The travel book “Watzmann’s Adventure” – illustrated book in review – Rise

Who would be surprised if Frank Rasp crossed this mountain. But he is fond of Watzmann, and there is no other way to interpret his words. He cares for the wonderful experience every time climbing the legendary Eastern Face. Or, “As locals say, it’s full of simplicity: go,” Berchtesgadner wrote in the preface to “The Witzmann Adventure.”

This terse expression should not be misinterpreted as arrogance. Son wrote that Rasp’s father, Franz, also liked the East Face, and above all respected it – how could it be otherwise after about 300 climbing. Even if he likes to call the hard-to-climb mountain “just a pile of stones.” When Frank Rasp was 15 years old, his father fell mortally against a wall.

Author Katherine Thomas Priegger and photographer Klaus Vengler, who published the picture book “Watzmann Adventure”, deliberately defined the field with the contribution of Frank Rasp’s guest from the start: Watzmann has always been an advertising medium, decorating the dairy packaging, which offers a hot bath in the name of the same name and is an attraction that has been made Try it and test it, especially in tourism.

However, it has nothing to do with the beauty of Berchtesgadner land. Königssee, Jenner, easily accessible via a mountain railway, Hintersee near Ramsau, and from which Klausbachtal branches to the south – all of these places bring people straight to the mountains, albeit largely without risk. In the center are mountains, although not 3000 meters high, which contain everything, like the Hochkalter and, above all, the Watzmann.

Thoma-Bregar and Fengler dedicate an entire volume to Watzmann. Fengler’s photos document the entire spectrum: how this mountain seems to fit the tourist and leisure scene, but how fast, rugged and bouncy it looks when you actually step on this mountain range anyone climbing a Watzmann – this definitely doesn’t have to be the case by climbing the East Face – quick In high mountains, in open terrain. Watzmann requires experience and a routine of mountaineering.

The beauty of this mountain is delightful, as are the panoramas it offers. Because no matter where you are at the top of the hills, you can always see the strange formations of at least two or three major and minor peaks. Additionally, you can enjoy the views down to Königssee or Steinerne Meer.

Catherine Thoma Priegar focuses in her texts on people – dairy farmers, mountain climbers and wildlife biologists. It does not check the image density in its descriptions; Scripts tend to be very tame and very distant. It appears to be aimed primarily at an audience that prefers to admire the mountain from the valley and, at best, adventures to Schapbachalm, which can be reached via a forest path, or by boat trip to Röthbachfall on the Obersee River in Berchtesgaden National Park.

All in all, the “Watzman Adventure” is still huge and hypothetical. And it pretty much does this mountain justice, because both the coarse and softer sides come on their own and the band doesn’t lose itself in specialty.

Kathryn Toma-Priegger, Klaus Fengler: Adventure Watzmann. Bruckmann-Verlag, Munich 2021.192 pages, 39.99 €.