Tuesday 16 September 2025 - Wolfratshauser Hütte and the Hidden Valley

We left the Hotel Sonnenspitze, pictured above, and tried to board several buses, eventually succeeding in getting a number 2 bus to the Grubigsteinbahn at Lermoos. By 'we' I mean me and Sue, Fiona and Kate, and Alistair and Angie. We were to enjoy a good day together. 

We took the gondola to the middle station and started our walk there, briefly up a gravel track before taking to a steep, narrow path in the forest.

After a while we reached the Wolfratshauser Hütte, where we enjoyed welcome drinks, once the coffee making machine had been persuaded to work. 

Fiona needed a rest room and mistakenly reached for the kitchen door. The guardian showed a good sense of humour  - "No, not there, no shit in my kitchen." (As if she would have!)

There was cloud over Zugspitze and nice flowers in the hut's window boxes. Above us, a golden eagle was being mobbed by a raven.

From here a narrow path ascended a little before diving into the depths of the forest on a steep, slimy route with some exposure and some wires to hold on to.

Eventually we reached an open meadow with much evidence of  cattle but none actually there.

Soon we could see Gartner Alm, and lots of cattle.

We felt no need to seek further refreshments so carried on down a gravel track to a good picnic bench for lunch.

Looking back from just below the Alm, the rock band above us showed an interesting strata.

Near the picnic bench, high mountains appeared out of the cloud.

Lower down, after a shortcut through steep forest, and after Sue had been attacked by a Four Spot Orb Weaver, two witches 🧙‍♂️ 🧙‍♀️ were found on a giant broomstick.

After another shortcut (actually before our encounter with the witches and not taken by Alistair and Angie), we came across a lazy sheep and two goats.

Soon we were back in Lermoos and enjoying the flowery buildings before catching a bus back to Ehrwald on which Alistair and Angie were already installed. 

With Zugspitze in cloud we felt we had made the best of the day.

The route we took was Collett's M1 route, shortened to 9.7km and 474 metres ascent by way of the shortcuts taken after Gartner Alm.