| VanSims9. 09. 2013 23:21:15 |
HOCHSTAUFEN (1771 m)
For the last day of my vacation rambles, nice weather was forecast during the day but thunderstorms in the evening. Since crossing Watzmann (it's little known among Slovenians that our Valentin Stanič, who first summited the nearby Hoher Göll, is said to have been the first or at least among the first to climb it) requires a long day without thunderstorms (10-12 hours without stops), I unfortunately had to abandon this challenge.
In the TC in Berchtesgaden, I searched the net for a shorter alternative hike. Since the system was limited to just a few Berchtesgaden tourist pages without detailed tour descriptions, I chose more or less randomly. Well, the more or less random choice turned out to be good: Hochstaufen above Bad Reichenhall.
In the evening while taking a short walk in Berchtesgaden, I saw pages of the local daily newspaper hanging on an ad board. My attention was drawn to an article describing two mountain accidents that happened the previous day (both fatal) and exactly one on Watzmann and one on Hochstaufen.  Both though on paths much too difficult for me and I had no intention of going on them.
The one on Watzmann happened in the east wall (Ostwand). Berchtesgadener Weg runs through it (free climbing to III). A mountaineer slipped there who set off on this path alone (without belay)  . The mountaineer below him (also alone on the path  ) first heard a scream then stones cascading. When he got higher he found the mountaineer's backpack and called Berchtesgaden GRS, which with helicopter help unfortunately found only the body.
The helicopter hadn't even properly landed at base when it had to take off again. This time to the north wall of Hochstaufen, where the accident happened in the famous Piddinger Klettersteig. Here too the doctor could only confirm death. But this latter accident was really the result not of great carelessness but literally complete indifference since the victim ventured into one of Bavaria's hardest vias ferratas literally without anything: without helmet, without self-protection and in sneakers!
Next day in the morning I plan to drive to the start. The path should start at Padinger Alm. Where is that? In Bad Reichenhall on Garmin I find Staufenerstrasse. When I get there I see some hiking signs but none for Hochstaufen. I ask a local lady who tells me the access to Padinger Alm. And yes, it wasn't far.
There it was already full of cars so I barely got a spot. So very popular destination. I park and head past the barrier. Already on the net I saw two paths go from here to the top: normal route and "Steinerne Jäger" (legend supposedly tells of two hunters whom the devil turned to stone). For the latter it said on the net: "anspruchsvoll", on terrain signs marked with black dot (difficult path). Hmmm, how difficult? I ask one hiker and shortly after also a female hiker who pass by the junction. Both say a bit of free climbing is needed, it's unprotected, requires absence of fear of heights, both also emphasize it's 'sehr schön'. I also ask him what climbing grade? "Maximal erste!" Well, that should probably go. Time: ca 3.5 hours.
At the junction I head towards the harder path. Path goes a couple hundred meters on road then branches into forest path. Nice forest path ascends moderately and after about 1.5 hours reaches saddle and junction. To the other side path to Pidding, left turns to ridge. At saddle also view opens to north and highway, which was audible but later I didn't need to listen as most of path went on south side of ridge.
Path from saddle starts ascending quite steeply then I reach spot where view back to Bad Reichenhall opens. From there first up some ladder, and that was all the iron. Path then gets more interesting. Slowly need to start grabbing rocks, though some walking still in between. Actually such path continues all the way to hut below summit. So somewhere walking and climbing (more I- than I), well except on three-four slightly longer sections where I had to grip firmer and pull (I), one or two of them about 20m long. All in all within easy scrambling limits, which... hmmm at home roughly matches some ridge on Prisojnik if we ignore cables at start on latter.
Of course now someone will ask (especially seeing pics) how bare rock appears already around 1400m to summit. And on south side! Must say in 1921 fire broke out on mountain (due to discarded cigarette) and vegetation obviously hasn't overgrown since. Normal route downhill also mostly bare in upper part. Reminded me a bit of Svinjak where I recall some fire near top.
So I reach just below summit to Reichenhaller Haus hut. There I refuel a bit then to summit still ca. 5 min. On the way to summit nice chapel stands. Before it memorial plaque to couple who worked as hut keepers here and were robbed and killed in 1993...
From summit nice view of whole chain of central Berchtesgaden Alps. Watzmann in clouds, which would mean foggy crossing without views and (depending on density) maybe dangerous. Later evening cleared bit. North besides highway Bavarian hills visible, east Salzburg nicely, somewhere northwest Chiemsee.
I stay quite long on summit then descend to hut and down normal. Since I had time I went slowly all the way meaning I arrived at Padinger Alm just as darkening started a bit. Just as I sat at table in courtyard of local inn waiting for the waitress to order beer, summit wrapped in black clouds, started blowing so hard that tablecloths were flying from tables and overturning chairs. Well, better go before it really starts. Weather forecast was fulfilling... 
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