Fotoeins Fotografie

location bifurcation, place & home

Posts tagged ‘Grainau’

St. Johannes der Täufer, Obergrainau, Grainau, Waxenstein, Wetterstein, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bayern, Bavaria, Oberbayern, Upper Bavaria, Germany, Deutschland, fotoeins.com

Fotoeins Friday in the Alps: Grainau

An infrequent but sure way to get me up, oot, and aboot in early-morning is if there is good light; if there’s the promise of something sparkly and shiny; and if there’s the promise of a subsequent shot. This image takes place in late-spring at 645am in Grainau, about 15 minutes west from the Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in southern Germany. The St. John the Baptist church and cemetery lie at the foot of the looming Wetterstein mountains. The country’s highest mountain, Zugspitze, pokes out from behind to the right of the church steeple.

I made the photo above on 28 May 2018 with a Fujifilm X70 fixed-lens prime and the following settings: 1/500-sec, f/10, ISO1000, and 18.5mm focal length (28mm full-frame equivalent). This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-glP.

Waxenstein, Wetterstein, Hammelsbacher Fussweg, Grainau, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bayern, Bavaria, Germany, fotoeins.com

Fotoeins Friday: “Pillars of society” (Grainau)

In winter, there’s always skiing and snowboarding in the Bavarian Alps, but a look here suggests that a walk in the fresh air (with that scenery) can also work wonders. Just outside Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the footpath Hammersbacher Fußweg stretches west to Hammersbach and Grainau with the Waxenstein mountains towering in the background. The clouds coming in and out on this late-February afternoon bring the threat of snowfall.

I made this photo on 24 February 2017 with the Canon 6D, 24-105 glass, and the following settings: 1/160-sec, f/16, ISO1000, 50mm focal length. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins.com as http://wp.me/p1BIdT-2Vu.

Hanging out at the top of Germany, 4 of 4

This is the final post in the series about visiting the Zugspitze summit, the highest point in Germany.

Admiring the spectacular view from the Austrian side, I wandered slowly back to the German side of the mountain. You know how you want to soak in everything you see, afraid that it’ll slip away if you turn your head or close your eyes. Fact: leaving behind a snow-covered landscape is a difficult thing to do.

Frosted peaks

Zugspitze Germany

Welcome (back) to Bavaria, Germany.

Zugspitze Germany

Clouds have cleared: Schneefernerkopf, Zugspitzplatt, Zugspitzeck.

Zugspitze Germany

L-to-R: Hochwanner (2744 m), Kleinwanner (2548 m), Reintal, Hoher Kamm (2376 m), Gatterl, Hohe Munde (2662 m), Östlicher Gatterlkopf (2475 m).

Zugspitze Germany

Bergstation Gletscherbahn – Upper station, glacier cable car.

Zugspitze Germany

L-to-R: Gipfelkreuz (summit cross), Hochblasen (2707 m), Innere Höllentalspitze (2741 m), Jubiläumsgrat, Leut. Dreitorspitze (2682 m), Oberreintalschrofen (2523 m), Hochwanner (2744 m).

Zugspitzplatt (Zugspitz Plateau), below the summit

The Gletscherbahn cable car takes you down 300 metres (about 1000 feet) from the summit proper to Sonn Alpin at the Zugspitzplatt plateau “below”. It’s also at the plateau where I’ll take the cogwheel railway back into the valley to complete the daytrip.

Zugspitze Germany

Sonn Alpin, Zugspitzplatt (plateau); the Zugspitze summit proper is at the upper right.

Zugspitze Germany

Schneefernerkopflift, Gletscherseelift ski-lifts.

Zugspitze Germany

Kirche Maria Heimsuchung, the highest church in the country.

Zugspitze Germany

Sonnenklar and Weisses Tal ski-lifts.

Zugspitze Germany

Sonn Alpin, with Gletscherbahn and Zugspitze summit in the background.

With the final view from Sonn Alpin, it’s time to head back into town. Thanks for following me on this trip up to Zugspitze!

The series:

•   Ascent to Zugspitze, the top of Germany
•   Zugspitze summit : part 1, German side
•   Zugspitze summit : part 2, Austrian side
•   Zugspitze summit : part 3, Austrian side, after the clouds cleared
•   Zugspitze : part 4, the summit and the plateau below (this post)

I made on 9 October 2011 the photos shown above. This post appears originally on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.

Hanging out at the top of Germany, 3 of 4

I wrote previously about hanging out at the Zugspitze summit from the Austrian side. Conditions had been overcast, but I’m glad the chance I took coming up on the German side worked happily in my favour.

Zugspitze is one of many peaks in the Wetterstein mountains, which form part of the Northern Limestone Alps. The Limestone Alps are composed of “softer” porous rock, in contrast with the much harder granite composition found in the central and much taller Austrian Alps.

I was over on the Austrian side of Zugspitze, and by local noon, the clouds parted to reveal a fresh dusting of snow on all of the local peaks. At over 9000 feet above sea level, the mountains, regardless of composition, all look majestic, covered in snow and illuminated under sun.

Zugspitze AustriaZugspitze Austria

“Radiative transfer” : antenna/fixture by Telekom Austria & Katastrophenfunk.

Zugspitze Austria

Southwest view – upper-centre: Schneefernerkopf; left-centre: Sonn Alpin, Zugspitzplatt; right: Zugspitzeck.

