“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
My Pomalo 