Michael Schauß is Managing Director of Outaway, an online specialist retailer for outdoor and trekking equipment. He has also been on the popular Alpine crossing from Tegernsee to Sterzing organized by Feuer und Eis Touristik. The expert knows exactly what to pack in his rucksack and luggage. He has shared his packing list for crossing the Alps on foot with us in a guest article.
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Once “off” please, to be “on” again afterwards
“You’re crazy” were the first comments when people asked me what I was planning this summer — a crossing of the Alps from Tegernsee to Sterzing. And ok, I did feel a bit queasy, but I know that after all the stress of last year with virtually no vacation, this is the best way to come down completely and at least relax my mind. Goethe once said, “Only where you have been on foot have you really been”. And well, I’ve always wanted to do that. And now that I’ve set my intention in motion, I’m going to go through with it.
Why from Tegernsee to Sterzing?
The first task was to find a route that could be completed in around a week. After analyzing the endless possibilities and looking at various videos and websites, we decided on a tour from Tegernsee in Bavaria to Sterzing in South Tyrol, Italy.
It was supposed to be the last week of July. Unfortunately, only rain and thunderstorms were forecast on my route that very week, which wasn’t so nice. Ok, the local weather in the mountains is very changeable, so I didn’t want to be dissuaded. My daily accommodation was also all pre-booked, as I had started planning at quite short notice. During the main holiday season, I couldn’t be as spontaneous as in spring. Most accommodation in the Alps sells out quickly, especially during the main holiday season.
That’s why it makes sense to book accommodation through a tour operator such as Feuer und Eis Touristik. That’s why I had to decide on accommodation in advance, as I didn’t want to spend the night in the open air. I wanted a bit of comfort. However, I could cancel at any time if necessary. After all, I’m in the middle of Europe and not in no man’s land.
Packing list for crossing the Alps
When packing, you should make sure that you reduce as much as possible. You only need half of the equipment you take with you anyway, but you don’t know in advance which half you will need. Due to the bad weather forecast, the necessary rain gear was also crucial.
The following items of equipment were therefore included in the luggage:
- Thin outdoor jacket
- Rain jacket
- Rain pants
- Long trekking pants
- Short trekking pants
- T‑shirts (only functional sports T‑shirts, as they are super light)
- Underwear
- Anti-blister hiking socks
- Well-worn trekking shoes (I wore them every day)
- Running shoes (as a replacement for my trekking shoes)
- Flip-flops and swimming trunks for wellness at the hotel
- Casual clothing for the time in the hotel
- Hygiene articles (toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel)
I always had the following equipment with me in my rucksack on day trips:
- Rothwild trekking poles made of carbon model Platzhirsch
- Grayl Ultrapress Purifier water filter
- Sea to Summit Microfiber Towel
- WUNDmed tick set
- Aries anti-tick skin spray
- Stainless steel cup with carabiner
- First aid traveler set small
- WUNDmed blister plaster (for all cases)
- Cap
- Bars, nuts and snacks for in between meals
- 2 water bottles
And then, of course, the private must-haves:
- Smartphone
- Charging cable
- Sunnybag Powerbank
- Glasses or sunglasses
- Cash
- Credit card / EC card
- Identity card, driver’s license
- Health insurance card
This made a total weight including rucksack of approx. 12 kg. If you then add the 2 liters of water in the two empty bottles, the total luggage weight was around 14 kg. I only had a fraction of this on my back each day, as Feuer & Eis Touristik conveniently took care of my luggage transportation from hotel to hotel.
In hindsight, the thin outdoor jacket, rain jacket and trousers were not necessary because the weather was great. Fortunately, the first aid traveler’s kit wasn’t used either.
When was what used? My travel report:
On the first day, I set off from Kreuth at 7 a.m., as thunderstorms had been forecast for midday. First I walked along the Weißach river, then into the forest and up an increasingly steep trail. It was a good thing I had my Rothwild Platzhirsch trekking poles with me. They supported me perfectly when I was going uphill. They also helped me enormously downhill to keep my balance.