Zugspitze Austria

West view – left-centre: Ehrwald, Tirol, Austria; centre: Tiroler Zugspitzbahn.

Zugspitze Austria

Northwest view – left: Tiroler Zugspitzbahn, Tirol, Austria; right: Eibsee, Bayern, Germany.

Zugspitze Austria

North view – left-centre: Eibsee lake, right-centre: Grainau.

Zugspitze Austria

Northeast view – left-centre: Grosser, Kleiner Waxenstein; centre-background: Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Zugspitze Austria

Left: cross on Austrian side. Centre-background: Cross on Zugspitze peak in Germany.

The series:

•   Ascent to Zugspitze, the top of Germany
•   Zugspitze summit : part 1, German side
•   Zugspitze summit : part 2, Austrian side
•   Zugspitze summit : part 3, Austrian side, after the clouds cleared (this post)
•   Zugspitze : part 4, the summit and the plateau below

I made the photos above on 9 October 2011 with the Canon EOS450D camera, EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS kit-lens, and the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens. This post is originally published on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.

Hanging out at the top of Germany, 2 of 4

I wrote previously about hanging out at the “top of Germany” from the German side just after arrival at the Zugspitze summit.

I wandered over to the Austrian side of the summit to have a look around for the view, which is about the time the clouds below started to clear.

Zugspitze Austria

Former border-control entry point from Bavaria, Germany to Tirol, Austria.

Zugspitze Austria

L-to-R: Austrocontrol Flugüberwachung (air traffic control), Bergstation Tiroler Zugspitzbahn, Sendmemast ORF (broadcast tower)

Zugspitze Austria

Looks cold, doesn’t it? -12C (+10F) temperature at the summit, but -20C (-4F) with the windchill. At least the sun’s out.

Zugspitze Austria

Bergstation (mountain station), Tiroler Zugspitzbahn.

Zugspitzeck Zugspitze

Partly obstructed view through blowing snow down to Schneefernerkopf (upper left), Zugspitzeck (centre).

Schneefernerkopf Zugspitze

Zooming in on the ski-lift near the top of Schneefernerkopf.

Zugspitzeck Zugspitze

High winds and clouds surrounding Zugspitzeck.

Tiroler Zugspitzbahn

Bergstation (upper station), Tiroler Zugspitzbahn cable car.

Tiroler Zugspitzbahn

Arrival of Tiroler Zugspitzbahn cable car, Bergstation (upper station).

The series:

•   Ascent to Zugspitze, the top of Germany
•   Zugspitze summit : part 1, German side
•   Zugspitze summit : part 2, Austrian side (this post)
•   Zugspitze summit : part 3, Austrian side, after the clouds cleared
•   Zugspitze : part 4, the summit and the plateau below

I made the photos above on 9 October 2011 with the Canon EOS450D camera, EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS kit-lens, and the EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens. This post is originally published on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.

Hanging out at the top of Germany, 1 of 4

I wrote previously about my ascent to Zugspitze, the highest point in Germany.

I rode the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn railway from Garmisch to Eibsee, followed by the steep Eibseeseilbahn cable-car/aerial tramway directly to the summit. Although the mid-level clouds earlier in the morning looked like a no-go, I “broke through” the clouds into clear blue skies at the Zugspitze summit. As clouds continue to roll in and out, up and over the summit, I stayed at the summit for a number of hours in the glorious sun to snap away at the scenery around and below.

There is a truckload of photos to fill many posts and pages, but I’ve selected plenty for the following series of four posts to describe and show the view at the Zugspitze summit:

•   part 1 (the post you’re reading now) is on the German side of Zugspitze,
•   parts 2 and 3 are over on the Austrian side of the summit,
•   and part 4 is a final set of photos from the German side, after much of the cloud below cleared.

Walking from one side of the summit to the other only takes ten minutes, even with the ever-present crowds in the way! Besides, with the pointy craggy summit at 2960 metres (9710 feet) above sea level, it’s not very far where one can wander off.

Zugspitze

Downstairs to the Eibsee cable car, or the Zugspitzplatt.

Zugspitze

Upstairs to the summit to view the cross, or over to Austrian side.

Zugspitze

Summit temp. -12C (+10F), summit winds 17 km/h (11 mph), windchill -20C (-4F), visibility 30 km (19 mi). In Garmisch-Partenkirchen below: +5C (41F).

Zugspitze

Bergstation | Upper station. Yeah, it really looks that cold.

Zugspitze

Background through winter fog (L-to-R): Alte Zollhütte, Meteorologischer Turm, Münchner Haus, broadcast tower for Austrian ORF

Zugspitze

Munich House, German Alpine Association: shelter-hut, built in 1897.

The Munich House at the summit even has a mailbox; I wrote about the “mailbox with a view” here.

Have you also gone up to the highest point in Germany? Please leave your comments below!

The series:

•   Ascent to Zugspitze, the top of Germany
•   Zugspitze summit : part 1, German side (this post)
•   Zugspitze summit : part 2, Austrian side
•   Zugspitze summit : part 3, Austrian side, after the clouds cleared
•   Zugspitze : part 4, the summit and the plateau below

The windchill estimate above was obtained from the U.S. NWS Wind Chill Index and from the Environment Canada Windchill Calculator. I made the photos above on 9 October 2011. This post is originally published on Fotoeins Fotopress at fotoeins.com.

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