September 2026 | Leander Holzer, Year 11
Moving into the boarding school or starting as a day student marks the beginning of a new phase of life for our new Steiner girls and boys. And what could be a better icebreaker than gaining the first metres of elevation together? Even before everyday school life really begins, the new students headed into the mountains together with Head of School Sebastian Ziegler, Principal Veronika Koch and her family. A small group, plenty of time to get to know one another personally, and the beautiful Alpine foothills right on our doorstep – that, too, is Stein.
Leander Holzer from Year 11 shares how he experienced the first trip together in his personal account:
The school year for the new Steiner girls and boys, as well as for me, began with a mountain hike. One day after arriving, all new students set off together with Mr Ziegler and Mr Hunold for the mid-station of Hochfelln. At the hiking car park there, we also met up with the Koch family, including their children and the dog.
We were all motivated and together we now hiked up to the Bachschmied-Kaser Alm. In the process, it was the ideal opportunity to get to know one another better and make first contacts. I also found this personally particularly nice, because when hiking up the mountain together, the ice between people is broken and you can easily strike up a conversation. From the initial “What’s your name” and “Where are you from?”, to “Which year are you in?”, and on to “What hobbies do you have?”.
At first, the ascent was quite enjoyable, but then over time it became more and more strenuous, and so the joy was great when we – some more, some less – exhausted, but all happy, reached the Alm after a good two hours, where we stopped for refreshments and could recharge with a hearty snack and a drink, as well as continue our conversations with a beautiful view over the Chiemgau.
Once the obligatory group photo had been taken, we started the descent. After some time, we all arrived back at the hiking car park exhausted but satisfied. The weather also cooperated wonderfully that day, because the forecast rain did not start until we were already back in the warm school buses on our way back to Stein.
For me personally, this trip was definitely a lovely start to my time at Stein.
