Hiking in Garmisch

I am having some visitors in September who want to hike and I heard Garmisch is a great place to hike- I need mainly scenic hikes as I am dealing with soccer-oops-futball places with gefuckt knees. Any recommendations?

I know that area very well. What level of hike are you looking for, and how long?

I did the Höhlentalklamm a few weekends ago. It's very scenic and a pretty steady, easy climb through a gorge where a raging river flows through it, although you can add difficulty to it. People were there with their kids. About 25 minutes walking past the gorge is actually a restaurant (and beer) with a spectacular view of the Zugspitzte. I think you only ascend 500 m. They're only open from April to October.

@elfenstar-thanks-sounds great-how long would you say the hike is round trip?

@canuck- pretty much the level elfenstar recommended- any other reccs?

Höllentalklamm rocks, it's great and kids can go up too, it's for everyone.

Otherwise there's a similar Klamm that goes up from directly behind the Olympic ski jump in Garmisch, so you can get there by train.

That's the Partnachklamm. Very impressive.

Yeah, the Partnachklamm is good - you walk up through v. narrow gorge where's there's a river crashing around and you are on a path cut into the mountain - looks amazing - then you can walk up the Eckbauer where there is a hut and you can get the cablecar down if you don't feel like walking. 2 hrs up, 1.5 down (you could get the cable car up and then walk down to save the knees a bit)
pretty old cablecar though - l wouldn't risk it!

Höllentalklamm is even more spectacular though although less accessible unless you've a car

thanks guys- I didnt think of the cable car idea- def good as going down can be the worst-my futball player thanks you.

So I want to go hiking in this Partnachklamm tomorrow... is it only a 3.5 hr hike? Is there any way of extending it to a 5 hr hike? We gotta go to Garmisch by train, so the Höllentalklamm wouldn't be possible...

You can make it as long as you want if you continue up the valley. It's a bit flat and montonous though and quite busy too (including mountain bikes). In 5 hours you might be able to make it up a narrower and quieter path to Schachenhaus (follow the signs at the top end of the gorge). That gives you some steep stuff too and you will be rewarded by some really impressive views from the viewpoint just 5 minutes past the Schachenhaus itself. You can see the whole top end of the valley and right up to the Zugspitze. We're talking about a 1000 metre height difference though, so you'd have to judge yourself whether you can make that in the time.

The Höllentalklamm is totally possible without your own transportation. I've done this on aboot 20 separate occasions. You take the train to Garmisch from Munich, then you go under the tracks and take the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn about 3 stops to Hammersbach. This takes about 10mins and costs aboot 3€. You get off and walk aboot 1 min then you're at the base of the Höllentalklamm. This hike is amazing. I was up there last Sunday, on the way to Zugspitze and the waterfalls were huge. Bring a waterproof jacket. There's the Höllentalhütte where you would turn around...that has a good view of the glacier and Zugspitze..and also a nice patio.

Yep if you have to chose one or the other then do Höllental. It does get busy at weekends though (especially if you're used to hiking in other parts of the world) so I personally would try to get there relatively early. The Hütte gets busy at lunchtime too ;-) But you have the whole valley before you and it's nice just to head up a bit higher than the "hut" and doze in the sun, surrounded by massive mountains...

thanks!

Here are more links to help you out...

Bayerisches Zugspitzbahn

Höllentalklamm

Pictures

I've been up the Reintal by mtb and that's pretty spectacular. The Reintal tour (Moser Bike guide no. 2, tour 30) is usually rated as one of the best ones in Europe. It's quite a hike up: 1300+ hm and ~38km, so by foot probably 2 days with overnight stay at the I-forget-the-name Hütte. Possibly not suited for a gefuckt knee but for the sake of completeness...

Probably too late to help Val, but for reference:

The 'classic' book of walks easily accessible from Munich is 'Muenchener Hausberge' by Michael Pause which has 68 walks, several in the Garmisch area. It's in German but if you don't comprendo di lingo look at the pictures, figure out the location & important details in the side boxes (vertical climb in metres, suitability for children, time to get to the top & down again, the huts & alms on the way round) and off you go. It also tells you how to get there by bus & train. The walks are very popular so forget them on a sunny Sunday, but great if the weather is a bit iffy or if you don't mind being part of a mountain zoo.

Otherwise try the Deutschen Alpenverein (DAV), here: http://www.alpenverein.de/
It's all in German and inpenetrable for non German speakers. They do everything mountain based of all levels, and in my experience are a collection of friendly and hospitable people (but the website's crap). If you can get by with the locals and like mountains it's worth the effort.

The Munich Wanderers are an English speaking hiking club that are part of the DAV. You can even find them listed in the DAV catalogue.

they/we meet this Thursday btw, from 6pm at the Unionsbräu, a very nice pub next to Max-Weber-Platz U-Bahn

@JoolyBooly - I always thought I might like to join them on a hike. Can anyone come to this meeting? Didn't I hear that you have to join the DAV first, even for little hikes?

Anyone can go to their stammtisch. Even I have been. They do prefer you to be a member of DAV to join an organised walk though for insurance purposes.

I want to go up the Partnachklamm on this Saturday and would like to spend 5 to 6 hours wandering around. I'll be taking my dog with me so I'll need a route that doesn't have any really dodgy scrambling bits. Does anybody have any suggestions ( this is me being lazy I know) for a round trip involving the Partnachklamm ? Thanks.

