Wank

The Wank is a mountain in the Ester Mountains near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, rising from about 700 metres to 1,780 metres. Its grassy summit offers views over the town and the surrounding Alps. The mountain can be reached by the Wankbahn cable car or on foot via a network of paths. At the top stands the Wank-Haus, a mountain hut providing food and overnight stays, alongside a scientific observatory. Paragliders often launch from the summit plateau, taking advantage of the mountain’s thermals. The Wankbahn cable car has operated since 1929, rising 1,010 metres in two sections with 135 four-person cabins. It takes about 18 minutes to reach the summit at 4 metres per second. The mountain’s climate is shaped by high rainfall, ranging from 1,300 millimetres in the valley to 1,800 millimetres at the summit. A warm, dry föhn wind blows for 30 to 40 days each year, while inversion layers occur on about 30 days, mostly in autumn and winter. The summit cross was erected in 1904, and the Wank-Haus, renamed after its designer Alois Huber, opened in 1911. The observatory, run by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, has monitored air pollution and weather since 1972. Paragliders launch from the plateau, gliding south into the valley or towards the Wetterstein range. The mountain’s name has led to humorous sign thefts among British visitors, adding a light-hearted note to its reputation.