The Mannheimer-Hütte is one of the most sympathique of the area. You can get there via a walk along a cliff from the Oberzalimtal, which is a very long and somewhat dangerous path. We chose to go from the Lünersee, up to the Totalp-Hütte and then on from there. But we did not pick our weather too well...
1 Arriving at the Totalp-Hütte, we had already been walking through snow.
2 See the path up across the Totalp, through the snow? The Mulde ("crater") of Schesapana is visible in the upper-right-hand corner.
3 Crossing the Totalp
4 Fortunately, we were not the first ones.
5 Flowers manage to grow here anyway.
6 Rocks and ... flowers. Incredible!
7 Getting up higher
8 Starting the Sudwandsteig, looking out over the Swiss side,
9 Yes, that is the path, the Sudwandsteig.
10 No, that is not the path. That is a slide way down into Switzerland.
11 Even an airplane (glider) was lower than we were.
12 Yup, we are stil on the path.
13 Looking more like a real path now.
14 The Mannheimer-Hütte is now visible on the horizon.
15 The light was beautiful now.
16 Snow, sky, clouds
17 Clouds, rocks and snow
18 Erosion lines in the snow
19 Siv in front of Schesaplana
20 Approaching the Mannheimer-Hütte
21 The Mannheimer-Hütte
22 We made it!
23 Then the weather got cloudier, as seen in this "view" of the Panülerkopf.
24 Inside the refuge, one can warm up with Jägertee, beer, schnaps and good, hot food. We said it was a very sympathique hut.
25 But ... the next morning. Oh, well, we said, it could be worse.
26 So we started out...
27 ... and it got worse.
28 Then the clouds opened enough to let some beautiful sunlight through. Of course, by then, any sunlight would have been beautiful.
29 Clouds and sunlight on Schesaplana
30 Siv in the light
31 Going up this side is the easier way up the Schespplana, as these people are doing.
32 But the sun went away, so we navigated back down the Sudwandsteig in the snow and fog. Oh well, we were young and healthy and -- especially -- insouciant.
33 Getting back down to the Totalp-Hütte -- and warm, liquid refreshment.
