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ALPINE REPRISE Partnach Gorge Wednesday, September 24. Joining several others from the RAJA group, we went on a mid-morning hike though the challenging Partnach Gorge, 2,300 feet long and, in places, over 260 feet deep. The gorge was cut by the Partnach River, fed by the waters from a large glacier on the nearby Zugspitz Plateau. It was really beautiful.We parked the cars in the lot of the Ski Stadium of the 1936 Winter Olympics, a tourist draw in its own right. From there it was about a 20 minute walk on a paved road to the gorge. The terrain and the width and difficulty of the path varied widely as we got deeper into the gorge. For most of the way the path is just above the rushing water. The sound of rushing water is constant. At times we could not even see the sky. At one point the trail is actually cut through the rock to form a small tunnel with windows to look out at the rushing water. This is also the point where there was enough water dripping down from above to make us wish we had brought rain coats or umbrellas.
Eventually the depth of the gorge diminished and soon after the banks of the river widened. We had completed our journey through the gorge. But not our hike. Now we had to climb a sizable mountain to get back to the Ski Stadium. (Actually, we could have gone back the way we came, but where is the adventure in that?) The path up the mountain was quite steep. Our younger companions had doubts about our ability to make the climb, but both of us did better than some of them. It was almost 1:00 when we got to the top. We stopped at one of the gasthofs there. We had pea soup with slices of sausage in it, accompanied by rolls and a half liter of beer each. Jane drank every bit of hers. (Of course, I did too.) We took a gondola down the mountain, stopping at the bottom at another gasthof for dessert. Jane had apple kuchen, the best she ever had. I had cheese kuchen, also the best ever.
When we got back to the hotel, we tried to book a tour to Neuschwannstein Castle for the next day, but it was sold out. I had been trying to talk Jane into it for two days but she was undecided. That night our group went to the Gasthof Fraundorfer, also on "historic Ludwig Street" in old Partenkirchen and also featuring the traditional Bavarian "slap dancing." After the meal the owner gave away a few samples of an odd after-dinner drink, "warmer beer," warm sweet beer topped with whipped cream (pronounced "varmer" to rhyme with farmer). Within minutes, just about everyone in the place was drinking it (but not for free). I declined, though. The very thought of it made me sick.
The gasthof was very warm and stuffy from the large crowd. A few of us stepped outside periodically to get a little air. Yet it looked like some of our party were ready to spend the night inside. Finally enough people stood up and moved toward the door that it got the others moving. It was not that late, though, and we were back at the hotel around 10:00. Then there was an incident at the gate. (The hotel and grounds form a secure area, protected by private guards. One man in our party had not brought his passport, and the guards made him get out of our van and wait at the gate until his wife returned with his passport.
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