The hiking day had originally been planned for a different date, but a careers fair was taking place that day, requiring several of the participants to attend. Ironically, the weather could hardly have been better, with bright sunshine and temperatures almost warm enough for T-shirts. The plans faced another challenge when the original hiking route had to be changed due to the storm damage caused by the tornado that hit Tambach-Dietharz and the surrounding area in August.

On Saturday, 24 October, the group finally set off – although the weather was considerably less inviting.

The 19 participants from Administration, Production and Mechanical Engineering were not deterred by the rain. Although it rained quite heavily, spirits remained high and the group made good progress. The planned detours to the Spitter Waterfall and the Spittergrund viewpoint were left out of the revised route. The hikers took just one proper break along the way, only around 500 metres from their destination. In hindsight, the timing worked out perfectly, as the group had been walking at such a brisk pace that they would otherwise have arrived a little too early. At Lake Bergsee Ebertswiesen, they were greeted by a truly special sight: a milky veil of mist hovered over the water, lending the autumn landscape an almost mystical, slightly eerie atmosphere.