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From
the southern fringes of Germany into the heart of the Austrian
Tyrol, this route passes through some pristine mountain scenery of
two mountain ranges, the Wetterstein and the Karwendel to reach
the sheer rock faces that rear up from the Inn Valley just a
stones throw from Innsbruck. Distances are not great but the
ascents, descents and rugged nature of the mountains makes this a
true Alpine experience.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
is in a beautiful location at the foot of the Zugspitze, the
highest mountain in Germany (2962m/9724ft). This lively resort in
the Bavarian Alps makes a wonderful place to start a walk across
the mountains to Innsbruck. The start of a 'warm-up' walk is
reached by cable car from where the balcony path leads to
Höllentalklamm (hell valley gorge). There are great views of
Zugspitze before the descent through the gorge. From Garmisch you
have to carry an overnight bag up into the Wetterstein Massif,
following the 'Kings Path' to Castle Schachen and on to the
mountain cabin where we stay overnight; a real mountain
experience. This is a great place to watch an Alpine sunrise
before heading down the Leutasch Valley, a mix of rocky terrain
and green valley, into Austria for a night at the picturesque
frontier village of Scharnitz.
With
the aid of a vehicle transfer, walking in Austria begins deep in
the Karwendel valley with a couple of hours hike up to a mountain
lodge. From here there are many options for walks to the
neighbouring peaks and cols, or take a rest for half a day. The
next day again offers many options with numerous peaks sub-peaks,
cols or huts all making suitable goals for an exhilarating day
walk. You can choose a route to match your experience, skills and
energy levels. The finale is a walk on a high level trail across
passes culminating in a steep ascent, requiring surefootedness and
a head for heights, to the top of Nordkette, a fine peak with
magnificent views across the Inn valley. Not far away is the
summit station of the cable car that will take you down to
Innsbruck for the final night of the holiday. |
Travel
Information
Self-guided Season: Any Sunday from 29 June to 7 September.
Nearest airport: Munich
The first Hotel: in Garmisch Partenkirchen it can be reached by train
from Munich Airport. If possible clients should aim to arrive by
6pm in good time for the evening meal.
End of Tour: The
tour ends on Day 8 in Innsbruck. There are good rail connections
back to Munich
Travel options from the UK
There
are a number of flights each day with British Airways from London
Heathrow to Munich. Flights from regional airports are also
possible. If these are of interest then please call Sherpa to
discuss options; a supplement is normally payable. From Munich
take a train to Garmisch Partenkirchen (approx 1.5 hours, cost
approx. 20Euro). There are also ‘cheap flight’ options for U.K-based ‘Land-only’ customers as there are low cost flights
on Easyjet from Stansted to Munich.
Waymarking
As
one would expect in Austria and Germany, the trails are generally
very well marked and often signposted, but it is essential to
carry and be able to use a map and compass in case of mist etc.
Some of the suggested walks in the Karwendel are less well marked
through mountainous terrain and you will need to be able to use a
map and compass in conjunction with the route notes.
Waymarking
is usually red and white paint marking, but can also be other
colours.
In late June and early July there can be snow
patches on higher trails, while new snowfalls are unlikely but
possible in September.
Level of Difficulty
Grade & Fitness: We grade this tour as moderate - challenging;
three days are moderate walks and the other 3 are more accurately
defined as challenging. If you are used to mountain walking and
can cope with an average daily height gain/loss of up to 3,000 ft
(900 m) you should find the tour within your capability. The
hardest walks are on days 3 and 7; both are about 12km and have
ascents of 1600m and 1200m respectively. Other days have ascents
of between 350m and 1000m and distances of up to 15½ km. Expect
to walk for between 4 and 7 hours per day. To undertake this trip
as a self-guided holiday you must be competent with map and
compass in high mountain terrain and have experience of Alpine
conditions. If you are in any doubt about your suitability for the
trip then please call the Sherpa office.
General Information
Baths:
it is not the norm for your hotel room to have a bath, the main
reason being that it takes up a lot of space. Expect showers as
part of your en suite facilities.
