Day 2 Weissenbach am Lech

I got to Weissenbach am Lech but somehow without going along the route of the red variant of the Via Alpina. What I hadn't realised when I set off this morning is that the Prinz-Luitpold-Haus is actually on two variants of the Via Alpina and I set off on the wrong one. In my defence both variants are marked red on the map it was only when the gap between the route I was following and the trail on my GPS (no maps on my GPS) got so large that I started to get suspicious.

On the pass at Bockkarscharte (2149 metre)

Day 1 Prinz-Luitpold-Haus

Because everyone I spoke to raved about the Carnic Way I didn't really give the rest of walk as much attention, expecting it be similar to the walking I did in Bavaria last year - good but not spectacular. Well today was a nice surprise and tomorrow, the first half at least, looks absolutely amazing.

Heading up the Oytal Valley

Today was all about getting high (most of the locals were getting the funicular to the west of Oberstdorf which takes you up nearly 1000 metres) but despite all the climbing it was a great walk. The route takes you south out of Oberstdorf along a none metalled road and then, after a couple of kilometres, west along an increasingly beautiful valley. What surprised me after last year, was how quickly you escape the trees and get into the lovely open summer pastures. The easy going at the bottom of valley meant it was busy - lots of people on bikes, some with those supplementary batteries which are popular here - and everyone heading for the huttes along the bottom of the valley for mid-morning cake and coffee. If Christine had been here I would have stopped as well but walking alone there was nothing to slow me down but the occasional Snicker.

Day 0 - Oberstdorf

In Oberstdorf, Bavaria, and on the starting line for a four week 600 kilometre hike along the red branch of the Via Alpina. The route takes me east along the German Austrian border, south across Austria and then east again along the border between Italy and Austria. The last part of trip includes the Carnic Way which is supposed to be amazing.
It's not alcohol but I feel like I have a bit of a hangover. I was in the Olympic Stadium on Saturday night and I'm still in shock. Watching Mo Farah win the 5,000 metres was the emotional equivalent of being in a washing machine on full spin. That, the slightly surreal feeling in London over the last few days (everyone being so nice to each other), a lack of sleep (very early flight this morning), and sudden arrival in the middle of the Bavarian countryside (I don't speak a word of German), has left me just a bit dis-orientated.
Christine, my wife, is partly to blame. She insisted on starting the trip today, the day after the Olympics, but then decided after the Vercors trip, which was definitely a tough one, that she needed another week off walking before hitting the hills again. This has meant getting here on my own which, given my language skills, and general inability to ask anyone the way, is always a bit of an ask.
Anyway I got here and without any incident. Easyjet from Gatwick to Munich and a direct train to Oberstdorf - bought the train ticket online and at a discount so feeling very pleased with myself.
I'm quite close to last year's Bavarian walk. The train went through Sonthofen, about 20 kilometres to the north of Oberstdorf, a stopover last year. The Maximillianweg took me along the northern edge of the Alps, the last ridge before the plains of Germany, this year I'm right in the middle of the Allgauer Alps and I'm hoping for even more dramatic scenery. Best thing, so far at least, it's not raining.

Oberstdorf is a winter sports resort which, at this time of year, is packed with German hikers wearing huge leather boots. Most of them are about my age (various shades of grey) and a few of them are dragging grandchildren up hills. Staying in a hutte tomorrow so I'm hoping to leave the crowds behind. I've had my first German meal of the trip so need a walk.


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A Vercors Circular

I got a taste of the Vercors on my trip along the E4 in 2011 but felt that I might be missing the best parts.  The E4 took me along the western side of the plateau and although I experienced some of the huge characteristic limestone cliffs and gorges it was the ridge on the eastern side that looked really special.  The escarpment, particularly when viewed from the north from the Chartreuse, looked like a frozen wave magically captured at the point of breaking. Well I’ve now been back, walked my own “Vercors Circular” and can confirm that this is an amazing place.

Day 2 Crete des Rochers de la Balme

Geologically part of the sub-alpine Jura, the Vercors is separated from the Chartreuse, a sister range to the north, by the Isere Valley.  It’s generally described as a plateau but the reality feels more complicated.  Huge cliffs form the north, east and western boundaries but there are valleys on top of the “plateau” running north / south and gorges which slice into it from east to west. Across the valley to the east you have the Alps proper and to the west the Rhone valley and beyond that the Massif Central.

Walking the Dingle Way

My sister lives in Dingle so at the beginning of July, after the wettest English June anyone can remember, I decided to combine a visit with a walk around the 179 km Dingle Way.  I had a great time, loved the scenery, the pubs and the food - the weather for once was better in Ireland than England - but I have to say I was disappointed with the walk itself.  At least 40 per cent of it was on roads with a significant part of the balance along beaches and it’s quite clear that the local farmers and landowners don’t welcome walkers. 

Feck Off!

The Dingle Way is one 30 Irish national waymarked trails and along with the Kerry Way and the Wicklow Way has an international reputation.  Starting at Tralee, the county town of Kerry, the route takes you on a 179 km walk around Dingle Peninsula. It’s an easy walk to plan with lots of readily available high quality information.

Favours on the E4

Someone asked me the other day what I had learnt from walking across Europe.  Not an easy question but it kicked a conversation, made me think and bought back some lovely memories.  I concluded that the thing I learnt was that you can get better at asking for and taking favours. I learnt that people love to help. 

Perhaps worth mentioning in this context that if favours have an opposite I didn’t get any.  I walked virtually every day for just over six months covering over 5,000 kilometres through six countries and without speaking any language other than English. Not once did anyone try to rip me off or abuse me in any way.  I was never threatened and, although occasionally frustrated at my own incompetence, never felt afraid.

Man on motorbike fetches water for parched walker

There were so many favours that it’s difficult to produce a selection but to give you idea I’ll try anyway.

What makes a good walk?

Most of the E4 is excellent and the route takes you through wonderful countryside along walker friendly trails.  Some bits, on the other hand,  are just awful and should only to be walked by nutcases determined to complete the whole trail.  Going from Tarifa to Budapest I was that nutcase but was not far enough gone not to wonder why a particular stretch had been designated as a walking trail and whether or not “standards” had been applied.   In fact it became a bit of obsession, and I would bore friends who joined me to do bits of the E4 with my ideas for some sort of trail accreditation scheme

What I hated most were long stretches of road walking.  I’m still bitter about a hot sunny day spent walking a 35 kilometre busy road  stretch of the E4 from Santiago de la Espada to Puebla de Don Fadrique in northern Andulucia.  

On the road to Puebla de Don Fadrique