Oct 27

Oct 27 A hike at Königssee Lake - Schönau am Königsee, Germany

I have a good friend to thank for starting me on the path to explore ultra-runs all over Europe. It all started when I booked a two-week work trip over Easter weekend. Since I was working in Sweden where the population is very secular, 8 out of 10 are self-described as non-religious, I assumed it would just be a couple of regular work weeks. However, when I later realized we were getting Friday and Monday off, I told my friend who promptly suggested we go skiing over the long weekend. My mistake thus resulted in a trip across Europe with planes and trains to get to Riederalp, Switzerland, a car free ski resort in the Alps. Later on while we were working in Munich when I had another weekend in Europe he suggested we go hiking around Königssee Lake in Germany. Through these trips I started to figure out how to quickly navigate Europe and prepare for weekend trips with a minimal amount of gear since I only travel internationally with my backpack and the roller I carry on.

Königssee makes a great weekend trip if you find yourself in Munich for work. It is only an hour and 45 minute drive door to door by car. Schönau am Königsee is a small town with plenty of food and lodging options and is directly on the lake. This lake is the cleanest lake in Germany, which means only electric, or human powered, boats are allowed. It is a very deep lake, nestled right into the mountains, and the water is incredibly clear.

We planned a point-to-point hike of about 13 miles (21k) from our hotel to the boat ramp on the far side of the lake. Our main constraint for the day would be getting to the boat ramp before the last boat of the day. When we started, it seemed that we’d have plenty of time to make the boat. The weather was clear, and the sky was a perfect blue. The hike slowly ascends the mountain without too many very steep sections, but still gains almost 5000 feet (1500m). We saw a number of mountain bikers, many with the electric assist option, slowly cranking up the track.

At the top you are rewarded with a small lodge that has food and drinks. Since we felt we still had plenty of time to make the boat, we took a break and had a beer. After the break, we continued forward.

What we didn’t take into account is that the descent is covered in less than 3 miles (5k). In addition, it began to rain which was making the granite rocks, and old dilapidated wooden steps, slick. The descent was slower than the ascent since the path in many parts was less than a meter wide with at least a 100m drop off the edge. In some locations were metal cables, kind of like those on Via ferrata routes, that meant we should have had harnesses. We just went carefully so as not to make a mistake, but I would recommend avoiding this part of the path, or having the proper equipment.

We made it to the bottom safely and with 20 minutes to spare. The boat ride back, through the center of the lake, was a beautiful and relaxing way to get back to where we started. This route is ultra given its elevation gain and rapid descent. However, there are many other tracks in the area that can be strung together for a 50k or more ultrarun. If in Munich, this is a convenient place to put together your own ultrarunning destination amongst the stunning scenery of Königsee.