The Top of Germany

If it's Saturday, it must be Zugspitze, elevation 2964 meters. The sign says so.

So did our lungs. We definitely noticed some shortness of breath and dizziness up there. Guess I can cross climb Everest off the bucket list... ain't happenin'.

Did you notice the clouds were below us? Up there it was sunny and nice; down below it was another gray day.

To get there, we took the Zugspitzebahn, which leaves from the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. When we got off the train from Munich, we immediately saw signs for the Zugspitze, but instead of following them we wasted time wandering around looking for the ticket office. Should have followed the signs... the tickets are sold just before you get on the train.

When the ascent becomes really steep, the train converts to a cog railway for the rest of the trip. Part way up   you also have the option to switch to a cable car. Since the last 20 minutes of so of the ride is through a tunnel, opt for the cable car if you dare.

When we arrived at the top, what was the first thing we saw? Was it the grandeur of the mountains? Was it the brilliant sunshine? Nope... it was a life-size, 3-D BMW advertisement.

Seriously? Of course, I suppose I'm aiding and abetting the ad campaign by posting the photo.

But once you turn your back on the crass commercialism, you see that you exited from a lovely chalet structure. This is what you expect to see on a mountain top!

Inside are a restaurant, gift shop, and ski rentals, plus stations for the bahn and cable cars. Just out of the picture to the left is a circular glass-enclosed coffee shop/snack bar. Outside are tables and deck chairs. Gotta soak up that sun!

But wait, there's more! This isn't the top. That waaaaaay up there is the summit.

Unless you're a goat, you get there by cable car on those teensie tiny little wires (not so tiny up close, thankfully). And so we did. From the summit you can see a 360 degree panorama. With clear visibility, the view must be fantastic. We saw a sea of clouds...

with islands of mountaintops.

And then we had to take the cable car to get back down there...

Down is always scarier.

Our original plan for the day was to take the cable car back down to where it meets the train. After the ascent to the summit and the return trip, a certain member of our group, with the full agreement of the other, pretty much chickened out (not to mince words). So we went back down the mountain on the cog railway.

We considered visiting the Christmas Market in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, but decided to catch the train back to Munich instead. Since we kept falling asleep during the trip, we're pretty sure the thin air wore us out.

PS - Sadly, the glacier on Zugspitze is threatened by global warming. In order to preserve it for as long as possible, it's covered with protective "blankets" during the summer.

PPS - Most of my photos were taken entirely blind. I couldn't see the display screen in the brilliant sunshine.