Bockerlbahn-Weg: I am the Train

Every time I walked near the Josefsthaler Wasserfälle, I was intrigued by the wide shallow road going downhill. After some online exploration, it turned out that the road was part of a narrow railway taking wood from the nearby forests to Neuhaus. The whole route is a well-known hike, so I wanted to experience it for myself.

When I got to the end of the trail near Waitzinger Alm and turned around, I was immediately greeted with the railway road carved through rocks and hills to avoid sharp turns and steep slopes. On some sections, since the weighted wagons only travel in one direction, the rails were laid onto steeper slopes. I passed the Bleckstein hut and saw a bunch of hikers resting there, but didn't visit it myself.

I kept walking and getting closer to Spitzingsee, passing by a bunch of elderly hikers. At one point I saw Jägerkamp (1746 m) that I've been at in the past. It was a memorable experience, just as the trip to Rotwand (1884 m).

When I approached Spitzingsee, walking on the meadow that operates as a ski route in winter, I wanted to end the hike there. However, the trail keeps going all the way to Neuhaus, so I had to see it to the end.

When I passed Spitzingsee and moved higher up the hill, I walked past a bunch of cows and a few hikers taking the trail. The grass was much taller on this section, making me believe most people skipt it and walk down to Josefstaler Wasserfälle. I wasn't paying much attention to where I was stepping and was focused on Brecherspitz (1685 m) I want to visit. When I noticed a grandma in my peripheral vision, I looked down and saw a cat she had on a leash! That goofy animal was not listening to her at all, exploring the road at its own pace. I guess if you have all the time in the world as a grandma, you can get the most bizarre hobbies.

I walked over some restored and a couple ruined bridges and passed a train carriage monument. I read that the bridges were record-breaking at the time, but since they were constructed from wood, they rotted and fell apart eventually.

When I was approaching Neuhaus, I checked the train schedule and realized I was late as usual. To sum up, I'd say this is a great family hike and a decent road for beginners. The elevation change is small and not steep at all by design, so it's accessible for strollers and big families.