Breakfast:
in countries such as Germany/Austria are usually buffet style,
please don’t offend your hosts by making up a picnic lunch from
the breakfast buffet unless it has been specifically organised for
you. Breakfasts in the huts can be a little more limited. It is
important for you to tell us if you have any dietary requirements
when you book your holiday so that we can inform everyone that you
are staying with.
Single
Supplements:
are payable on most of our tours. The single supplement guarantees
the privacy of your own room, however, rooms can at times be small
and in some places may not enjoy the same facilities as
double/twin rooms. You are not just paying a supplement on the
room but also on the luggage transfers, as the cost of moving 1
bag or 2 bags is the same.
Language:
When
travelling in less frequented areas you will not
necessarily come across people speaking English.
This is especially the case in the huts. Try to learn a few
phrases of German and take a phrase book with you.
Luggage:
When staying in hotels, sometimes your luggage will have been
taken to your room awaiting your arrival. However don’t be
surprised if your luggage is waiting for you at reception. At the
hut the guardian will look after your bags until you arrive.
Twin
Rooms: In Austria
twin rooms tend to be 1 double bed frame that has 2 separate
mattresses and 2 separate duvets. The beds cannot be separated.
Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation
is on a half board basis for 7 nights (7 evening meals included).
4 nights are in 3* hotels/Gasthofs where all rooms have en suite
facilities. 3 nights are spent in mountain huts in twin rooms,
however bathroom facilities are shared. The huts used are of a
high standard providing comfortable and homely accommodation.
Lunches are not included in the tour cost. Picnic materials
can be readily bought on weekdays in each of the towns and
villages we stay at. The hotels, if requested the evening before,
can also provide packed lunches. It is a good idea to take some
basic lunch supplies up to the huts as supplies are limited and
can be expensive.
Please
note that we are not able to guarantee the accommodation exactly,
but the descriptions of the hotels and guesthouses below are the
normal ones used; you will be notified if there are any changes at
the time of booking.
q
Nights 1
& 2: In Garmisch Partenkirchen: We use a chalet style hotel not far
from the town center. The 3-star hotel is well presented
and has all the home comforts you require for a two-night stay.
Evening meals are served in the hotel/gasthof dinning room and are
tasty fare that will quell even the heartiest appetite.
q
Night 3: High
in the Wetterstein Massif. Our
accommodation is mountain cabin/hut in a remote area.
The term hut is a little misleading as the accommodation and
hospitality is more akin to a simple hotel, without all the
telephones, T.V’s and mini bars! We use the twin rooms that are
available but bathroom facilities are shared. The views are
fantastic and the evening meal is served in the main dinning room
where normally there is friendly talk between all of the walkers
who are staying for the night.
Note:
You must carry a small rucksack with all the things you will need
for an overnight stay to the hut and on to Scharnitz the next day.
q
Night 4: In
Scharnitz. Your main
luggage will be waiting at the hotel in Scharnitz. We use a
selection of 3* hotels, all providing warm hospitality,
en suite facilities and a restaurant.
q
Night 5 &
6: High in the Karwendel we stay in another comfortable hut
with twin rooms for 2 nights. The washing facilities are again
shared but luggage is delivered to the hut. Meals are served in
the main common room where walkers tend to socialise in the
evenings and swap stories of past expeditions. The guardian will
be able to advise you on current local conditions for the
suggested walks and probably be able to suggest more
possibilities.
q
Night 7: In Innsbruck is also in a 3*
establishment, either a Gasthof or an Hotel; both have en suite
facilities. |
Outline Itinerary
q
Day 1: Fly to
Munich and take train to Garmisch
Partenkirchen. The cost of this journey is not
included in the holiday price and is about 20 Euro. If you arrive
early there is plenty to see in Garmisch. Dinner at hotel.
