Monday, June 26, 2023
Lechweg Day 7 – Wängle, Austria to Füssen, Germany
Step Count: 48,316 Anika, 46,835 Nathan
We had an epic day for our last day on the Lechweg. It was ridiculously long, with epic climbs, past chapels, and stations of the cross. It was also very beautiful through a deciduous forest on the border between the two countries. Today was also the hottest day, and at one point Nathan saw that his thermometer read 84 degrees. A bit too hot when you are climbing hundreds of meters in the sun.
We started the day at breakfast with Pat and Andrew. We were ready to set off hiking at 8:30, and Pat and Andrew said to go on without them because they were making some adjustments to Pat’s bag.
The path out to the Lechweg from the hotel was right below our sunroom windows, so we set off down the trail. At the very first potential crossroads, where several hiking signs and arrows were, a group of cows were both blocking the trail and blocking our view of the signs. Nathan has a healthy fear of wildlife, cows and horses included, so he approached the group to take a few photos, setting aside his known caution for heavy animals. This was deemed unacceptable by two of the cows, and they moo’d their angry moo, while making eye contact and speed-walking towards him. We both got the message and moved further back. Decided it was wisest to consult the map app, and leave the angry cows to their piece of trail near the signs.
After the angry cow incident, it was a long, hot climb up to a chapel, and then a descent past a lake into the next town. We walked by a fish farm or something, and they had two vending machines out front where you could buy little jars of delicacies and even a whole, vacuum-packed fish.
We arrived at a local viewing tower of some kind and just had to climb the five flights of steps to get a better look out to the mountains across the valley and the wetlands below us. We didn’t waste too much time, since we have such a long day, but we did get out the binoculars to look at the ruins on the mountainside down below Wängle.
From there it was a mostly flat walk towards Pflach. We are not moving that quickly today, and even the flat stuff is a lot slower pace than it was a few days ago.
We spent an inordinate amount of time looking at and photographing a black swan before we realized it was a decoy. Time for a snack!
Thankfully, as we walked through Pflach, we walked right past a bakery. We each bought a pastry and a cold drink and felt fortified for the climbs ahead.
A short while after leaving town, we started climbing up, up, up in the hot sun, only to immediately come back down. By this time it was 12:30, and the trail offered us a bench in the shade, so we stopped to have our lunch. We still have about 7 miles to go, so we didn’t stop and rest too long, but I did take my socks and boots off while we had lunch. Oh, how I wished we were next to a foot bath!
The downhill was short-lived and the rest of the afternoon was invariably spent climbing in the hot sun. Cranky and dehydrated, I started to get a headache, so we fixed up a serving of electrolyte mix while we walked through (and down!) the most beautiful deciduous forest on the border between Austria and Germany. At some point, we must have passed a border stone or marker but we missed it.
Off in the distance, we can see the Alpsee, and we are walking right towards it! Maybe a foot soak is in my future after all.
It took forever to finally make it down to the lake, and our view of the lake kept teasing me. When we finally reached it, it was 2:30 and we still have something like 4 miles left to go.
The Alpsee is very pretty, and looking across it we get our first glimpses of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein castles. So beautiful and magnificent!
About halfway around the lake, and climbing again, I was lamenting the lack of foot soak, and we both decided to feel the temperature of the water. Ugh, it’s warm! Completely worthless as a foot soak. Who puts their feet in refreshing, warm water!?
Our hike continued, climbing away from the Alpsee, and towards Lechfalls. We were mostly climbing in the shade, alone. At about 3:45, and still with miles (!) to go, we decided to snack on some trail mix to keep us going, and oh, crap I’ve run out of water.
The remaining part of the day was not my shiniest moment. Very cranky, and starting to get another headache, we left the shade and began climbing in the hot sun. There were hiker signs pointing to Füssen and Lechfalls displaying hike times of 15 or 30 minutes…why are we not going that way?
The traditional Lech path directed us to climb up to Kalvarienberg and Heilggrab Chapel. I wish now that I would have not run out of water, because I did not have the steam or wherewithal to explore it.
Now, the path started going downhill. I started fantasizing about Lechfalls. Would there be a concessionaire there? Could I get a cold drink at an astronomical price? I hoped so. Whatever it cost, it would be worth it. I didn’t even let myself think about the other option – A waterfall with no snack shop.
We continued trudging down the path and oh, my god, it’s a steakhouse! Right across the road from Lechfalls! We asked for a table for a drink, and the waiter pulled the reserved sign off the primo table outside. Before he left, I pulled out my Camelbak, fully drained, disconnected the hose, and asked if he would fill it with tap water. I started to undo the top, because the Osprey brand of hydration pak is a little strange, and he said he would do it. No more demonstration needed. Either I looked as sad as I felt, or he was the kindest waiter and accustomed to hikers and their needs.
By now it was 5 pm. The waiter brought back the water and I drank a bunch. Nathan ordered an Aperol spritz and I had a wine spritzer because nothing treats dehydration and crabby moods better than a cold adult beverage!
Feeling better, we ordered an ice cream sundae and Nathan topped off the post-hike, pre-dinner snack with an espresso. We tipped the kind waiter generously and went off to see the end of the Lechweg, Lechfalls.
After the falls, we walked into town and found our hotel. It was 6 pm, so we quickly checked in, showered, changed into town wear, including sandals, and sought out pizza and gelato for dinner.
