The Tiroler Zugspitz Arena Tourism Association asked itself the big question: What should we give the Zugspitze on the 200th anniversary of its first ascent? It had to be something special, something that would not soon be forgotten. And then came the idea: how about a world record?
When you talk about world records in the mountains, most people immediately think: faster, higher, further. But that was definitely not the direction we wanted to go in. "We wanted to focus on the experience, the peace and quiet, the time out on the mountain. It doesn't have to have anything to do with speed," explains Laura Bauer, Managing Director of the SPEED U UP agency. And so, together with the tourism association, she and her team came up with an exciting idea: why not take a tour to the summit - following in the footsteps of the first climbers, so to speak, albeit on a different route - and piggybacking on the seating for in-between?
To the Zugspitze with unusual luggage
No sooner said than done, a hike to the top was on the cards. And to make the whole thing worthy of a world record, a special piece of luggage was added to the rucksack: a piece of furniture. "We decided in favour of a bench. Because it should also symbolise what makes a hiking tour in the mountains so special: meeting people, taking a break together, chatting and getting to know each other," explains Laura.
Max Zimmermann from Tischlerei Luttinger was responsible for the planning and construction of this Zugspitz bench. Even though the world record is called "The heaviest piece of furniture carried up a mountain and assembled there", there was a maximum weight requirement: "It had to be no more than 15 kilograms," says Max. "After all, someone has to carry the whole thing." That's why he opted for Swiss stone pine, a light and regional wood. And so that the bench can be easily screwed together on the summit, additional aluminium parts were used - also lightweight and important for the stability of the bench. They only had to be screwed together on arrival at the destination.
On your back, get set, go
After the piece of furniture was officially weighed and approved by the representative of the Record Institute Germany, it was ready to go on 27 August. Just in time for the anniversary. A small team of six people set off on the journey. The main protagonists among them were Riccardo and Sarah, as they carried the two bench sections all the way up. The rest of the team, including Laura, also helped - sleeping bags and food were distributed fairly across the remaining backs. After all, it was important for the world record to be achieved that only the two of them carried the bench.
Riccardo is a mountain guide in Lermoos and knows the route to the Zugspitze like the back of his hand. "It was important to us not to rush up - we wanted to enjoy the ascent," he says. "That's why we did a two-day tour: In just under eleven hours to the Knorrhütte, where we spent the night. And the next morning we rested up for the last stretch to the summit of the Zugspitze. That was another four hours."
Sarah is a blogger (click here for her Instagram profile) and was also mountain-tested beforehand. However, she had never made it to the Zugspitze on foot before. "It was something very special to attempt a world record on my first ascent of Germany's highest mountain," she says looking back. What she particularly liked was that this record was not about being the fastest. "With our campaign, we also want to encourage others to attempt a tour like this - albeit without a bank in their luggage," laughs Sarah.
A life hack and a world record
There were no problems while hiking. Quite the opposite: "We had great weather and were able to enjoy the impressive views of the Tyrolean landscape," says Laura. The group dynamic was right from the start and there was plenty of laughter. "One of the best moments was probably when we unwrapped a delicious Tyrolean ham and mountain cheese - and none of us had a knife with us to cut both," recalls the agency manager. "You carry so many things around with you, but nobody thought of a knife." Fortunately, they were later able to borrow one from another hiker. "And we also discovered a life hack: you can cut cheese really well with string!"
It was particularly exciting when they arrived at the finish line: there was already a huge crowd of spectators waiting, especially members of the press. "Television, radio, newspapers - everyone was there," Sarah remembers. Being in the spotlight so much was unusual for all of them at first. "The feeling that we had actually made it didn't set in until much later," says the blogger. In between, she and Riccardo set up the bench, sat on it, took various photos and, of course, handed over the official world record certificate. "I still can't quite believe that I set a world record," admits Sarah. And Riccardo feels the same way. "I've done this tour several times in my time as a mountain guide. But I've rarely had such a great time as with this group. It was really something special."
The record-breaking bench is now in the Zugspitz Museum and can also be tried out by guests. The two porters and their companions definitely agree: they would go on a tour together again in a heartbeat. Only the heavy bench doesn't have to be a second time.
