Goodbye, South Tyrol

Published on 2025-10-24 by Michael Stanton

Day One: Climbing above Bozen

Michael and I met at the Brenner Pass, drinking a coffee at a little shop before setting out in my van Mantra for the Gasthaus Noafer above Bolzano. We caught up on all kinds of life topics as we drove down, and soon were walking down a street that descends on the east side of cliffs with some climbs. We ended up doing a combination of Dirty Flirty (6-/6) and Wintergarten (7-).

Michael leading on Dirty Flirty

Michael prepares for the crux on Wintergarten...

We scrambled up the 3+ first pitch, me knocking off a rock which a girl nearby scolded me for. I led pitch 2, which had a quite nice 5+ corner, and was very well protected. Michael led the next pitch, which had a 6-/6 move, and a neat little vertical section above with big holds. Above this, two easy pitches led us naturally to pitch 7 of Wintergarten, the 7- crux. The girls who had been on that route now stood at the belay for our pitch 6. We were happy to exchange with them, no problem!

Watch me here!

Finishing the crux pitch on Wintergarten

At the top of Wintergarten

This was a great pitch, sustained and continually getting a little harder. Near the crux, there were a couple patches of cement on the wall, apparently holding the rock together! I didn't have much time to investigate, being completely committed to not falling off. Really fun climbing.

Michael led one more pitch (5), and we were done. Now it's time to walk down and do another one. The forest floor had many "Maroni," chestnuts in english, I think.

I'm saying "we're definitely doing another climb!"

Then we climbed Sonntag Spatziergang. We did the first two pitches normally, then simul-climbed the rest. First Michael lead a 3-pitch block, then I led the last two together. There was in interesting Rissrampe (crack/ramp) on the last pitch.

Michael on Sonntag Spatziergang

Somewhere on the nice long ridge of the Spatziergang

Michael also gave me a great send off with a batch of homemade cookies and a delicious cake. We munched on these at a bench by the Gasthof Noafer. My gosh, he is a great cook. Then we got a beer, sitting inside because the wind came up and it was a bit cold outside.

Going down to Bozen, we found the cheap hotel I'd got. There was a common kitchen and bath, with individual rooms for guests. We met a third Michael here, really cool guy from Weilheim near Murnau. And in fact, this Michael had briefly met the other Michael before, when he worked in a kitchen at a hut that the new Michael had visited. Amazing!

A look across to the east

Three Michael Dinner!

New Michael made a pasta dinner for us, then we went out for drinks and an interesting dessert in the city. It was a restaurant a couple blocks west of Waltherplatz. Lots of interesting ideas about bikes. New Michael was doing a ride from home, over the Reschenpass, then taking the train back. Really cool.

Day Two: a nice walk to Oberbozen

Since Michael had to be back in town in the evening, we did something easy that would allow him to catch a 13:00 train back to his car at the Brenner Pass. So we did a favorite hike of mine -- Bozen to Oberbozen and back. At one point in the forest, Michael did some Maroni hunting, coming up into the sun with a pregnant belly of nuts. I found this song written by a robot which captured the feeling of Heisse Maroni.

Being old folks and going for a walk!

Michael captures a standing stone

In Oberbozen we had coffee and some cake. Then we went down a different way, checking out the standing pillars. Soon I was dropping Michael off at the train station. Dang it to heck, I'll miss Michael a lot.

A dramatic sentinel

Two fellas and standing stones

Day Three: Goodbye Mutspitze!

I'd got a hotel room on the last day of the season at a hotel beneath the peak. This time, I parked at the lift station, and walked up through forest to the usual hut, where I had a coffee. The upper 700 meters felt rather long! But once on top, I decided to follow the ridge crest over to the first pass. This worked great, despite some sections of ice or snow. Soon I was bombing down from the pass, then enjoying a meal of beer and Spaetzle at a hut.

A view from the summit of the Mutspitze

The dramatic summit with His cross

A view on the walk over to the Scharte

Stormy weather at the pass

I left at the right moment, when a rain/hail/snow mix started from a cloud that had been threatening for a while. I traversed the mountainside over to the lift, and took it down, giving away my hiking poles to a German family.

No more hikes in the Alps! Off to America!

The drive home, goodbye Alps!