For today, the plan was a hike to the Schrammsteine and the Lichtenhain Waterfall. Schrammsteine is a famous very jagged group of sandstone rocks. The Sächsische Schweiz is famous for its sandstone rock formations. Here's a Schrammsteine photo from Wikipedia:
We didn't get many photos on the whole trip, and especially during this hike, because it rained the whole day. The weather forecast was for 90% rain, 1.15 inches of it, and unfortunately the forecast was accurate. Renate considered staying at the hotel, but Daphna, our guide, promised we would shorten the hike if the rain got really bad, though that would mean we wouldn't see the waterfall. For this hike, we were joined by our good friend Stefan, who lives in Berlin and had arrived the evening before by train. We were looking forward to spending time together with him.
At the beginning, the hike was quite magical. The trail led through a moist, ferny canyon, high sandstone columns and pristine forest on both sides, quite different from the beginning of the trail the day before. Daphne explained how this deep valley is a typical example for inversion -- it's usually moist and often a bit chilly below in the valleys, while it can be much warmer higher up. Here, we were surrounded by many different types of mosses and ferns.
After a short uphill hike, we ascended the canyon wall through an interlocking collection of stairs and ladders. Daphne helped with the climb by carrying Renate's hiking pole up the ladders. Renate wasn't able to collapse the poles because they had somehow become locked in place. Renate also brought along latex gloves to put over her fleece gloves, which kept her hands nice and warm even when holding on to the metal railings on the stairs. This was an experiment and a success.
After 2 sets of ladders (total ascent 530m), we arrived at the top. The weather was foggy and windy, so there was basically no view. We found a sheltered spot out of the wind and rain and ate our lunches. After everyone had some time to explore, the leaders decided to take a shorter path back, which involved a different set of ladders. Regrettably, not everyone was in favor of climbing down ladders again. Later, some group members complained that they weren't part of the decision (short or long route), but in the end, it really was the leader's decision, and Renate was puzzled why we even had to spend time talking about it.
At the bottom we arrived at a stop of the Kirnitschtalbahn, an electric tram (now running completely on solar electricity). This tram line, which has its own Wikipedia page, is primarily for tourists and we were happy to squeeze in with all the other wet hikers. Here's a photo from Wikipedia, taken on a drier day.
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| Kirnitschtalbahn (on a sunny day) |
We boarded the tram not far from the final stop to the ferry, and--surprise--nobody was eager to spend more time in Bad Schandau to explore. Instead, we took the ferry back to Krippen and the Hotel Erbgericht. At the hotel, Renate was excited to hear that the sauna was hot -- she is a dedicated sauna fan! We both had a delicious hot shower, then warmed up in the spacious sauna and relaxed. Nobody else seemed to dare use the sauna, so we had the whole area to ourselves. Nothing better after a wet and adventurous hike!
