herb Robert and Garlic meadow full of [native]
Mustard in their native Queen Anne’s Lace
habitat…. (Dauca carota).

37. LOTS of buildings with photovoltaics (for
generating electricity from the sun) and solar
panels (for heating water) – Germany is one of
the few developed countries which has
reduced its carbon emissions, partly due to
increases in the renewable energy sector.