25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m - (Benzingspitz ) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee Start at Taubenstein Bergstation 1613m, Finish at Spitzingsee 1080m Highest point reached was Tanzeck summit, 1701m Distance 16 kms Vertical altitude gain of circa 550m Total time from start to finish was 5hrs 15 mins Weather was cold with fog lower down and sun higher up, fog and then snowfall later. Very deep snow. Snowshoes used for around half of time
Saturday dawned cold and foggy in Neuhaus. But watching an excellent tv programme that showed views from higher up on a lot of Bavarian mountains, it seemed there was a good chance of sunshine "on top". The forecast for each location also indicated the sunshine could be replaced by snow later. So no lingering breakfast and a prompt start getting kitted up before going out to catch the 08.46 RVO bus to the Taubensteinbahn. As it was a weekend we walked the extra distance back to the station and were rewarded when an empty bus relief bus arrived just before the train from München. That enabled us to get tickets and seats before the large numbers of winter sports people from the train filled our bus, and the regular service now behind us as well. No queues at the Taubensteibahn meant we were soon at the top, enjoying the lovely views around us, including the Jägerkamp that I hoped to climb.
25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

We planned to walk down the side of the steep ski piste so Bobbie could wait in the Schönfeldhutte, but first we took in the stunning view towards the Wendelstein. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

I had left Bobbie at the bottom of the descent from the Taubenstein, where she was to walk up to her "refuge" for the morning, the warm and cosy Schönfeldhutte, by now some way below me again. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

I felt tired, (the impact of being under the weather most of trip), but was enjoying the climb up with a lot of fresh snow around me. I had already decided the Benzingspitz was perhaps a more realistic goal today. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee
Leaving the side of the piste I was suddenly on my own. And in snow that was very deep, firmed packed with a layer of new powder on top. But not firm enough to stop me breaking through the surface. So it was on to snowshoes for what I knew would be a long hard slog uphill past Schnittlauchmoos. No one had been up in front and the recent wind and fresh snow had covered the previous tracks. So it was just me leaving that distinctive snow shoe trail behind me! 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

The slope got steep enough for zig zagging: behind were the Rotwand and Rauhkopf as the weather started to crash. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

Above Schnittlauchmoos was a basin with my direct route to the Benzingspitz, (far right peak) the short cut to the West, (left). But I was concerned about going under a steep overhang loaded with snow: a local ski hiker had told me on Monday that was an avalanche waiting to happen. So I slogged the long way around and almost up to the Tanzeck, before heading West around top of the basin, (right) towards the shoulder clearly visible on the left. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

With just my tracks showing behind me I left the Aiplspitz and Tanzeck behind, dropped down a fair way then started climbing up towards the Benzingspitzsattel. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

In front, (center), the Benzingspitz was close, but too steep to climb directly. I traversed a slope on the way to the saddle, but it was steeper than expected. I couldn't get my snowshoes to edge into the snow, so they were lying sideways across the slope and causing considerable ankle discomfort. I realised a fall down the steep slope into what looked like very deep and possibly soft snow was now highly likely, so I turned back. Very carefully! 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

I like hiking alone and in winter which I know isn't always safe. Maybe if I was with others I could have continued but I reckoned the risk on my own was too high. So I headed for my secondary "target", the Tanzeck, passing the closed Schnittlauchmoosalm hutte below me which was well on the way to being covered with snow. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

I retraced my snowshoe prints and then finished the climb to the top of the Tanzeck on virgin snow. So at least I had achived a "first", my first virgin snow summit on snow shoes! I had some coffee and reflected on the hike up: one that even I would not bother with on today's route outside of winter as it would be a very easy walk with no challenges. What a difference a good layer of snow makes! Around me the weather was changing fast. The fog was creeping up from the valley and the cloud bearing the promised snow was approaching fast from the South, behind the Hoch Miesing and the Rotwand. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

More to the East the Austrian peaks were still visible above the gathering gloom, with the steep North Face of the Bavarian Hoch Miesing to the right. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

To the North and East the fog was rising quickly up the side of the Aiplspitz. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

West the Benzingspitz was still clear of fog, but not for much longer! 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee

My attempts to kick the edge of the snowshoe into the steep slope I was traversing under the Benzingspitz had loosened the boot toe strap in the lower snowshoe, adding to my discomfort and insecurity as that crampon had then lost most contact with the snow underneath the snowshoe! What I didn't realise until much later was that the loose crampon had then started to gouge lumps out of the vital boot support bar, (photo inset). Glad that didn't break at a difficult moment. Will now be looking for Grivel snowshoes with built in crampons! 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee
A fairly straightforward decent was made, leaving a nice line of snowshoe tracks in virgin snow leaving the Tanzeck. And then down the snowy slopes and onto the ski piste to meet Bobbie waiting by the Rauhkopf ski lift. 25th Feb hike cont

25th February: Taubenstein Bergstation - 1350m -(Benzingspitz) - Tanzeck - Schönfeldhutte - Spitzingsee
Back with Bobbie we climbed up to the Schönfeldhutte for the nearest they do to a light bowl of soup, as we didn't want to spoil our appetite for a good evening meal. Most huttes do good meals: but this one is the best I've been in. Then we enjoyed a gentle stroll in light falling snow back to Spitzingsee, one of the normally tall signposts reminding us of how much snow were were walking on higher up!

26th 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