The high mountains

Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel disliked the high mountains: "The sight of these eternally dead masses gave me nothing but the monotonous and boring idea that this is the way it is," noted the philosopher during a crossing of the Alps. As a lowland dweller, he "always longs for expansion, for extension, and his gaze always bumps into rocks." Poor man, no views, just always these rocks.

Every hiker knows that there are indeed big differences between alpine and low mountain hiking. If you go uphill in the high mountains, you usually go uphill for a very long time. In the low mountain range, for example, I leave the Rhine valley, climb 200 meters in altitude - when the going gets tough - and enjoy the view. In the high mountains, I climb 1,000 meters in altitude, steep ramps and rocky paths. And if I'm lucky, I'm already at the summit. If I'm unlucky, I first reach an alpine pasture and then I have to climb again to the summit.

You can also tell that you're in the high mountains when you plan a fun hiking tour in spring, April or May. But it soon becomes clear that, firstly, you've put on the wrong clothes, secondly, the temperature drops by what feels like two degrees with every step and, thirdly, you shouldn't have set off without snowshoes, as every step you take causes you to sink half a meter into the snow.

A person wearing a jacket and pants stepping through deep snow

But even in midsummer, the high mountains are tricky for hikers. This is because many alpine paths not only require sure-footedness, but also strong concentration on every step. This means that you always have your eyes on the ground, not on the landscape. It's a shame really, because I've been told that the views in the high mountains are quite beautiful. To be honest, a mountain panorama like this is of course fantastic. That's why I can't understand Marcel Reich-Ranicki's bon mot when he said about alpine views: "What do you mean by a beautiful view, there are mountains everywhere in front of you." “

A serene mountain landscape with foggy valleys and a sun rising behind the clouds, surrounded by dark silhouettes of trees.

If I were to attempt a typology of the high mountain hiker, I would say that he is most likely the lone wolf type. The mountain and I, an eternal battle, who is stronger? Three quarters of an hour to the summit? My ambition is awakened, I can do it in half an hour. I ask myself, is this really necessary?

Mountain trail signpost with directions and distances to Rubihorn, Oberstdorf, and Nebelhornbahn

Well, you've already noticed that, all in all, hiking in the high mountains is not really my thing. The hiking psychologist says: I'm probably stuck in a pre-civilization phase: The fear of high, rugged mountains dominates me. The mountains as the enemy. In past centuries, stagecoach drivers drew the curtains of the carriage when crossing the Alps so that travelers were not disturbed by the sight of the terrifying mountains. I don't see it that way. I quite like looking at the mountains. However, in my opinion, they are not necessarily suitable for hiking.

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