This mountain tour brought me to my limits

This tour brought me to my limits - and maybe a bit beyond. Two weeks ago I climbed Mount Wannig (2493 m) in Tyrol in Austria.

I had to overcome an elevation of 1450 m. Normally this is a hard route for ski tourers. But I decided to try it with snowshoes. A decision which I regretted later.

The start was awesome. Still several meters of snow on the slopes. Temperatures around 15° and a sunny sky.

I climbed uphill such as several ski tourers did. After about 600 m elevation I got to see my goal for today: the impressive North face of Mount Wannig with its dozens of avalanche tracks.

The day before I had called the head of the local mountain rescue unit in the nearby village of Ehrwald. The Lady told me, that a lot of big avalanches already had come down. So the route would be relatively safe.

On my way I had to cross two older avalanche fields. This proved how exposed the path actually was. But it wasn't the avalanches that almost drove me to despair: it was the inclination of plus 40° on the last 300 m of elevation just underneath the summit - and the slushy snow.

I struggled. The sun had reached the final slope and the snow became extremely soft. With every second step in my snowshoes I slided one step back.

For the ski tourers it was easier, they didn’t sink in nor slide that much. I had to take off my snowshoes and fight my way upwards. After 5 hours for just 8 km I finally made it to the summit.

I was exhausted, but too afraid to take a longer pause. Afternoon is the time of avalanches. So I almost immediately began the descent.

The ski tourers were wedeling downhill with ease. But I had to walk back through the ever more soft and deep snow.

I almost didn’t make it back. I suffered from cramps in my calves and thighs. I was so tired and weak that it took me another 4 hours to reach my car in the valley.

Back home I needed two days to recover. This tour taught me a painful lesson. And I’m glad that I survived it with so little harm. Overconfidence can kill you in the mountains.