19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Taubenstein B'station Start/Finish at Taubenstation Bergstation, 1613m Highest point reached was 1692m, Taubenstein summit. Round distance circa 6 kms Vertical altitude gain of circa 300 m Total time from start to finish of 4 hrs 50 mins Weather was cold and fair. Very deep snow.
Saturday 19th Feb dawned bright and clear at our Gasthof, ideal weather for going on the Taubenstein cable car to check conditions higher up: with better snow than the rather "tired" looking snow lower down in the valley. A number of hikes were planned for the area around the Taubenstein: original plans to start most lower down from Spitzingsattel being changed because of me still being a little under the weather. And because it was Bobbie's holiday and starting at the cable car Berg station would mean we could have breakfast together, rather than me heading off for the early bus. Our 09.46 RVO bus from the railway station ran with a relief service, much needed as the train from München disgorged enough skiers and ski-boarders to nearly fill both buses!
19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

The superb weather gave us a lovely view from the cable car as we ascended to the Taubenstein Bergstation. Below was the frozen Spitzingsee, opposite were the Rosskopf and Stümpfling and right the Bodenschneid. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

Stepping out of the cable car revealed a superb panarama in all directions. That to the South extending well into Austria. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

North East was the Wendelstein and other local peaks, with Taubensteinhaus lower down in the foreground. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

To the West was the view down the steep ski slope to Schönfeldhutte and (right), the Jägerkampf. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn
We were hoping for deep powder snow and that was what we got. But too deep to get up to the Taubenstein. So we headed down to below Taubensteinhaus on a pisted track, giving a great view up to the Taubenstein that I still hoped to be able to climb later. It was a Saturday and those intrepid ski- mountaineers would maybe lay a few tracks in the snow up to the summit that was just a little too deep to walk in without snow shoes, (left back at the Gasthof!). 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

We got to below Taubensteinhaus where the pisted track ended, but in the deep snow couldn't progress any further. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

Instead of trudging up to our knees in snow we took in the view of the Lempersberg to the South on this superb day. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn
We headed back to the Taubensteinsattel and checked the track to the Rauhkopf: blocked with deep snow and no tracks through it! We found a partly exposed seat below the cable car bergstation where strong winds had scoured the snow onto a cornice over a ridge. It was embedded in ice: giving me a chance to christen my ice axe to give Bobbie somewhere for her feet! 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn
We spotted a small kopf, (Taubensteinkopf to us) below the Taubenstein rock, so we dropped down across the ski piste and then slogged up to it's summit. The deep snow was compact enough for us to only sink in a relatively short way, before we reached the top. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

Back down from Taubensteinkopf the view South said more about winter mountain hiking than any words I can write! 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn
From Taubenkopf I'd seen some ski mountaineers climbing to Taubenstein. So we dropped down to a saddle, up to the Bergstation where Bobbie could wait, while I followed the tracks through the snow. It was very deep: in Autumn I'd gone between the rocks on the right hand photo with them some way above me! Care was needed here, as, not visible in the photo, there was quite a steep drop to the left and I didn't want to start the snow sliding down that! 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

No icy rocks for my ice axe here: just very deep snow! 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn
The transformation from my Autumn hike here was astounding. In front now was the deep gulley with a rope assisted mini-klettersteig. But completely filled in with snow, making it a straightforward steep slog in the tracks to the summit. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

A superb view from the summit to the South West. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

South East was the Lempersberg and Rotwand. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

Below to the North east was Taubensteinhaus, with the Wendelstein dominating the background. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn

West were Brecherspitz and Jägerkamp, with the Schönefeldhutte below. 19th Feb hike continued

19th Feb: Taubenstein Bergstation - Taubensteinhaus - Taubenstein(kopf) - Taubenstein - Tstein Bgstn
I had to to tear myself away from this wonderful vantage point, taking care on the descent as my slopemeter had shown a 30 degree slope dropping to the right after the track turned left, (mid picture). Despite the white beauty all around it was vital to remember a medium level avalanche warning was in force: brought home on the bus down from Spitzingsee as we passed one that had got close to the main road only a day or so before.

20th Feb hike	Feb 2006 Trip Index	Key to route descriptions	Back to Main Index

Key to Route Descriptions Throughout this web site I have tried to adopt a consistent approach to the way I show the summarised hike details in the blue text table shown at the start of each hike. Below is an explanation of how the various parts of that text table are arrived at. Start and Finish The main locations, usually a village or nearest village, from where the hike is started and ended. The altitude of the start and finish taken by comparing my exact starting point with the appropriate contour line or printed height from the relevant Topographische Kart 1:25000, Bayersisches Landesvermessungsamt München map. Round distance in kms The total distance actually hiked. Includes any "excursions" off the main route. The kms shown are a very broad estimate only. I have yet to find a way of getting anything like an accurate distance for my hikes even using the 1:25000 maps. Frequent zig zags and height gains and undulations are the main problems to deal with! Vertical altitude gain Not the height difference between the starting point and the highest point reached. It is an estimate of the total metres I have ascended during the hike. It will include all significant undulations and all "excursions" off the main route. Using the detailed 1:25000 maps as above, it is possible with a little care and effort to get quite close to an accurate figure. Total time from start to finish Time from my gasthof back to my gasthof after the hike if no public transport is involved. Or from leaving a bus stop or railway station and back to a bus stop or railway station at the end of the hike. Includes all breaks. My ascent rate is slow, never more than about 300 metres per hour, so most other people would complete the hikes quicker. I often complete a hike with no stop lasting longer than a few minutes, but picnic stops and visits to huttes taking longer than that will be mentioned in the text. Weather A broad description of the weather conditions during that hike. Any temperatures usually taken from the nearest weather recording site that I can find, (done on my return to England), or from local TV reports.
February 2006 Trip Index	Back to Main Index