On top of Germany's highest mountain

[rudgej]

Here are a couple of photos taken from the top of the Zugspitze at around 2962m (9718ft). These were taken back in May, but I've just got round to tweaking them in Photoshop. The camera settings look a bit weird, but I reckon that I had the camera on A-DEP at the time. I also posted some Zugspitze panoramas (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=172382) back in May if anyone is interested.

http://www.johnrudge.f2s.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/zugspitze3.jpg

http://www.johnrudge.f2s.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/zugspitze4.jpg

[Tsmith]

Nice photos John and certainly a wonderful rugged looking terrain.

[Frank_Hollahan]

Very nice crisp shots John and as I can see the sky color changes (obviously) with the higher elevation. The snow looks perfectly exposed, very good.

[mws3]

those shots are amazing John

no. 1 is a calander piece i think

[Dimitri_V]

Good work John,and what a view from up there,wow,something like...king of the world.

9718 ft eh ?
Ben Nevis who ?LOL

[Denny G]

Taken in May ! Nice work. I might like to visit but only for a day or so. That area looks beautiful.

DG

[AdamJL]

Your horizon's off in the first one :lol:
Couldn't resist.

Great shots John, I love these kinds of extreme places!

[SeattleSpeedster]

looks awesome! are all those contrails inthe sky reflective of the busy airspace?

[J T]

I like how you captured the different tones of the mountains, John. Did you drive up to that place or ride up on a tram? Looks like quite a place to visit for one of the most breathtaking views on earth.

[Neilyb]

Cracking clear, crisp shots John! :)

[weemannie]

Well exposed shots, John. Lovely scenes too. Looks a bit chilly though. Sort of home from home :D

[rudgej]

Thank you for your comments Toney, Frank, Mark, Dimitri, Denny, Neil, and Trevor.
Your horizon's off in the first one :lol:
Couldn't resist.

Great shots John, I love these kinds of extreme places!
It does look like that, but it actually isn't. When JLP9639 first went up there, took film photos and looked at the prints when he got back home, he thought so too. So we specifically made note of the horizon this time, and it truly does curve like that.

looks awesome! are all those contrails inthe sky reflective of the busy airspace?
I would guess so. The Zugspitze is at the far south of Germany/north of Austria, and places like Munich, Innsbruck, and Salzburg and their airposts are close by.

I like how you captured the different tones of the mountains, John. Did you drive up to that place or ride up on a tram? Looks like quite a place to visit for one of the most breathtaking views on earth.
There are two mains ways up, which is either a train to a middle station, and then a cable car to the top. Alternatively, it is possible to get a cable car from the bottom straight to the top:

http://www.johnrudge.f2s.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/zugspitze6.jpg

http://www.johnrudge.f2s.com/coppermine/albums/userpics/zugspitze5.jpg

Well exposed shots, John. Lovely scenes too. Looks a bit chilly though. Sort of home from home :D
Now that you say that, I have experienced the exact same on Ben Lawyers when I friend and I were at the top in blizzard conditions in full winter gear including goggles. When we got back down and arrived in Callendar, it was so hot that we had an ice cream! :shock:

[Miyagi-san]

wow, i definitely need to get there before i leave. do you know the name of where to go to get on the cable car initially? like the name of the town they start in? thanks, looks like a lot of fun :)

EDIT, nevermind...google is my best friend lol :)

http://europeforvisitors.com/germany/garmisch/zugspitze.htm

[rudgej]

wow, i definitely need to get there before i leave. do you know the name of where to go to get on the cable car initially? like the name of the town they start in? thanks, looks like a lot of fun :)

EDIT, nevermind...google is my best friend lol :)

http://europeforvisitors.com/germany/garmisch/zugspitze.htm
I just found that link for you too! We went up from Eibsee which didn't take too long, but the more scenic route would have been the train from Garmisch.

[rickydiver]

John some excellant shots you have posted here :) I especially like the first one wow what a view. I know what you mean re Ben Lawyers I have been in similar conditions then you get down to Loch Earn Head and its like you are in a different country again :)
Ricky

[AdamJL]

Oh wow, those last two are absolutely stunning! Long weekend in Germany next year it is!! :)

[CousinMadness]

Very nice John,


I have always been fascinated by buildings in remote mountain top locations. The harshness and extreme weather conditions belies the existance of human habitation. I always think... how did they get that up there?

I shall never forget my feeling of inadequacy after a 9 hour trek up Ben Nevis in Scotland. There I was knackered, tired, feeling ill after eating some berries on the way up... struggling over rocks the size of a small car.. Reaching the summit out of breath, freezing cold with mist so thick I could not see my hand when my arm was fully stretched out.... only to be confronted by a building donated by the Observer Newspaper many years ago.

.... how the heck did they get that up here?

Cheers.


Cousin mountain climber. :rolleyes:

[rudgej]

John some excellant shots you have posted here :) I especially like the first one wow what a view. I know what you mean re Ben Lawyers I have been in similar conditions then you get down to Loch Earn Head and its like you are in a different country again :)
Ricky
Yep Scottish weather is novel for getting all seasons within one day. I even remember seeing it raining out the front of my house, and being dry out at the back. :confused:

Oh wow, those last two are absolutely stunning! Long weekend in Germany next year it is!! :)
Thanks Adam. I would definitely recommend Germany, and will go back myself.

Very nice John,


I have always been fascinated by buildings in remote mountain top locations. The harshness and extreme weather conditions belies the existance of human habitation. I always think... how did they get that up there?

