In this touching article, Dörte tells us about her emotional journey that took her from a life spent in northern Germany, where the typical landscape consists of long hilly levees bordering the cold Baltic Sea, to Munich and how she discovered the mountains and fell in love with them. This relationship with the Alps is described as a story of personal growth and deep connection, fueled by nature and the challenges of the mountains.
The arrival in Munich - where is the cold wind?
When I arrived in Munich many years ago, I missed the cold wind. That wind that always comes from ahead, blows in your face and then makes you burn inside like fire. Where I grew up, basically behind the levees, it was always there and it was a sign of stability. As long as the wind blows, everything is fine.
In Munich there was a hot wind. They actually call it the hair dryer, which indeed suits it quite well. I remember one morning, I was riding my bike to the office and there it was, my friend, the cold wind. So I rode a few more miles to spend time with him.
If a levee has always been the highest altitude you know, what is the impact when you find yourself in the process of developing a relationship with mountains? Alpine terrain. Narrow trails under the rocks. Valleys with lots of shade. Visibility only at the top. Summits in the clouds. Behind one peak, another peak. Barren rocks, green slopes. Total whiteout, snow, snow, snow. Completely new territory for a child used only to levees and knowing all shades of gray.
The first approach - How beautiful are the Alps!
I still remember very well my first intense experiences with the mountains. I was very impressed. I was struck by the composition of nature, everything is so harmonious: the ridge lines, the slope to the tree line, the path leading down to the valley. Somehow everything is like a painting.
I was amazed and learned many new things. New things about nature, about my body, and about the lives of people in this beautiful region. Interestingly, I was and still am very receptive to all these impressions. I think this has a lot to do with my inner curiosity.
New friends - the mountains
In the past ten years or more, my friend, the cold wind, has grown up, and the mountains have also become my friends. It is nice when they are all together, like during winter days, when the cold wind dances through the mountains. For me it is a special feeling that I cannot even describe. So many things come together that it is just wonderful. The older I get, the more I pay attention to nature and the more I recognize the beauty of the seasons.
In all friendships
What makes a good friend? For me, there are a few key aspects that make up a friendship. I find the following very important for my friendship with the mountains:
Acceptance and respect - when I am in the mountains, I need acceptance and respect for nature and my own abilities.
Connection - this is an important inner attitude. Connection can only be felt within; the basis is inner openness and letting the outside in. In the mountains, I let all impressions get inside me: the smells, the colors, the slopes, the changes in vegetation, the temperature, the chirping of birds or the soft fall of snowflakes.
Growth - For me, growing means gaining experience and resilience. Exercising in nature gives me exactly that. With each experience in the mountains, I increase my self-confidence, my willingness to learn and my acceptance of myself.
Support: Goal setting and self-realization - I couldn't ski and wasn't particularly good at sledding, walking uphill was very tiring for me. But miraculously the mountains became my friends: they encourage me to set goals and achieve them.
Friends for life
They say that friendships should be cultivated. With my friend, the cold wind, I must rely on him coming to me: when he announces his arrival, I always open the door. However, I can actively visit my friends, the mountains, and this is what I do: I cultivate our friendship. Even today, I sometimes hike a trail (for example, the Jägersteig to Kreuzeck below the Alpspitze) and I'm constantly amazed by them. How different they are, how they are constantly changing yet infusing a sense of boundless stability. And there I am, happy that these friends have come into my life.
About Dörte
Dörte lives with her family in Munich, where she runs her own company in the digital sector with close ties to the sports industry. She is passionate about trail running and many other intense activities in the mountains.
Being a North German, she came south almost 14 years ago and learned to love the mountains.
She has been a LaMunt Crew member since 2022.
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