European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 20, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Arc Mountain guide Rodney a Cholla and Tanya Barbour bring up rear of he group during first Day s ascent. Laura weeks and Robert Bundner head the group of hikers with bavarian King Ludwig it s Hunting Lodge in background. Lin dec Turc stamina and stillness above the Timberline continued from Pago 13 later when the climb resumed. Several Hundred Yards up the logging Road the Trees All conifers became stunted and sparse. Glimpses of Distant scenery turned into Broad vistas. We skirted a dry Mountain shoulder and ascended to a Knoll crowned by bavarian King Ludwig it s Stark Hunting Lodge. A Small restaurant sat at the Bottom of Tho Knoll. Both buildings were reminders that wilderness in the North american sense has t existed in Central Europe Lor centuries. Evidence of Mankind is around every other Corner even in the High mountains. When i arrived at the Lodge the Crystal of my cheap Wristwatch was clouded with condensation so i took the watch Oil and Laid it on the base of a flagpole to dry More than an hour alter we Lell the Lodge and were struggling with a Steep Rocky ascent under a probing Sun i realized i had left the watch behind. In the mountains i rationalized there Are Only three kinds of time anyway Sunshine storms and night. The line distinctions seem irrelevant. The group spread out considerably. One of our two guides. Ian Gibson moved ahead with the bulk of the party. The other Rodney Nicholls stayed in the rear to Shepherd the cautious pfc. Tanya Barbour who was recovering irom an eight month old knee injury. German no Andreas Schwarz and i weren t doing much better so we sat in Tho Shade of a Boulder and talked about politics until the others caught up. By 4 . We reached a plateau where we could see Tho Meiler Hutte perched in a pass High above us like a huge treehouse. Sheep grazed on a bulging prow like Bluff to our left their Copper Bells clanking with each turn of a head. Patches of Snow Lay scattered about in depressions like Sand traps on a Golf course. We crossed the plateau and ascended the Rocky Hill on the far Side working our Way toward a Small Crevasse that let to a final series of Steep switchbacks below the Lodge. I really eel like i be accomplished something Barbour said but swore she would never do it again. The Meiler Hutte still Well below the Summit is one of hundreds of Alpine lodges built to refresh and restore climbers. Tho Deutscher Alpi Verein German Alpine club operates most of the German lodges where reservations Are preferred but unannounced guests Are usually Welcome. The Meiler Hutte features Basic Home cooking chemical toilets no hot water and a 20-person bunk room reminiscent of the concentration Camp Barracks at Dachau. In the dining room. Lamb and pfc. John Taylor huddled Over a Long table engrossed in nuclear risk a Home made enhancement of the popular world Conquest Board game. The game was t More than a Lew minutes old but Hoy already had eliminated pal 2 Alan Crabtree. They would t even make me one of the mutants in Tho nuke zone Crabtree said laughing. They would t oven give me Argentina or Australia outside soldiers and other climbers milled about on continued on Page 16 climber attaches Carabiner an Oval Metal ring with a anal link to Metal Rod imbedded in Mountainside during final phase of hike up the Reltor sprue. Hiking group Heads out on the Way to the Page 14 the stars and stripes sunday Ai