When I started at the TU Munich in 2016, I soon learned that Gudrun Weikert and Andi Thomann were training the German Alpine mountain guides. Gudrun is the first female German Alpine mountain guide and Andi is an exceptional mountaineer.
We soon agreed to develop a module in mountain sports where we combined good standard lectures (topics are the genetics of Sherpas and other altitude populations, the history of mountaineering, altitude physiology as well as climate change and its impact on the Alpine environment) with practical mountaineering. The highlight of the module is an ascent of the Wildspitze (3768 m), the second highest peak in Austria after the Großglockner. It was first ascended by Leander Klotz in the 19th century.
On the 1st of July 2025, Moritz, Luca and I drove to the Pitztal in Austria and then ascended to the Taschachhaus at 2400 m of altitude. We met the first group of TUM students on their way down. In the hut we met Gudrun and Andy and got a room for 4 people, lucky us! The other students were delayed due to a flat battery but arrived in the rain later in the evening.
Here is Luca and Moritz at the start of the walk to the hut...
... some alpine flowers including gentian...
... here the last push to the hut ...
... and here we arrive at the Taschachhaus.
Gudrun and I told us that we would need to rise at 2.30 h due to the warm temperatures to have a chance that the snow on the glacier would be frozen enough. We started walking at 3.15 h. Here we reach the bottom of the glacier...
... and here we ascent the glacier not covered by snow before sunrise. It looks bright only because I have used the maximal ISO on my camera.
Here is Andy on the glacier leading the charge.
Higher up the glacier is covered by snow and we roped up.
From 3000 m, we felt the lower oxygen pressure and lack of sleep. Here we approach the summit.
The last bit is a scramble.
There is one tricky section where Andi prepared an ad hoc fia ferrata.
Lots of exposure...
... and a great view over the mountains towards Italy. Even though we had to ascend 1400 m at altitude, all students managed to reach the summit.
After the summit we descended via a softer and softer glacier in warmer and warmer temperatures.
We finally reached the "naked" glacier and arrived back at the hut.
After the glacier some more km over gravel, rock and streams...
... back to the Taschachhaus.
The next days our students had to do an experiment to investigate the physiological effects of altitude during a graded exercise step test.
Here is Luca doing the experiment...
... and here the TUM students measured oxygen uptake, lactate, and blood pressure.
During the experiments, dark clouds came from the West and so the students could only test 4 participants. We packed up quickly and raced down the glen following soldiers who did a mountain training course.
Very proud that we could offer such challenging training to our students and equally proud to see that all our students managed to summit and to do high quality experiments in the field.
HW
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