Once you get to the upper end of the gorge there's only really one way to go if you don't want to scramble and that's to follow the track along the river. Which is nice enough but would be an in-and-out rather than a round trip. You can go a long way in 6 hours.
Otherwise you can turn either left or right and wander back higher up but one way is just through trees and you'd be back within a couple of hours.
If your dog has long enough legs then head up to Schachenhaus (I think that's what it's called). Yes it's a scramble in places but it's well worth it. And if he can't make it then carry him.

Yeti, your dog can make it to Schachenhaus (I think Jeeves is talking about the old hunting lodge of Ludwig II), no problem. It's a bit steep, but not enough that the dog would need carrying. You are likely to be more tired than your lovely dog.

Thanks Jeeves and Showem, I'll check out the Schachenhaus location on a map. The dog doesn't actually have any part of her brain that tells her when she's tired. I just want to avoid any section where I need to put her in a harness. Easy scrambling is no problem for her though.

Ha I've just discovered my own post earlier in this thread.
Showem, that is indeed what I meant. Plus there's a bewirtschaftete Hütte just below it. Plenty of water for the dog there...
The weather is set to be good for Saturday so the view should make the scrambling worth it.
For a round trip continue on past Schachenhaus and down into the side valley (might be a bit steep and/or narrow though, take a look from the top). Then just follow the river back to Partnachklamm.

Oh wait, I just remember the other path leading to Schachenhaus. That one is steep. Not so much the dog needs carrying, but a harness against doing something stupid (like dogs tend to do) might be adviseable.

Hard to describe without both of us in front of the same map, but if you are looking at a map of the area, and there's a really steep part marked - take the other path.

I always knew you were a Jedi, Showem !

Stay true to the path of the gradual! The steep path is not the way!

I am not sure that Schachenhaus is open yet... There is still a lot of snow up there and last year they only opened late June... Wetterstein Alm might be open but they also have a really short season (the "Wirt" just runs it for fun) so call before you go...

Ah yes the voice of reason Good point. Schachenhaus is at about 1800 m.a.s.l.

Well I'm not worried about it being open or not but thanks for the tip.

well, either way be careful...
Its an avalanche spot and a few years ago they had to dig out their garage in June...

Due to excellent Irish organisation and two people canceling I didn't get to Garmish until 15:00. Went up through the Partnachklamm and wandered up along the Partnach for a few hours.
Haven't been to Garmisch by train in years. A town map outside the train station shows you how to get to the four main hiking areas (and even I managed to follow it).
Walking back down through the deserted gorge in the gathering darkness with a thunderstorm rumbling in the distance was a nice way to end the day.
I'll be heading back there again probably next weekend (nothing definite yet though) so if anybody would like to meet up just give me a PM.
Looked at the Schachenhaus location from the opposite ridge and there doesn't seem to be any snow up there at the moment.

The walk up the amusingly named Wank is good fun, nice views if you go around the back and about a 3-4 hour ascent. Descent on the GP side of the mountain takes about 1.5-2 hours, or there is a cable car if you are so inclined.

http://www.benpanter.co.uk/photos/wank

@ benpanter

Where is Wank? Some lovely photos, great views! Could you give me more info on this tour, please? Thanks!

From Garmisch Partnerkirchen - drive in, follow the signs for "Wankbahn", park in the carpark and go up from there. If you're on the train, I guess it's probably a 10-15 minute walk from the station in the opposite direction to Zugspitz. Wank is about 1700m high, you start from about 700m. Very well marked paths up and down.

@ benpanter

Thanks for the recommendation! We went there yesterday and it was beautiful! It was a very hot day for hiking but a lot of fun nonetheless. Not as crowded as I would have expected either. All in all very worthy of a visit!

Glad you enjoyed it!

I wonder if we could persuade EB to put up a sticky thread somewhere where people can submit routes, public transport options, etc... I'll drop him a PM at somepoint.

anywhere to camp? is it ok to camp rough?

I think there are some campsites there, and I have no idea about camping rough. It's probably illeagal, but I generally go by the logic that what nobody sees can't hurt. As long as you set up camp in a reasonably remote area, and leave near dawn, nothing is going to happen. Wild camping in the valley is probably a bad idea though...

why? what happens in the vellay?

@dr warner


Gasp! You mean you don't know..?

The number of people passing any place is higher, therefore they're more likely to inform the boys in blue that you're there, and you're more likely to get moved on. At least this is how it is in the UK, and also when I've wild camped in Switzerland and France. I work on the proviso that it is probably illeagal, but if you keep yourself to yourself, leave no sign you were there and are gone before anyone sees you then where's the harm?

Does anyone know if the huts on the major hiking routes around Garmisch are still open for lunch/refreshments this time of year? Going for a hike tomorrow, and am specifically wondering about benpanter's Wank suggestion.

Thanks!

Yep, they are open.. Just got back from there... stunning veiws and wonderful colours..

G

four great hiking spots

Herzogstand rough 3 hour rough hike down or nice 1 hour hike to the top.

Jenner (this one is I think the best) best views of the alps, wide easy path down.

Wendelstein not as pretty as Jenner but a nice hike down. (on train side)

Eagles Nest Haven't been here yet but heard good reviews of it.

Andechs not worth visiting, nothing but a couple of church buildings and an overpriced restaurant. Although they do make good beer.

I have to say I'm surprised no one has put togehter a list of mountians and hiking spots since Munich is so close to the Alps.