“T2!” He said

“And a lesser stretch of T3”, he said

Of the highest hiking difficulty level of T6

For reference, T4 and upwards meant

You are at your own risk!

T2 climbs till Bogartenlücke*

T3 leads from there to Marwees

We had a basic hiking shoe

So began the climb from Wasserauen at 870m

Forty minutes till the beginning of T2

Now standing at its base

Looking at what loomed in front of us, I asked him

“Are you sure this is what you wanted to climb?”

That pointy rock in the middle at the top of this picture is Bogartenlücke at 1700m*

He said “Let’s go!”

“Ok! One step at a time!”

Halfway through he said ‘’May be I should have read a bit more about T2’’

Feet were sore

Sweat was pouring

Yet, the higher we went,

The altitudes higher up seemed to whisper a promise

“Come closer, there is something worthy”

Step after step

Even if small steps

Let’s not go down

Let’s maintain a pace

All motivation, just until two steps later

“I said, panting, you know?”

“You should be thankful to have me as your friend”

“I would have been drinking beer at home”

“Petting my tummy”

“And binge watching Netflix”

“Yet here I am!”

“Dying with you for blindly accepting your invitation!”

He smiled

And panted!

Step after step

Just looking at the next step

Grabbing the rocks, holding to the grass

Bells clanged!

“Wait! How did the cows get up here?!”

“Hello! Blondie Moo!”

Step after step

May be we should turn around and look below

What the mother f*cking Nature!

The promises started to appear!

Let’s sit for a moment and take in the sight!

Step after step

Bogartenlücke* was just there

In sight!

Just a few more

“Hurrah!” Set foot in the pass

Just about three meters in width

A look to the back was a vast landscape

Standing on Earth High up!

A look to the front was a plunge down

To the holy see depths of the Alps!

Truly arrested by Nature!

But then we had another small stretch of T3 remaining

A fellow hiker lady said hello

“Which route are you guys taking?”

“T2 to this gap and then T3 to Marwees”

She lifted her chin in doubt

“What you guys did so far was T3”

“That path over there is Marwees”

Jaw drop

Do you notice people climbing on this picture? Notice the vertical zigzag T4 paths

“Are you guys free of height giddiness?”

“Just watch out”

“It’s a T4!!”

I turned my face slow towards him

He was already in shock looking at the pathway up

So steep!

He said “I’m going home’

“Let’s conquer it some other time”

“Ok, but let’s go on a different route down”

The pathway down the plunge side!

He did not look happy

At least it’s a T3 still

Steps down the depths

He felt like “Man vs. Wild”

He balanced a foot to the rock, clinched a bunch of grass

And slowly moved his other foot down

Later he confessed

“I was mumbling la la la to prevent dying thoughts”

Then a 60 year old lady jogged past him

It was still a marked route, but with gravel

The lady slipped a couple of times

But balanced quick and whooshed past him

While he was sticking like a whining lizard to the rock

These fit first worlders, did give him some motivation!

In the valley down 40 minutes later

Pleasant wind

The whole outing was a nice escape

What is hiking?

It’s just another way to be with nature!

An Indian would understand

Bells clanging

Felt like in a temple!

At the same time, wondering

How did the cows get up here!

I thank him for the invitation

Through this ode

Get ready, my friend

Next time!

It’s a T4!

“Lücke is a gap or a pass