First Outdoor Via Ferrata: Brünnstein
Topo from bergsteigen.com:
I don't remember what came first: our plan to climb Zugspitze (2962 m) over Höllental which we later did, or the idea to start rock climbing indoors. Either way, we bought a climbing harness and a via ferrata set, so we wanted to try them out on a real climb.
After scrolling through several climbing websites and looking at the available options, we settled on Brünnstein (1619 m), a mountain in the Bavarian Alps known for a nice beginner-friendly via ferrata route.
We looked up the closest public transport options and found that we could take the bus crossing the mountains between Bayrischzell and Flintsbach and get off at the Tatzelwurmwasserfälle. The waterfalls were amazing, which set the tone for the rest of the hike.
Despite passing many hiking groups at the beginning of the trail, we barely saw anyone going on our route. It would be interesting to know what other exciting hikes are there that are more popular than this one. Maybe Steilnerjoch (1747 m), which I crossed on my Großer Traithen (1852 m) hike?
We kept going and came across a big meadow full of cows. That's where David said "Oh, Wendelstein!" (1838 m) after recognizing the peak we visited in the past. For some reason, I remembered that phrase ever since. It feels nice to see the hiking progress of a friend reflected in their growing mountain recognition skills. I remember our first hike together, Rampoldplatte (1422 m), when David experienced a medium-difficulty snowy peak as his first climb.
Closer to Brünnsteinhaus (1342 m), there was a tiny section with some rocks and a cable. We thought the via ferrata had already started, but it was a false call. After reaching the hut, we saw dark clouds on the horizon, so we quickly put on the gear, started the climb, and hoped for the best.
The climb was great! It was easy overall, but had a tiny tunnel section, some stairs and rocks to climb, and a few exposed parts with nice views. The weather held up, and we reached the summit without any rain. You can see the full climb in 360° below. It works on any device, but on a phone with a gyroscope, you can move the phone around to look in different directions. Make sure to watch it in high resolution (click the gear icon) for the best experience. Subtitles are included!
On the summit, we found the famous "Dr. Julius Mayr Weg" sign that everyone takes photos with. You can find many instances of it on the Internet, but here is my own contribution. The view from the top was beautiful, with many peaks visible in the distance. At that time, I hadn't explored many of them, so it was exciting to see them from afar and plan future hikes.
Looking behind towards Austria, we saw a bunch of higher mountains. I don't think I paid much attension during the hike, but those were the Kaisergebirge and Pyramidenspitze (1997 m), which I climbed in winter.
As we were filling out the summit logbook, dark clouds started rolling in quickly. We decided to descend as fast as possible, taking the normal hiking trail down. Just as we reached Brünnsteinhaus (1342 m), the rain started pouring heavily. We took shelter in the hut, had some snacks and drinks, and waited for the storm to pass.
As the rain wasn't stopping, we decided to head out and descend towards Oberaudorf. The trail was already slippery, but nothing too bad. We were happy to have completed the climb and enjoyed the adventure despite the weather. If the rain had started earlier, we would have had to complete the climb in the downpour, which would have been much more challenging and less enjoyable.
After going through the forest, we came out into a hillside meadow with a ski slope. It was still raining lightly, but the sun was slowly coming out. The dirt road had ended and turned into a paved road, which made the walk easier.
I've been on this slope before, as it was my first experience with skiing in Germany back in February. It was fun to see the place in summer, with green grass and flowers instead of snow. I remember struggling to stay upright on the skis, but at least I enjoyed it!
Back then, the asphalt road and the surrounding area was completely bare of snow, so it was dangerous to ski down there. This time, it was a pleasant walk down the hill, with nice views of the valley and the mountains in the distance.
At some point, the sky cleared up enough to reveal a beautiful rainbow over the valley. It was a perfect end to our hike, seeing local cows and sheep grazing peacefully under the rainbow. We reached Oberaudorf just in time to catch the train back to Munich.
In general, it was a fantastic day of hiking and climbing, with beautiful scenery, fun challenges, and a bit of adventure. I would definitely recommend Brünnstein (1619 m) to anyone looking for a fun and beginner-friendly via ferrata climb in the area. It's quite safe and secure, so even if you don't have the gear on you, you can still try it out. I don't recommend going without gear, of course, but it's up to you. Just be careful and enjoy the climb!