, . At exactly four .. the alarm clock
rattled me out of my splendid dreams of soaring
mountains, glaciers and chimneys in the Dolomites.
... I sallied forth from the old castle as the first rays of
the rising sun shone upon it. Everybody was fast
asleep instead of rejoicing in this lovely Sunday
morning. The train left Neuhaus [Veldenstein’s sta-
tion] just before five .. and puffed off through the
Jura mountains toward Nuremberg.... At eleven we
were in Munich. I made my way to the Bürgerbräu
first to seek refreshment in a mug of Munich beer....
At the station hobnail climbing boots rang on the
paving, well-stacked rucksacks were on every back, in
short you could see this was the start for the Alpine
travelers.
. A shopping spree through Salzburg
Alpine Club membership card, climbing boots, irons,
etc., had to be obtained, and my mountain boots
needed renailing....
. Wakened at three-thirty .. Straight to
window to look at the weather, it was clear and the
Watzmann and its “children” were standing there in
such splendor that they kindled great hopes in my
breast. It was by no means certain we’d get to the
summit, as the weather could thwart us at any mo-
ment. At four-thirty we set off from the Hotel Geiger.
... The path climbed gradually to the first Watzmann
hut, mostly through forest. In one clearing we
glimpsed a deer grazing peacefully without paying us
the slightest attention. After two and a half hours we
reached the Mitterkaser pastures, where the steeper
meadows began. The path snaked uphill in long,
winding bends. A couple with a nine-year-old boy
followed us from the Mitterkaser, dressed from head
to foot in city suits. These simple-minded Saxons
clambered straight up, pouring with sweat, without of
course making any faster progress than we did.