Alpspitze is Zugspitze's slightly smaller and much more accessible
neighbor. At 2628 metres above sea level (8622 feet), it's still quite
a climb...for the climbing inclined.
We opted for the cable car to Osterfelderkopf (2050 metres, 6726 feet)
which is on a small glade at the foot of the peak. Unlike atop Zugspitze,
there is nothing atop Alpspitze, save for the occaisonal climber...
This is one of the places in the Bavarian Alps where farmers bring their
cows in the spring. The cows have to climb up a very long way to reach the
rich pastures on which they graze all summer. Every cow has a bell around its
neck, which clangs constantly when they are eating. It's a racket. It's also
how the farmers find their herds, and how they locate strays.
In the fall, the cows come home. Down off the Alps for the winter.
In America, we have a saying that is something to the effect of 'That won't
happen until the cows come home.', meaning, whatever it is will take months.
In Bavaria, I learned where that saying came from.
We had excellent weather for this excursion. We took a cable car up, hiked
down, down, down for a few miles (probably half a mile as the crow dives), and
took another cable car back to the bottom. On the hike, we had some wonderful
vistas of the north side of the Bavarian Alps, and of the valley below, where
we were staying.
Click on any picture to see the full view.
