Falling from Sonnenberg

Yet another fall from a cliff. If you've read my story about fracturing my finger on Vordere Kesselschneid (2002 m), or getting a giant bruise on Soiernspitze (2253 m), you know that I have a knack for slipping on slopes and falling off cliffs.

A day earlier, I messaged Stanislav from my Trainsjoch (1707 m) hike about his plan to do a ski tour up to Teufelstättkopf (1758 m). I don't have any experience skiing, but I wanted to meet him in the area, so I asked if we could arrange a spot to see each other on the way.

After looking around the area, Sonnenberggrat seemed like a good option for me to meet him at the August-Schuster-Haus. I don't know why the name didn't tip me off, and I didn't realize that Sonnenberggrat was a via ferrata route. The navigation app said the route takes 4 hours, so I got decent sleep and set off in the morning.

The start of the hike was very chill, walking through Oberammergau and the surrounding slopes, where parents were dragging sleds with their kids uphill. I can across Kreuzigungsgruppe Oberammergau, and headed further up.

The whole area up to Kolbenalm was very lively, with teens practicing their snowboarding skills along the road, and families enjoying the snow. I was surprised to see so many people out in the cold weather, but it was nice to see everyone having fun.

The tracks in the snow continued on from Kolbenalm, and I followed them for as long as I could. The path was very accessible, with some ski tour groups going up to Kolbensattelhütte (1276 m) and back down. I was already expecting the tracks to end there, since I had to turn off the main path, but I was surprised to see that they continued on the way up the ridge.

The tracks in the snow from an old ski tour remained, so I continued following them further. The hill was already getting steeper, but for some reason, this didn't raise any red flags for me. I was making steady progress roughly going on the trail, and that's what mattered.

The path was getting steeper and more difficult, but he snow still wasn't too deep. I assumed that this trend will continue, so I kept going. At some point, a thick cloud approached the mountainside, and the visibility dropped to a few meters. I was still managing to follow the ski tracks, so I wasn't too worried about it.

I saw a ski tour hiker changing his equipment on the way from the top of Zahn (1615 m), which meant two things. First, I was on the right path, and the top was close. Second, the person making the trail is turning back, which meant that the conditions along the ridge would get much worse.

I followed the zig-zag ski path up the ridge, eventually reaching what was meant to be the top of the mountain. I was surrounded by bare rocks on both sides, and it wasn't clear what counted as the peak, but the map says I visited it.

I checked the map and saw that there's an extra path westwards cutting a portion of Sonnenberggrat, which was the route I planned to take. The snow in the area was already waist-deep, and I was already getting tired, so I went for it. What could go wrong, right?

The slope was very steep, but with the deep snow, I was hoping to get a better grip and descend safely. I tried staying closer to the tree tops peaking from the snow, which provided some support. When I descended to the main pathway, I saw the familiar ski tracks, which meant someone continued along the ridge, so I followed them.

The tracks didn't help much at this point. The snow was deep and not packed at all, so I kept sinking with every step. Around halfway to Sonnenberg (1622 m), the tracks turned around, and I had to continue on my own. I didn't want the hike to go to waste, plus I had Stanislav waiting for me at the hut. I messaged him just in case, but he didn't have any coverage as always, so I had to keep going.

Eventually, I reached the crossroads going to the peak of Sonnenberg (1622 m). There was so much snow, that it was practically up to my neck. The trail up is steep even in summer, but with the deep snow on the northern side of the mountain, it was very hard to get a grip. Staying close to the rocks, I managed to reach the top and send another message to Stanislav.

As I returned to the crossroads and started the way further to the hut, I realized there is no way to reach the hut at a reasonable time. The snow was so deep that I was practically crawling on the ground, and I was already exhausted. The cold was also starting to get to me, with all my clothes soaked in snow. I decided to look for a more shallow slope on the trail and descend through the wilderness. This decision bit me instantly, as I slipped on what turned out to be a loose piece of ice, and fell down approximately 20-30 meters.

I was extremely lucky to survive the fall, but I lost one of the hiking poles, and I wanted it back. I wasn't thinking straight because of the impact from falling and all the adrenaline, so started climbing back up the smooth stone surface, getting my gloves further soaked in the process. I got quite close to the pole, but I slipped down again, and this time I gave up. Now I was off any marked trail, not that they were visible or safe, and I had no choice but to continue down the mountain, hoping to find a safe path to the hut.

I knew the hut was further west, so I tried to head in that direction, while going down the mountain. It was really hard to navigate. The snow was still very deep, and with no markings or trails, I was left guessing which parts of the slope to take without sliding down again. Deep inside, I was also panicking, because I had no idea how long it would take to get down, and I was afraid of freezing. I was trying to stay calm and take it one step at a time, approaching Kofelsteig and heading in the direction of Pürschlingweg.

I started to feel numbness in my hands and feet, so I wasn't checking my map anymore, but I knew I was getting closer to the main road. At some point, the slope became completely inaccessible because of boulders and cliffs, so I decided to bite the bullet and head down to Kofelsteig. To my surprise, I came down directly to Kofelsteig merging into Pürschlingweg, so I made it!

I was so relieved to be back on a marked trail, and I could finally relax a bit. I was immediately greeted by a group of hikers sliding down on sleds, and they reassured me that the hut was "just around the corner". This gave me the necessary motivation to keep going, especially since the hut was still open.

I walked up to the hut without any problems, although very slowly due to cramps in my numb feet. When I reached the hut, all the visitors were already gone and the staff was closing up. I explained that I fell from Sonnenberggrat, showed my scratches and bruises, and asked if they saw anyone waiting for me. They said everyone already left, but being concerned about my condition, they called the mountain rescue team to ask for advice on what to do with me.

Since I didn't have a visible concussion, and I was able to walk, they told the employees to bring me down the mountain, if possible, and check my condition again at the bottom. I was planning to hike down myself, not realizing I was already suffering from hypothermia, but my gut feeling told me to accept the help.

They drove me down in their snowmobile, which was a really cool first experience, and even took me by car to the Unterammergau train station. Although I couldn't formulate a proper goodbye, I thanked them as I could and found Stanislav on the train station, who was surprised to see me in such a state. I explained what happened, and we went home.

Now, would I recommend this hike to anyone? Definitely not in winter. But even in summer, the trail is quite steep and sketchy, with big drops downhill, so I would only recommend it to experienced hikers with proper equipment. I was lucky to survive, but I don't want anyone else to go through what I went through. If you want to see the beautiful views of the area, there are plenty of other hikes in the area that are much safer and more enjoyable. Just make sure to do your research and choose a route that matches your skill level and experience. And always remember to check the weather conditions before heading out, especially in winter, as they can change rapidly and make the hike much more dangerous. Stay safe out there!