Once I arrived at the Blaubergalmhütte, I had well and truly earned my first major break. From up there, I had a beautiful view over the mountains towards Austria and could see the Achental valley, which I still had to reach today. Now it paid off that I had set off so early this morning, as it started to rain after I arrived in Achenkirch.
Fortunately, the rain jacket and rain pants from Mac-in-a-Sac didn’t take up much space and they are super light and small in pack size. They fit comfortably in the side pocket of my rucksack, so I didn’t have to search for long and they were quickly available when I needed them.
On the second day, we set off from the north side of Lake Achensee (from Achenkirch) to Fügen. In the morning along the Achensee, the sky continued to clear and the water of the Achensee became more and more the turquoise blue color more typical of a Caribbean sea. To take photos with my smartphone, I had attached the Reeloq smartphone safety device to the carrying strap of my Osprey rucksack.
The Reeloq smartphone lock secures my smartphone in case I accidentally drop it and thus prevent it from tumbling down the mountain. Then it was downhill and over the Inn, via Schlitters to Fügen. And don’t despair, the route stretches like chewing gum. It was a good thing that I had opted for the anti-blister hiking socks from Wrightsock. As I always get blisters on my feet quite easily, I never go on a hiking tour without these socks.
Day three took me from Fügen to Hochfügen. At 9:00 a.m. on the dot, I took the Spieljochbahn to the Spieljoch mountain station at an altitude of around 2000 m above sea level. The weather was great. Blue skies and perfect visibility. Nevertheless, thunderstorms were forecast again for this day from midday.
On the mountain ridge, we walked along a stony path criss-crossed with torrents through alpine meadows to the Gartalm and then on to Hochfügen via the Alpengasthof Loas. We recommend the mountain hotel with its very friendly staff, spacious rooms and great food.
On day four between Hochfügen and Mayrhofen, the biggest challenge was the first 8 km, which involved a 700-metre climb. On the way, I was once again able to indulge in my daily pleasure of trying out the Grayl Ultrapress Purifier and enjoying ice-cold mountain water. Passing old Tyrolean mountain villages and settlements, it was the last 500 meters up to the Rastkogelhütte that really challenged me in terms of fitness.
On the fifth day from Mayrhofen to Pfitschtal in South Tyrol, I “cheated” a little. You shouldn’t walk the 20 km from Mayhofen to the Schlegeis reservoir. There is no proper path, so everyone takes the bus for this stretch. From the Schlegeis reservoir, you then head to South Tyrol in Italy. I have to admit that this was the most beautiful stage for me. Never before have I needed 6 hours for a 15 km route. The scenery was stunning and I often just sat down and enjoyed the view and nature. The Pfitschtal itself is more or less a dead end. There are some very beautiful farms and houses. I spent the night in St. Jakob at the Hotel Dorfwirt.
The sixth and last day of the trip is 21 km from Pfitschtal to Sterzing. It’s time to “wind down”, so to speak. The route is no longer as spectacular, but still very beautiful, just not as strenuous. After checking into the hotel in Sterzing, I went straight to the beautiful pedestrian zone, where I rewarded myself with an Italian ice cream and cappuccino.
My conclusion of the trip
I spent a total of 6 days in 3 countries and ran 110 km from Tegernsee to Sterzing in South Tyrol, covering 7195 meters in altitude (2755 m uphill and 4440 m downhill). I would do it again at any time. I was incredibly lucky with the weather. I never needed my rain gear. The thunderstorms always passed around my tour, even though there was a rain and thunderstorm warning for the whole week. You meet lots of fellow hikers along the way who are following exactly the same route and sometimes have even booked the same hotel.
Shared efforts bring people together, which is why people like to run together for a day or just a short distance and then split up again. Of course, good GPS data of the individual routes is an advantage so that you don’t get lost and take a wrong turn. I had a great time and would agree with Goethe: “Only where you have been on foot, have you really been”.