On Wednesday we met at Augsburg main station at 09:15 a.m. and took a train to Oberstdorf, arriving at about 11:40 a.m.. After a free lunchtime until 12:45 p.m. we took a bus to Grasgehren. It started raining, so we had to put on our rain and snow gear. There, we met with Tobias Lienemann, the CEO of the local ski resort Grasgehren, and Emma Didier, an expert from Alpinium. They informed us about the issue with building new cable cars for the ski resort. Emma then took us on a hike up the mountain, stopping multiple times to explain how climate change affects animals, using marmots as an example. In winter, rain seeps into the ground and freezes, creating sheets of ice. This can cause hibernating marmots to suffocate due to lack of oxygen. During our ascent, we had a brief snowball fight. However, the weather quickly turned, and the rain became ice pellets, prompting us to hurry to our mountain cottage for the night. As we approached the Wannenkopfhütte, Emma said goodbye and after taking a group photo, we removed our wet clothing upon entering the cabin. The owner of the cabin welcomed us and assigned us to our respective rooms. Once settled in and with a cup of tea in our hand, we enjoyed our dinner. The dinner was self-service and consisted of three courses. The appetizer included various salads, the main course was mashed potatoes, red cabbage, and meat in gravy, and for dessert, there was apple strudel with vanilla sauce.
After dinner, we played an experimental game. We were divided into groups and slipped into different roles such as tourist, engineer, resident, etc. One of the teachers acted as the mayor. Each group selected a speaker to present their arguments. The mayor and the speakers discussed the pros and cons of setting up cable cars for the ski resort. The audience then voted on whether to set up cable cars in the area or not. Most votes were against it. The entire discussion was documented by the media group. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed some punch, board games in groups and finally went to bed.
