The pilgrimage to the pilgrimage site of St. Georgenberg near Stans in Tyrol is known to few people in the Tölzer Land. It is only signposted in Jachenau. Peter Martin Eberl and his wife Gabriele from Obersteinbach walked it completely and were enthusiastic about the route.
Obersteinbach - where is St. Georgenberg, please? This is what Peter Martin Eberl (58) and his wife Gabriele (60) asked themselves when they saw the signs in Jachenau. The couple from Obersteinbach are passionate about going into the mountains and know many peaks in the region. They have already done many mountain tours this summer. “Traveling is difficult this year,” says Peter Martin Eberl. And so the idea arose to go the pilgrimage, especially since Benediktbeuern and St. Georgenberg are linked by the history of the Benedictine order.
In the absence of an “official” pilgrimage route, the Eberls themselves developed a three-day tour (see box). “Nobody really knows a way,” says the 58-year-old. And he established: "St. Georgenberg Monastery is actually only known to the elderly."
Only the bare essentials were in the backpack
At the end of July, when the weather was nice, it started on a Sunday. The day before they had said a prayer in the Benediktbeuern monastery. “So it feels like we were wandering directly from monastery to monastery,” says the Obersteinbacher with a wink. The Eberls deliberately went from Sunday to Tuesday because they knew that the hiking trails would probably be less busy then - and they were right. The first day was pretty tough: from Obersteinbach over the Glaswandscharte on the Benediktenwand to the Jachenau and over the Laineralm to Vorderriß. That is 1765 meters uphill, 1633 downhill. "Yes, the first day was steep," says Eberl. Basically, he advises everyone: “Going slowly is the be-all and end-all.” They had lunch in Jachenau, in the afternoon there was coffee and cake at the Laineralm, and in the evening they stayed at the Post Inn in Vorderriß. They had booked this in advance, as well as the overnight stay at the Plumsjochhütte the following day.
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The Eberls kept their equipment to a minimum: in the backpacks there was rain gear, a little laundry for the two nights, a first aid kit and a small bivouac tent in case of emergency. As provisions they had brought two liters of water per person, a few granola bars and a small bottle of cola. "You can find water everywhere on the way, you can easily refill it." Otherwise, they had planned the tour in such a way that they came to huts, alpine pastures or inns at regular intervals.
Hike from monastery to monastery
You need a little luck on the second day when you go from Vorderriß to the Plumsjochhütte. The Eberls chose the ascent from Kreuzbrücke to the Kompar. It's about ten kilometers of road from Vorderriß to Kreuzbrücke. You could take the bus, but it doesn't leave until 10 a.m. “So we tried to hitchhike.” They didn't have to wait long: “Anyone heading for Eng on Monday morning also wants to climb mountains,” says Eberl. The way over the Grasbergalm to the Kompar is very beautiful. "And hardly anyone was out." After a good three hours and 1200 meters of altitude difference, they reached the Plumsjochhütte, where they let the day end comfortably. In theory, they could have descended as far as Pertisau. “But we deliberately didn't want that. An overnight stay at the hut is a must on the tour. "
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On the third day, it went steeply downhill to Pertisau, where the Eberls bought some provisions. The last part of the monastery was imminent. To get up to the Stanserjoch, they used the Karwendelbahn cable car to the Zwölferkopf, “but you can of course also walk the 500 meters in altitude,” says Eberl.
Goosebumps when entering
On the Stanserjoch, the couple first enjoyed the great view, then they descended around 1100 meters steeply to St. Georgenberg. “We went alternately on a steep path and a forest road. That's good for the altitude, ”says Eberl.
Peter Martin Eberl and his wife Gabriele.
© Eberl
In the afternoon they saw the monastery for the first time. "There is a certain elation, even if my wife and I are not strictly religious," says Eberl. “I'm not built close to the water, but then standing in church and taking in the atmosphere really got under your skin.” The couple treated themselves to another beer in the monastery inn and then made their way across Wolfsklamm , about which the two rave about, to the descent to Stans. There they took the train in the evening to go via Innsbruck and Seefeld to Tutzing and Bichl. They were back home shortly before midnight. “You can of course end the tour with an overnight stay in the monastery or in Stans,” says Eberl.
A beautiful view from the Stanser Joch towards Achensee.
© Eberl
The 58-year-old saved the entire tour on www.bergfex.de (see box). “Of course, you can vary the route as you like,” he says. It still amazes him that pilgrim route signs are only in the Jachenau, even in Austria nothing of the kind can be found. Unfortunately, there is also a bad memory of the mountain tour: On the return journey on the train, Peter Martin Eberl lost his wallet, probably in Tutzing. This also includes his address. "It would be nice if someone could find it and give it back to me."
There are only signs for the pilgrimage route in Tölzer Land in Jachenau.
© Eberl