The Alps in May

The Alps in May are just beautiful. In early May I took a day trip to an area in the Wetterstein Mountains (Wetterstein Gebirge) known as Schachen which is below the Dreitorspitz. It is not too high (1860 meters) but high enough that I had to wade through snowfields in May. It reminded me a little bit of the Upper Yosemite Valley around Cathedral Peaks. The view was awesome as you can see. King Ludwig once had a hunting lodge up here that you can still visit. I can only assume he did not come up the way I did! Anyone visiting Schachenhaus early (May or sooner) might want to check avalanche conditions and bring along snow shoes/crampons just in case. Much of the trails before the final climb Schachentor to the area around Steilenberg were washed out making the route interesting. Take more than 1 water bottle if walking all the way from the Olympic Stadium :-)