SUP Tour Tip Sylvenstein Reservoir
The leisurely country roads through the Isar Valley resemble the eternal expanses of Canada. The Isar meanders through a wide valley bordered by the Alps. Thus, the journey to our paddling spot is already worth a trip.
The idyllic mountain lake glistens in the most beautiful shades of blue as we drive over the small pass next to the dam wall in my old VW bus. What an incredibly beautiful view of the Sylvenstein reservoir. You don't realize at first glance that this is a reservoir that regulates the Isar and its water levels to protect cities like Munich from flooding during snowmelt.
In the car, the Fanatic iSUP's are well packed in his backpacks, a real route we have not thought about, we hope to enjoy the sunset from the water and also to get to places that are not so easy to reach from the road or the hiking trail.
The SUP is perfect for such adventures!
We carry the backpacks with the boards down a small staircase through the forest to a gravel beach. Especially the Fanatic Ray Air Pocket is super light and really easy to carry.
It is a hot late summer day. On the shore where we pump up our boards people meet to swim and sunbathe. A few other paddlers are also launching their boards here. After the SUP boards are inflated and we have adjusted the paddles to the right length, we are ready to go. I particularly like trips to the Sylvensteinsee because it is so easy to reach from southern Munich and the little adventures you experience here still work after work. The lake lies before us like a fjord as we make our first paddle moves.
Lake mouth and inlet through the Walchenklamm gorge
Lake Sylvenstein can be divided into two parts: The place where the Isar river flows into the lake and the inflow through the Walchenklamm gorge.
The Walchenklamm is a small tributary that winds through a narrow gorge. The water here is calm and extremely clear. The water surface glitters like a sapphire. On the bottom you can see huge old trees and stones forming a fascinating underwater world. The view while standing from our boards is incomparable, we can see our shadow on the bottom and have the feeling to float. Many fishes jump to the side when they catch sight of us. We even spot one or two really big pike and some otters hiding in the bank. Flies buzz above the surface and the sun's rays cast golden spots on the water. Already almost magical the moment.
From East to West
We paddle through the lake once from east to west and pass under the big highway bridge. Under the bridge, in the depths of the clear water, there is an old village. Unfortunately it is too deep here to catch a glimpse of the old ruins.
I quickly realize that we are getting closer to the mouth of the Isar River. The water is milky, bluer and the landscape around the lake opens up. We look at many small reed covered islands that are washed by the mountain river flowing into the lake. The river delta is very wide here. Again, the view from our SUP's is worth its weight in gold, here too we discover old driftwood sticking up under the water. The shore is lined with old spruce trees. The colors of the forest are reflected in the bright water, what a great sight. The afternoon sun burns on the skin and we long for a cooling. That should be no problem here. In summer you can jump from the board into the water, but the lake with its clear meltwater from the mountains always remains a cooling and never really gets warm.
Especially during dusk you can watch the fishermen from your SUP board as they catch a pike or two. While the setting sun slowly settles in the Isar valley and we follow the last warm rays until it is completely disappeared behind the mountains of the Bavarian foothills. What an impressive view!
