Partnach Gorge
It occurs to me that there are those who use levelling ramps and those who don’t. Don’t get me wrong; if the van is parked on a noticeable slope, then running two wheels onto ramps to level things up makes perfect sense (we carry them for that purpose). The water pump doesn’t like it if the van isn’t level, and if it’s that bad, then it can effect the efficiency of the fridge. On one memorable occasion in Snowdonia, the only available pitch was on a steep slope on a campsite in Llanberis. We didn’t have any ramps at that time, and the fridge stopped working altogether. Fully melted margarine is no good to anyone. Even here, on what is essentially flat, level ground, if we were to measure it with a spirit level, no matter where you park, the van is almost always at a very slight angle – we’re talking a degree or two at most. In my book, it isn’t worth faffing about with ramps – near enough is almost certainly good enough. Which is why it surprises me to see some motorhomes propped up on ramps (some are even more sophisticated than that, and appear to have built-in hydraulic risers on their undersides).
After yesterday’s disappointing revelations regarding the Zugspitze Cog Trains being closed for maintenance, I’m pleased to say that all was made up for with today’s alternative adventure.
As part of our not-inconsiderable site fee (£40/night), we have tourist tickets enabling free travel on any local buses or trains. A short walk out the back way from the site provides us with easy access to a convenient Aldi supermarket, and a bus stop on the main road. From here, we caught a bus into Garnish Partenkirchen. A further change of bus at the railway station brought us to the Olympic Ski Stadium, which is dominated by a magnificent ski jump structure.
Full marks to Google, by the way, for its effortless and extremely accurate bus timetable and navigation information. Hurrah for Google.
It’s worth noting that there is a car park, where overnight motorhome parking is permitted (free between 8pm and 8am or €5 for 24 hours) right next to the Ski Stadium; it has mixed reviews online, although most seemed to think it was a good spot for an overnighter. We took a brief look around the ski stadium before embarking upon a thirty minute walk to Partnach Gorge, and one of the best €18 I think we’ve ever spent (€9 each with the tourist card).
Partnach Gorge is narrow and truly spectacular, its wild waters cascade down endless waterfalls as it snakes it’s way between steep, and at times precipitous, cliffs. The walkway for visitors is well maintained and unobtrusive, with plenty of opportunities for taking exciting photographs. It’s clearly a very popular visitor destination, and there was the occasional people-jam. Turnstiles control access to the narrowest part of the site, so I don’t know just how crowded it gets, or if they restrict numbers at the busiest periods. All I do know is; we got a lot of gorge for our money.
Eventually we got to the end of the narrow valley where the landscape opens out, giving us magnificent views of the mountains beyond. We decided this was a good place to sit and eat lunch. We also got chatting to an American couple. The Royal Family seemed to dominate the conversation, and when we touched on the issue of their president, they said that they liked some of the results he got, but didn’t always agree with the way he got them. Hm… nice couple, though.
Once rested, we bid farewell to the couple, who had then been joined by several more of their group, and continued on our way. A steep pathway took us up the hill, where the views just kept coming, and circled back on ourselves, passing over various footbridges, giving us further views of the gorge from above, and eventually back to our starting position.
Once back at the ski stadium, flagging a little from the long walk, we then caught two buses back to the campsite, where we could reflect upon a wonderful day’s adventure.
What better way to end a long day’s walking than a shower… and I’m happy to say that the on-site showers are to die for…
