This year, we organized our Pride Hike Europe once again, this time in the stunning Berchtesgaden National Park. With the generous support of our official sponsor, Osprey Europe, each participant received small goodies and the food coupons for the afternoon cake, dinner and breakfast at the mountain hut. We decided to try something new this year by extending the event over two days, with an overnight stay at the Neue Traunsteiner Hütte.
I was concerned that bad weather might deter participants from joining the event, and unfortunately, only those who had reserved spots at the hut made it to the event, except of two women with their child who had to leave though almost immediately as the climb to the hut proved to be too challenging with the child. Next time, we’ll aim to select a more accessible hut with the option for couples with children to stay in a separate room— this is an important lesson learned for us.
Another takeaway was the need to book a separate room for women/FLINTA to create a safe space for them. Unfortunately, we lacked diversity in our group in this regard this time around.
We split into two teams for the hike: one took the shorter route to the hut, while the other opted for the rockier, longer path over the ridge. Despite its length, the shorter path was far from easy—it was narrow, slippery, and steep, winding through a dense forest. By the time we reached the hut, everyone was quite sweaty and tired, despite taking breaks along the way.
We were fortunate with the weather; it rained only in the morning, but by lunchtime, the rain had stopped, and the sun started to shine. After the hike, we relaxed on the terrace, enjoying tea, coffee, cakes, and each other’s stories.
In the evening, we took over one of the dining rooms, decorating it with rainbow flags. The atmosphere was wonderful and relaxed. We enjoyed a hearty dinner—complete with soup, salad, a main course, and dessert—with a little alcohol, which gradually raised the decibel level in the room.
After dinner, we shared stories about our recent expedition to Denali in Alaska, as well as about our organization and team. It was great that other hut guests joined in and listened with interest to our presentation.
We spent the rest of the evening playing card games—from Mafia to Uno—and, of course, having long conversations about adventures, mountains, outdoors, travel, and life.
The next morning, the weather was rainy again. So, after breakfast, we packed up, took a few group photos in front of the hut, and began our descent. The path down was challenging, but everyone reached the valley safely and unharmed. There was a sense of reluctance to say goodbye, and many of us wanted to relax a bit after the tough descent. So, instead of parting ways immediately, we had lunch together on the wonderful terrace of a local restaurant, enjoying the warm rays of the sun and stunning views of mountains around.
Some members stayed in the region a bit longer to explore the nature and mountains, while others headed home. A special thanks to all the drivers who helped transport people—without you, the logistics would have been much more challenging, especially for those traveling from afar, like Norway, England, and the Netherlands.
Thank you everyone for making this event possible!
