Daniel Hirsch (62) is a mountain guru.
Whenever possible, he grazes the peaks south of Munich.
Not on normal routes, but often without a path.
He describes this expertly in his internet blog bergheimat.net - a conversation about the beauty and dangers of the mountains.
How do you choose your tours?
Either I'll go where I've already been, on other paths.
Or I just look at the map - where it could be interesting and where I haven't been.
Then I make sure that I go up paths where not everyone is going up.
I'm bored if I stay on the path.
In your blog you describe the tours with lots of photos. Is it your goal for others to do the same?
With pleasure.
But for tours that are a bit more difficult, I'll add a warning.
Better safe than sorry.
You are going through pathless terrain - straight up.
Yes, of course I don't want Hinz and Kunz to wobble up there too.
How do you orientate yourself in pathless terrain?
Usually via alpenvereinaktiv.com – I have that on my cell phone.
I no longer take paper hiking maps with me, that used to be the case.
View of one of your last tours: to the Hennenkopf near Linderhof from the north - "No hike" and skulls are included. Is that enough of a deterrent?
Mei, ultimately everyone is responsible for their own actions.
And you can always turn around if you think, oh, that looks dangerous now.
I find the way because I know my way around - I've been on the road for 40 years.
There are also people who buy a car with 300 hp, and you can't ban them either.
What feedback do you get?
Actually only positive.
However, I have to admit that rangers from the Ammer Mountains Nature Park have called me before - and asked me to delete something.
The reason was that I went up the Rappenkopf without a path over the rear Falkenwand, that is south of the Kofel near Oberammergau.
That's not something people like to see.
Of course I complied with the request of the rangers.
Have you ever lost your way?
Once, but that was 30 years ago.
I was on my way from the south to the Hochplatte in the Ammergau Alps.
I really lost my bearings because of the fog.
I finally found my way out on my own.
By now I've got the idea that I have a certain nose for the tours, and I don't go straight up when there's a slippery rock face.
You recently found yourself without a path on the Laber near Oberammergau – one photo shows you climbing without a rope and helmet.
This looks wilder in the pictures than it is.
But of course you should be able to climb up to the 5th, 6th or 7th level of difficulty - otherwise please not.
Rules of thumb for the average hiker?
Normal hikers should buy hiking books, stay on the paths and follow the tours described.
You have to keep an eye on the weather, plan a time reserve and you have to be fit.
And don't get suicidal about it.
Where are you traveling?
Mostly south of Munich.
The worst thing now is the car ride, it's annoying.
I now choose my tours based on the traffic, you don't have to start later than half past five if you have to use the Salzburg autobahn.
And I avoid parking fees, it annoys me that everyone is being ripped off everywhere.
The train is not an alternative?
No, my tours are too remote for that.
They also often take the mountain bike with them.
Yes, because the lower Hatscher are boring.
I often go to the mountains after work, so of course I don't feel like wasting time in the lower regions where everything looks the same.
What's your occupation?
I was an offset printer, then retrained to be a geriatric nurse.
But now I'm at the garbage disposal in Munich.
I guess I'm one of the few who still do real physical work and I finish early and have time for the mountains.