5/29/2011 Bavarian National Forrest solo backpacking trip

Alright, we've all seen 127 hours.  If not, you should.


127 Hours is a movie about a guy who venutres into the wilderness alone for a solo weekend camping trip and barely gets out alive 127 hours later with a stub for one arm. Everyone leaves the movie feeling like doing any kind of solo adventure into the wild is dangerous and can go horribly wrong.  It's really not all so bad though, I was easily able to move all the rocks that fell on my arms on this trip.  Ha.

Seriously though, I did just get back from a really cool solo backpacking trip.  This weekend I went to Nationalpark Bayerischerwald, which translates to the Bavaria National Forrest.  I went solo because my friends whom I planned the trip with flaked at the last second and I was too set on a backpacking trip to cop out without their support.  It really turned out to be an amazing experience because I had to overcome the nerves of self navigation and execution all by myself.  The payoff was a weekend in solitude, and an adventure all to myself - something I have never taken the time to do before.

Since I have Mondays off, I started my trip Sunday morning,

Bayerischerwald is right on the border of Germany and the Czech Republic, not far from Munich,  so I got there with with a Bayern ticket  - a train ticket which allows transportation for up to 5 people to anywhere in Bavaria for just 30 Euros.  Fortunately, as I was standing at the automated kiosk about ready to shell out the €30, a guy approached me and offered to sell me his ticket for €10 since he didn't need it anymore!  This trip good so far.

All I have with me is my sleeping bag, pad, food, 2.5L of water, a change of clothes, stove, camera, and my tent's rainfly all crammed into my daypack.  It will barely close, but I'm stoked about having packed it all in such a small space. 

you can't see it, but my pack is so full it sticks out a good 2 feet from my back.

Upon arrival to Bayerischerwald, I quickly find a tourist kiosk with an enlarged map of the park on the wall and mark on my map the most possibly scenic route to the top of Mt. Falkenstein.  My plan is to hike the mountain today and hike down tomorrow in time to catch a bus to the trainstation from Zwieslerwaldhaus. 

Red = day one route.  Green = day two route.

My route will be a short 10 miles between today and tomorrow.  Really easy. I begin on a completely deserted trail and the next 5 miles are unbelievably beautiful, the solitude is only broken twice by passersby, and I like the solitude. My momentum is my own, unlabored by anyone else.  For once the leadership that comes with these camping trips has been completely eliminated.  With Polyescapes it seems we're always watching participants for signs of fatigue, monitoring speeds, promoting hydration, and forever keeping focus on the next leg of the trip.  For once I am free to move exactly as fast as I like and stop as often as I want. 

The freedom of hiking alone feels unbelievably great.

the only interruptions are caused by scenes that require photography

The top of Mount Falkenstein (where I will camp) is breathtaking.  I'm 220km from the alps and can see them clearly from this lookout point.  Here is where I will spend the night under the stars.

watching the sun set from my sleeping bag...

... with a can of hot soup.

The following morning, the faroff Alps became clear on the horizon

Monday morning, I'm up as early as all the diligent German workers I have left in Munich this weekend.  My plan today is to take my time hiking the 5 miles down this mountain, discover what I can about the West side of this park, and find my way to the train station.  Along the way I plan to hit an area called Höllefels, or hell rocks!  Sounds intense, cannot wait to see how it got its name....

Along the way I found this crazy tree trunk!

what could have happened?  Lightning?  Yet there are no burn marks...

...and this random lake with millions of fish!  I threw some cookie crumbs into the water and they went absolutely nuts fighting for them.

...just before the end of the hike I came across this random tree:

apparently I was here in '97, those are my initials...

I finally reach Zwieslerwaldhaus only to find that the busses are not running today.  Awesome.  I mope around for a bit, take some pictures, and assess my options.  I haven't ever tried hitch-hiking, but it seems to be my only way out of here...

Not 10 seconds after I stick my thumb out to the passing cars does someone flash their lights at me and pull over! 

I am astounded as Conrad and his dog make room for me in their red Toyota pickup. 

Conrad is a 30 yo graduate from HM (the school I attend in Munich!) and works out here as a park ranger.  The drive is short to the train station, and we spend it chatting about how awesome it must be being a ranger, getting paid to hike and drive around these mountains all day.

After spending such an amazing weekend in this place, meeting a ranger who is clearly so in love with his job, it automatically makes me question my path towards an engineering career.  Sure I love what I study, and the pay is supposed to be good, but here is a man who has made his life passion his work.  To me, his exuberance for his work is equally as inspiring as the pristine views and scenery I have been enjoying for the last 48 hours. 

I comment on this by wondering aloud if I will ever be as stoked to get up in the morning for work as he.   He simply laughs and says, ''The man who makes his passion his work never has to feel like he's getting up for work in the morning.''

Am I right for an engineering career?  I honestly cannot say.

Mind blown, I leave Conrad and his dog at the train station.  This place has left me totally stoked and I cannot wait for another solo trip.  3 hours later I'm home, and already thinking about where to go next.

Thanks for reading, more to come soon!

Myles

''The man who makes his passion his work never has to feel like he's getting up for work in the morning.''