Berlin Hohenweg. Day 5. Furtschaglhaus Lodge to Berliner Hut.

24 July 2017 

8.9 km, +850/-1100 m, 6 hours (guidebook time)

Unfortunately, the next morning weather took turn for worse. Still, others were pushing ...

... so we decided to push as well. 

Shortly, we lost "visual" with the only place (Furtschaglhaus in the background below) that was associated with warmth and comfort ...

... and not quite prepared for this kind of weather ...

... found ourselves in the land of wet, cold snow. 

Already before Schonbichler Scharte Notch, the highest point on Berlin High Trail (3060 m), we encountered some fixed cables for protection. 

However, it was nothing comparing to what waited for us on the south side of the pass. This selfie only gives some approximation of what we had to face: a ridge, possibly about 150 m long, roughly at 60 degrees angle, completely saturated with rain and wet snow. The steel cables were freezing our hands, and yet we had to hold on to them, as to not to slip into the abyss. To put it short, when we reached the bottom of this ridge, I was under the impression that we "escaped from the arms of death." 

Still, this was not the end of the "pleasures of the day." We spent another three hours hiking in a raging storm, with lightnings and thunders. We don't have any pictures, understandably, from this part of the hike. By the time we reached Berliner Hut, we were soaked through, having also to cross a few, angle high, raging creeks.  

At the hut, I undressed completely, hanging my clothes in a "dry room" saturated with other wet jackets, pants, socks and boots. When I approached the front desk person in my underwear, this young woman took pity on me. She provided me with a pair of wool socks, thick fleece and somewhat tight pants. I put them on, hid under two layers of blankets, and then ... shivered violently for about 30 minutes. This was not what I signed for. 

Then, I rejoined Mike in the stylish dining room of the Berliner Hut. We concluded that wine won't do it - we needed to go for a few schnapps. Also our Ukrainian friends "rescued" us with a bit of moonshine. We went to our beds still hearing rain bumping into the windows. 

To be continued.

Day 6. Berliner Hutte to Greizer Hutte.