Yesterday we arrived safely at our hostel in a little town at the foot of the Alps. I decided this morning to get up before the rest of the group. Something about taking a solo adventure through this little town seemed appealing. I quickly ate a breakfast of bread and jam and headed out the door. I ended up following a little stream that took me through a few quiet neighborhoods. The narrow gravel path that I walked along was lined with cute old houses whose yards were lush with green grass and colorful wildflowers. People strolled by with their dogs happily off leash. I looked up a few times to see that most people were smiling at me, a very unusual thing for a passing german to do. The walk became more and more dreamlike the more I noticed my surroundings, and everywhere I turned there seemed to be something that caught my eye; 360 degrees of fairytale-like serenity. Fifteen minutes had passed and I had already vowed to myself that I'd come back here one day, planning my fantasy lifestyle sustained on bread, jam, and simplicity. The morning was beautiful to say the least and I returned back to the hostel ready to join the others for our next big adventure: endeavoring into a mountain.
Through the town we walked to the base of the mountain, saying "Grüß Gott" to the happy locals along the way. We passed goats, sheep, and two alpacas contently grazing in their respective pastures, oblivious to our excited photo-snapping and obnoxious touristy presence. We made our way upwards gradually, following a steady drop in temperature. The path grew narrower and the river that flowed peacefully through the town suddenly became loud and angry. The steeper we climbed, the louder the roar of the river became. Finally we entered the mouth of a narrow, dark cave that led us to the left wing of one of the most incredible works of nature I have ever witnessed: the Partnach Gorge. From the belly of the beast I felt very small. Below me bellowed the ill-tempered river, and above me there was several hundred feet of rock going straight up in both directions. It was as if the river had sliced a hallway right into the side of the mountain. It was stunning and inspired an urgent desire to learn how to rock climb.
I believe all 13 of us left the mountain today with a better understanding of what "being in nature" means. It's not something we can find on our phones, read in a book, capture in a photo, or even replicate in art. To me, "being in nature" is about being present and today I think we all chose to live in the moment, making our trip to the mountains that much more beautiful.
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