Day Five of Marching Like Fools swaps razor-thin ridges for navigational blunders,  larch forests, phantom wolves, and a lakeside beer or three. From Porzehütte to Wolayerseehütte, it’s a day of wrong turns, right people, and the kind of military-bred trust that needs no explanation. 

Why listen to this episode?
Because it’s not just about hiking. It’s about how detours can deliver the best bits, why beer tastes better above 2000m, and how some bonds survive decades without losing strength. It’s also about goats, suspicious farmers, and why showers in mountain huts are sometimes more about morale than hygiene. 

This isn’t your average alpine travel podcast. You’ll get scenery, yes — but also barking dogs, beer devotionals, tactical breakfast raids, and a meditation on how open landscapes heal the mind in ways science is only just catching up with. 

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when four ex-military men get lost on purpose (sort of), drink too much, and talk about wolves that may or may not exist — this is your episode. 

What’s inside:

Segment 1: Breakfast Blitzkrieg
Doors open at 06:30 and the polite scramble begins — muesli, bread, and teaspoons vanish in minutes. A brief map debate, a calm mountain col, and the day’s off to a deceptively good start. 

Segment 2: Larches, Bark Beetles & Big Dogs
Larch forests, thankfully free of Phytophthora, but alongside bark beetle damage to Norway spruce. Stone clearance cairns dot the meadows. Two massive goat dogs decide to test the Fools’ composure before being called off by their herder. 

Segment 3: Getting Lost, Finding People
A river in the wrong place prompts a reluctant admission: wrong trail. The detour leads to encounters with a father-and-son duo (the son a trained but unemployed winemaker), a struggling Italian couple, and a beer pilgrim who climbs for a can and drinks it like communion. 

Segment 4: Border Crossing & Wolf Warnings
At Passo Giromondo, there’s no fence, just new rock underfoot. A well-dressed “farmer” offers weather predictions and warns of wolves in the valley. Large pawprints later add intrigue, if not proof. 

Segment 5: Climate & Conditions
Storms loom but hold off — for now. The Alps are no longer climate-stable: heavier rains, wilder storms, and seasons slipping into unpredictability. 

Segment 6: Wolayerseehütte & the Spinoti Debate
The hut appears like a dream — or brewery. Pints flow, Teresa in traditional dress serves them, and the guardian shares mountaineering tales. Tomorrow’s route decision — via the exposed Sentiero Spinoti or a safer alternative — falls to the narrator. 

Segment 7: Showers, Bonding & Beer-Fuelled Reflection
Peer pressure leads to a performative shower. As the sun fades, beer loosens thoughts on military trust — instant, absolute, and unlike anything civilian life builds — and the quiet, proven health benefits of open spaces. 

Listen if you like:

• Outdoor storytelling with equal parts grit, humour, and detour
• Ex-military camaraderie and the unspoken pacts it creates
• Encounters with strangers, beer pilgrims, and possible wolves
• Reflections on climate change in the high Alps 

Avoid if you want:

• Polished, influencer-friendly hiking stories
• Step-by-step trail guides
• Conversations without sarcasm, beer, or barking dogs 

Final thoughts:
“Beer, Blisters, and the Border” is about more than miles covered — it’s about the people, the pauses, and the landscapes that change you. Detours are optional. The stories aren’t.

Pull on your boots. Order a pint. Press play.