I shall never forget my feeling of inadequacy after a 9 hour trek up Ben Nevis in Scotland. There I was knackered, tired, feeling ill after eating some berries on the way up... struggling over rocks the size of a small car.. Reaching the summit out of breath, freezing cold with mist so thick I could not see my hand when my arm was fully stretched out.... only to be confronted by a building donated by the Observer Newspaper many years ago.

.... how the heck did they get that up here?

Cheers.


Cousin mountain climber. :rolleyes:
A 9 hour trek? :shock: Did you walk via Stirling? ;) Even the conservative time to the summit in the SMC book "The Munros" just lists it as 3h 50mins. :lol: Anyway, joking aside, I have a lot of respect for those people that have built things on top of mountains, and while they will use helicopters these days, it was not doubt pack animals and a lot of walking in the olden days.

[Dorman]

Wow John that first shot is just awesome. Love how rugged that run of mountains looks, great sky, great detail, perfectly exposed whites. You sat on this one way too long. ;) Thanks for sharing.

[rudgej]

Wow John that first shot is just awesome. Love how rugged that run of mountains looks, great sky, great detail, perfectly exposed whites. You sat on this one way too long. ;) Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Brad. I wasn't actually holding back, but was just going through some of my older stuff to see what needed processed, or reprocessed as I feel that my processing is a bit better than it was six months ago. ;)

[malla1962]

Superb set,but man it looks cold there.:D

[bromm]

wow, looks like an awesome place to visit, the highest point here on PEI is about 500 feet so no dramatic elevation captures from me,, unless i travel, thanks for sharing.

[andydajo]

Great shots John, just love views like that when I'm away skiing, funny how you always want tons of snow, but a week of glorious sunshine when you are there.

[rudgej]

Superb set,but man it looks cold there.:D
It was a bit cold on top, but a warm summery day at the bottom. Thanks malla.

wow, looks like an awesome place to visit, the highest point here on PEI is about 500 feet so no dramatic elevation captures from me,, unless i travel, thanks for sharing.
I have an aunt who stays in Florida, and she has also pointed out Florida's highest bit (a little lump of sand about six inches high or so! ;) :lol: - slight under-exaggeration there!

Great shots John, just love views like that when I'm away skiing, funny how you always want tons of snow, but a week of glorious sunshine when you are there.
Thanks John. We were lucky weatherwise as the day before had been a whiteout.

[mrclark321]

Wow John this looks like a great place to visit.

Dan

[rudgej]

Wow John this looks like a great place to visit.

Dan
Definitely Dan. I had a brief tour round Germany, and enjoyed every bit of it, although if pushed, the south (where these pictures were taken) was definitely my favourite area.

[naqs]

The first shot is Awesome... I've always wanted to go to europe especially the rally of greece

[Velocity]

Very very nice shots, I feel cold just looking at them :)

[rudgej]

Thank you Nathan and Velocity. :)

[JLP9639]

Your horizon's off in the first one :lol:
Couldn't resist.


I was with John when he took these, and I can confirm the real horizon is like that, although I suspect by your smiley that you may know that ;)
The first time I visited Zugspitz and 'panorama'd', I spent months trying to sort the horizon before giving up. When I went back this year it was very much a 'Homer moment' - "Doooh!"

[CousinMadness]

A 9 hour trek? :shock: Did you walk via Stirling? ;) Even the conservative time to the summit in the SMC book "The Munros" just lists it as 3h 50mins. :lol:

You got me thinking John. Perhaps the long way up and short way down took 9 hours in total. It was cold damp foggy and miserable with deep snow on the summit. I have some negatives from the trip, I should get them scanned and re-live the nightmare of Nevis.


Cousin crampons. :(

[Nick123]

Great shots, I really like the looking down shot

[joegolf68]

I new before I opened it would be the Zugspitze! I skied there in 1972 as a kid! Well, I went down the bunny hills at the bottom. But I did take the thing that takes you to the top (tram?) and it was beautiful! Isn't there a cross or something up there that designates the Austria border? It has been so long ago, but I recall something like that. The building looks the same, in my long term memory box which isn't all that good at age 54 now!

Joe

[rudgej]

I was with John when he took these, and I can confirm the real horizon is like that, although I suspect by your smiley that you may know that ;)
The first time I visited Zugspitz and 'panorama'd', I spent months trying to sort the horizon before giving up. When I went back this year it was very much a 'Homer moment' - "Doooh!"
Thanks John for the santy check. The Zugspitze was certainly the "highpoint" of our whistlestop tour round Germany. ;) :lol:

You got me thinking John. Perhaps the long way up and short way down took 9 hours in total. It was cold damp foggy and miserable with deep snow on the summit. I have some negatives from the trip, I should get them scanned and re-live the nightmare of Nevis.


Cousin crampons. :(
That could be more like it. Perhaps if you went via the Carn mor Dearg arrete, and back via the tourist route. Combined with breaks and slow progress for snow, I could imagine 9 hours. I look forward to seeing your photos too.
Great shots, I really like the looking down shot
Thank you Nick.
I new before I opened it would be the Zugspitze! I skied there in 1972 as a kid! Well, I went down the bunny hills at the bottom. But I did take the thing that takes you to the top (tram?) and it was beautiful! Isn't there a cross or something up there that designates the Austria border? It has been so long ago, but I recall something like that. The building looks the same, in my long term memory box which isn't all that good at age 54 now!

Joe
Thanks Joe. While you can take the tram to near the top, and then a cable car to the summit, we just took the Eibsee cable car directly there. You're also correct in that you have to drive into Austria and back over the border into Germany again to get there.