This is one of the views from the top of Mt. Wendelstein. All I kept saying was wow over and over again. The mountains were breathtaking in contrast to the green fields below. My favorite hikes are climbing upward toward a view top and this was a winner.

Here we are during a quick pause on the way up. Altogether we were a small, easy going group of seven hikers including our fearless leader, Thomas. We laughed and talked up the mountain, each of us from different countries speaking different languages. It was a relief to me that everyone spoke English. After not speaking much for a few days I could go back to asking lots of questions. I really enjoyed learning about the other’s lives.

 

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Here are some photos from the hike up the trail. Part way up there is a restaurant and a small church. We did encounter a cow blocking the trail at one point and Adam was anointed with a long lick down his arm.

After coming down the mountainside to the sound of a herd of cowbells ringing, we ended the hike with a sunset above a mountain ridge and arrived at the silent train platform in darkness with no one else around. Our leader, Thomas said that we had the option of  Kneipp Wassertreten (walking in cold water with one foot held out of the water at a time). There was a cement pool long and rectangular with steps and a railing to hold onto. It was filled with cold water from the nearby river. We all took off our shoes and socks, rolled up our pants and walked in slow circles in the darkness. It felt surprisingly good after the 11 miles of hiking and why not try a new water therapy?

If you want to learn more about this treatment you can go to this website. https://www.kneipp.com/us_en/kneipp-magazine/water-cures/water-treading/

I cannot include video on this blog. If you want to hear the serenade of the cowbells you can listen on my instagram, ali.grimshaw  Thanks for following along.

Love to all,

Ali