From Oberstdorf to Meran in 6 days on the Europäischen Fernwanderweg 5
Sometime in the summer of 1995 I hiked with my cousin Achim and my friend Ralf on the E5 from Oberstdorf to Meran. This tour is just a small section of the E5 that starts in the north of France and leads to Venice.
We had a maximum of 6 days available for the tour because we wanted to be back in Swabia by the weekend to celebrate our friend Manne’s 30th birthday in the Sontheimer Ochsenkeller. That’s why the stages are a little longer and more strenuous than the typically recommended daily stages of this tour.
Since Achim was doing his military service as a mountain soldier in the ski train at the time and Ralf had already completed several months of trekking in Nepal and I have been traveling regularly in the mountains for years, we are looking forward to this challenge rather calmly.
So we started our tour under slight time pressure early one morning in Sontheim and took the Deutsche Bahn to Oberstdorf. Once there, we set off after a quick coffee.
DAY 1 – In the early afternoon in Oberstdorf we go via the Spielmannsau to the Kemptner Hütte. During the hike we have to walk through lush paths, which gives us a tropical feeling. The temperatures on this day are also almost tropical. We spend the night there in the mattress camp.
DAY 2 – The next day we go over the Mädelejoch down to Holzgau. There was a shuttle bus to Madau early in the morning, so we could avoid hiking along roads in the valley.
At lunchtime we were at the Memminger Hut where we took a longer break – and then made the very long and strenuous descent via the Seescharte via the Oberlochalm to Zams. We spend the night in Zams.
DAY 3 – From Zams we took the gondola up the Venetberg and over Wonnejöchel down to Wenns. There we take a shuttle bus again to the Pitztal to Mittelberg, from where we go directly to the hike to the Braunschweiger Hütte.
This climb was very beautiful and also very strenuous, but the scenery and the view of the glacier were worth the effort.
Exhausted, we spend a short night at the Braunschweiger Hut because we want to descend over the glacier very early the next morning.
You can’t get too much sleep in this hut in the mattress camp during the high season, as there are always a few loud snorers among the mountaineers. Same this night.
DAY 4 – Early at 5:30 a.m. we went up to Pitzaler Jöchl. At sunrise we arrived at the highest point of our hike (2970m) where we immediately took a photo of the summit.
Then we go down over the glacier from the Sölden ski area to Zwieselstein. The descent over the glacier requires our full attention, but the cold morning ensures solid snow and there are few slippery areas.
So we are in Zwieselstein late in the morning. After briefly replenishing our supplies, we head straight back up towards Timmelsjoch and after a few sweaty hours and a short break at the pass we head back down into the Passeier Valley.
South of the pass the landscape and vegetation are suddenly much greener and lusher and you can immediately feel the South Tyrolean climate. Completely different from the rugged, rocky landscape of the previous days.
We then stop off in Rabenstein and celebrate our very successful hiking tour so far with several bottles of wine.
DAY 5 – With a heavy head and even heavier feet, it’s late rather than early that we continue down the Passeier Valley. We travel comfortably via Moos to St. Martin, where we spend our last night before the return journey.
The mild South Tyrolean climate also seems to appeal to the scorpion that was hanging out in the window frame in our room!
DAY 6 – From St. Martin we take the bus to Meran and from there the train via Munich back to beautiful Swabia. As planned, we made it to the 30th birthday party in the Ochsenkeller that evening. It was nice!