Day 8 Munich to Venice - Lizumer Hutte

17 km, ascent 1800m, descent 400m 7hrs

Having changed our itinerary and chickened out of the high level route from Glungezer to Lizumer Hut we spent all day trying to convince ourselves we made the right decision.  We definitely wouldn't have seen anything - visibility was down to 5m when we got to Lizumer, but the forecast rain didn't materialise so at a push we could have done it (and at least two of our fellow travellers  did).  We didn't see much on the walk up from Wattens because of the low cloud. The trail was wet and we both ended up with wet feet because the water got through our lightweight  shoes despite  the gortex. Critically however we would have missed out on the hotel in Wattens, a very good dinner and a delicous bottle of dry Austrian Reisling.  On balance I think we did the right thing.

Wooden chapel south of Wattens

The walk involved a long steady climb up the valley along a mix of paths and forest roads.  In a couple of places the waymarking was a confused and this caused a bit of tension with Christine whose feet were particularly wet.  She wanted to walk on the road and escape the bog. I argued that if I'm trying to write an English language guide we had to follow the right route.  She said why would I want to advise anyone to walk through a bog and I said you have to if it's the right bog and so on and so forth.

Miserable weather

In this spirit of only partial co-operation we  stopped for lunch at the Hanaburger Gasthof.  The patron had just made omelette  and salad for his mother (we saw him do it) but when we asked if we could have one he said 'no' it's not on the menu. Now wiener schnitzel is to Austria what fish and chips is to the UK. A slice of white meat (veal, turkey, pork or chicken, impossible to tell) is covered in batter and deep fried. With 'cordon bleu' the white meat is cut into and a filling of ham and cheese inserted.  Today Christine's attention was attracted to a variation to the the theme ' Tyrolean Cordon Bleu'. She was duly impressed with her meal although  she failed  to finish it. The filling included ham, bacon and blue cheese sandwiched in white meat, and deep fried in a batter.  She had a large side order of chips and a helpful portion of jam. 

Christine manages a smile

We were soon out and back in the fog.  We were entering a military training ground where the signs said you couldn't  take photographs or paint pictures.  Just as well I didn't pack my easel.

There are four (at least) different Munich Venice options across the Inn valley but they all come together at the Lizumer Hut and I suspect that two thirds of the 50 people staying are on their way to Venice.  Although we had seen many of them before a lot of faces are new, people on slower schedules whom we have 'caught up' with.  Tonight in our little room (we try and avoid the lager (dormitory)) we have Reme, who we shared a room with a couple of night's ago and an American guy.  The American is the first non-German speaker we have met, has the same Munchen- Venedig guide we have and has been making many of the same mistakes because, like us, he doesn't understand a word of it.

Lizumer Hutte - I think