cy of the road numbers and unpronounceable towns along the way. There were a couple of choices to Zugspitze, one from the east and the second from the west. Our only navigation guide was a printout from summitpost.com noting the standard climb up Zugspitze was from the east but as it would happen on any adventure, we passed our first turn and continued west before reaching the town of Ehrwald at the base of the mountain. However interesting enough we discovered from the locals the standard western routes were impassable at the time and we would have needed to travel back across to get where we stood presently. We enjoyed a beer at a local town pub debating on the best route for the climb and concluded on the Wiener-Neustadter-Hutte 
route which is a hike up to 7250 feet, spend the night and follow a 2400 feet rock climb up the western face of the mountain.We left the car at the Tyrolean Zugspitze Railway parking lot that takes you directly to the summit by tram and followed a back road trail into a basin reminding me of the desert southwest with the combination of the afternoon heat and sandy sage brush landscape. We read the hut was classified as a third class emergency shelter and did not expect the same service in Austria, but more like
what we were accustom to in the North Cascades, therefore did not grab a lot of cash. As we turned a corner around a rock face there was a small shelter in the distance and we thought to ourselves there it is, but as we continued up there was a modern hut to the right with a different appearance. We walked inside the smaller but cozy hut with the smell of a warm fire and a handful of summit teams drinking and eating as before. The host greeted us and I could see from the kitchen that even this third class hut was the same as our previous night’s accommodations and had not learned our lesson as we again were without enough money and a deep need for a cold beer high on the mountain.There are 6.6 billion of people on this earth and this was a time one of those persons surprised me by with kindness even after we confessed we were from America who knew no better to
these types of accommodations and carried little money to support our climbing. Come to find out the guest does this for a living and arrives early in the summer and will not leave until early fall as they preplanned all the supplies and hope for a profit after paying the expenses such as rental for the hut, however our host on this day stated we were his guest and wanted us to stay as his guest including giving us a beer. Grateful to this kindness, we sat speaking to a mother and daughter team from Germany with a group of guys on a bachelor party (come to find out on the summit) and a few others in this cozy warm hut only a few hundred feet from the Germany as we still sat in Switzerland on this night. There is a time in life when you must payback the night kindness you are given and this was one of 
those moments. I will never forget but I thank you for allowing us to be your guest on this day. We enjoyed our beer and prepared our dinner complemented by great conversation all around. The night was exciting and I went to bed dreaming of the mornings cli,mb.I woke up to a great night's sleep as we made our way into the dining hall where our new friend offered us a rich cup of coffee. We stepped out from hut into the crisp morning air third in line of the parties at the hut and hiked to the base of the 2500 foot climb up the mountain. The rock was in great shape and the route was more of a scramble instead of a climb with slight exposure aided by fixed anchors as this climb is
popular to the guide service for those new to the sport or making this the climb of thier life. Not making light if we did spot a marker commemorating a death of the route.As we crested the ridge there was vintage sign of the country we were about to cross into and I knew shortly I could say I have been on the highest peak in Germany. The interesting point about Zugspitze is unlike most peaks, the summit included a large building built on on the rocks including everything from a upscale restaurant, museum, gift shop, and many others services to support the hundreds per day whom make it to the summit by way of the tram.
We snapped a few pictures as we were excited to be again on a highest peak in a European country.We made our way back into the building as the resturant staff were setting up for the coming day, we where in no mood for breakfast and wanted a German beer in Germany.
I walked up to the counter and was greeted by a older gentleman with a large smile, ordered a few beers and sat down overlooking the summit basin with clean cotton tableware and a tall glass of Lowenbrau. It was at this moment but I felt a deep sense of peace by knowing that I was on the right track in my life and this project is what I was born to do, but not only that I knew it was time for me to take the next step in my life by getting deeper in what I was doing but also that I needed a long-term plan on a business that would keep me challenged 
above and beyond my career and climbing. It was at this moment I knew the rest of the trip would become a brainstorm during the countless hours of travel and climbing. As I drank my German beer I realized my life could be no better than it was at the moment. I felt peace like never before.
We knew it was time to leave and we collected our gear again and made our way outside. As we approach the ridge we could see a tram full of people making their way up the mountain confirming to us we are leaving at the right moment before the business of the day struck. Nothing against people but having the solitude of the morning on the mountain means the world to me and I was grateful to have this moment on summit, of course with the beer. 
We climbed back to the hut to collect our gear and made our way back in the car before early afternoon. We washed up in the public restroom and were off again to the small country of Liechtenstein and a mountain named Grauspitz.Head to Grauspitz in Liechtenstein
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