first nearly-ascent to schneeberg

Today I intended nothing but to find a new route, a short cut; especially as weather was nasty (there was a constant slight drizzle) I didn't intend to go for the peak. That is, the peak of Schneeberg of course, in case you've forgotten. But then the sun came out and the peak was SO close ... I just couldn't stop and walked on and on ...

This by the way is not the peak; or not the main peak, which I soon discovered. This here however is the peak, or rather the peak is hidden behind those hills:

Or so I guessed. I didn't venture further than this:

when bad weather forced me to turn back. But the peak was SO close!! Half an hour max is my guess - another half an hour up and I'd be at the peak. But then I didn't even intend to go for the peak, and still I almost managed to, and I would have hadn't the weather turned foul. (It took me a quarter of an hour to decide, while walking, wether to turn back or not; but then I realised that I'd be an idiot if I go on in this godforsaken place where no human being would come to my help.) Also I have established that I still seem to have a chance to be the first one on the peak: my first ascent still might be successful. (I will try again soon, now that I know that I can reach the peak in one day!) Because the only footsteps I found were those of those beasts dwelling up there. Incidentally, concerning them: they seem to prefer the lower regions but are also found on higher pastures; they seem to be extremely rare - as they all are marked on the ears. Here is a shot of one of them which I took with extreme telephoto range (and still they're that big: those creatures really are huge!):

The marks on the ears obviously were given to them by zoologists so that they could trace their routes; they only do that with very rare species as the method is expensive. As for the bells, I guess that the very same zoologists put them there to warn of hikers because those beasts really are fierce: just look at the attitude of this bull! (And a bull it is, obviously, if a young one.) Please note, I was a couple of hundred metres away from him and still he is threatening with his horns. They seem to be vegetarians, but Elephants too are: this isn't much of a consolation really. I tried to classify this beast but I'm not sure I got this one correct; I think it is Bos primigenius (Auerochse, Aurochs) - the predecessor of domesticated cows. I'd never have thought that they still exist; and I definitely would not like to meet one of them in the dark.