q
Day 2:
Balcony path in Höllentalklamm
(hell valley gorge). The latest
advice is to walk up this spectacular Hollental Gorge to make a
few slippery sections easier to pass. Your climb through the
impressive gorge to the beautifully located mountain cabin
Angerhutte, with views to Zugspitze the higheset moutain of
Germany. Thi is an ideal place for a rest before continueing along
the balcony path to Kreuzeck and the cable car sation for aride
back to the valley floor. If you are sure footed and prefer to
descnd you can walk the route in revers. Distance for the standard route is 8.8 km, with 374m of
ascent and 1112m of descent. The route can be extended to 12 km or
walked in reverse to make it more of a physical challenge. Approx
4 hours walking time for the standard route. Please note that
there is a 2 Euro entrance fee to the gorges that is not included
in the holiday price.
q
Day 3: Up in Wetterstein Massif, (where Bavarian
"Sun King“ Louis had a castle). At the start of the day,
carrying your overnight gear, you walk through another gorge to
the foot of Wetterstein Massif. There is a steep climb until you
reach “Kings Path” to Castle Schachen. The latter stages to
the mountain cabin where you stay tonight offers a real high
mountain hiker’s experience with sweeping views to the
surrounding peaks. The mountain cabin is 9.5 km from the start and is quite a tough day involving 1150m of ascent
and just 125m of descent. The walking time will be about 5 hours,
perhaps a little more.
q
Day 4:
Sunrise in the mountains and walk to Scharnitz. Getting up
early to see the sunrise is a great thing to do in the mountains
and it also allows you to make an early start on this long day.
The day starts with further climbing into and across a rocky
landscape before a descent into the Leutasch valley. This is
followed by more gentle walking towards Scharnitz until at the end
of the day a wild and idyllic gorge waits for you. This is a day
when you will never tire of the beautiful surroundings. The
distance covered is 17.6 km, the ascent is 898m, descent 1791m and
the expecting walking time is at least 7 hours.
q
Day 5: Into
the Karwendel. Vehicle transfer deep into the Karwendel
valley. A more gentle walk to Halleranger alpine pasture, which is
reached after about 2 hours. Enjoy the day; relax or walk up
to Sunntiger Spitze. Overnight
in a very comfortable mountain cabin with your luggage. Walking distance to the hut just 5.5 km with 500m of ascent. Going on
to Sunntiger Spitze adds another 4km, 565m of ascent and descent
and will take about 3 hours more.
q
Day 6:
Summits
of Karwendel. The mountain hut is located at an altitude of 1.700
meters and the summits around are from 2.300 up to 2.700 meters.
You will have about 500 to 1.000m of ascent to conquer a peak.
There is also a nice walking tour into a canyon but the route is
there and back on the same trail. The distances involved in the
various options are between 6 and 12 km. When choosing your route
consider your mountain experience and fitness and the prevailing
weather conditions. The hut guardian will be able to give some
advice.
q
Day 7: Across
Karwendel to Innsbruck. A marvelous balcony path brings you
across several ridges (passes) to the famous Nordkette of
Innsbruck. A short but steep ascent requires sure-footedness and
stamina. After that you can walk light hearted – but better not
light headed – to the summit station of Hafelekar cable car and
you will be carried downhill to Innsbruck. Distance walked for the
day is 11.8 km, ascent is 1200m, descent 720m, which should take
about 7 hours.
q
Day 8:
After breakfast make your own way to the railway station in
Innsbruck (not included), and take the train to Munich for the
return flight to London; train fare not included and costs approx.
35 Euro.
What's Included
A
representative will meet you at the first hotel to welcome you and
answer any questions that you may have prior to starting the walk.
You will be provided with tickets for the two cable cars used on
the itinerary.
The
price is based on two people sharing a twin or double room and
includes bed & breakfast accommodation and evening meals on 7
evenings. Also included, except to and from one hut, is the
transfer of baggage on days where you walk to the next hotel or
hut. Please note that Sherpa pays for one piece of luggage per
person to be moved. The vehicle transfer on day 5 is also
included.
Not
included: Rail or road transport to the first hotel is not
included, nor is transport from the last hotel to your point of
departure.
Packed
lunches, snacks and drinks etc. are all at your own extra expense.
©
Sherpa Expeditions Limited
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