Mountaineering

With ladders, wire ropes, iron clips, pins, etc. Secured climbing tours are via ferratas of varying difficulty. It may be that the routes are easy, but only include short secured sections of hiking trails. However, some are very difficult, so you need to have really good climbing skills and alpine experience. Climbing on via ferratas is not without danger and can often be underestimated. You definitely need to have the right equipment with you and be able to use it properly.

Most accidents happen because normal hikers use via ferratas as an introduction to vertical terrain. The knowledge and skills required for this are often lacking. The equipment is often not used correctly. On the other hand, it also happens that more experienced climbers often underestimate the dangers on the via ferrata. Because of the specific safety features, falls are usually harder to catch than with a normal climbing rope. Accidents due to broken carabiners occur more frequently because lateral strain can often occur. Other dangers include:b Lightning strikes and windfall accidents.

If you want to climb as a beginner, you should get proper training for via ferratas, or perhaps. take a guide during the first few tours. More than half of the people we meet on the via ferratas are put in unnecessary danger because the equipment is used incorrectly. Most of the time it's a fault of using the rope brake, sometimes it's the wrong equipment.

10 top climbing routes in Germany

1-     Steinberg crossing

We start directly behind the Seeklause car park and enter the national park. First we follow the signs to the Blaueishütte and then the path takes us through a section of forest until we reach a wide forest road that leads uphill from the Holzlagerplatz car park. Continuing towards the Blaueishütte we follow it to the right, turn right onto a clearly visible, washed-out path and then keep left in order to end up on the forest road again at the sign opposite to the Blaueishütte. From here we keep right on the forest road which soon ends in a turning point.

On the left side, an unmarked path is now visible, but it is well trodden. We now walk most of the way up to the Blaueishütte. We walk along the easily recognizable path through the low coniferous forest, then along the narrow valley on slightly wetter and slippery paths. After approx.200 m. Let's keep left, avoid the rocky section and quickly climb to the top on narrow hairpin bends. Then we get to the short spot on this part where we need our hands and climb to the left over the small stone step. Immediately afterwards we pass a prominent boulder on the left and the unmarked path splits for the last time. We continue on the heavily overgrown path to the left in the direction of Schärtenalm. Here we take the easy right branch, which takes us steeply but directly to the Blaueishütte. The rest of the climb to the Blaueishütte is easy, although steep parts can occasionally still be covered in snow in spring. We take a break at the Blaueishütte and continue to Steinberg.

Depending on the snow conditions, we can also walk directly across the gravel field to the Schärtenspitze. This is the alternative to the normal route towards the Hochkalter, Blaueisgletscher and Schärtenspitze. Now we climb over Platten and Schrofen in a northwesterly direction up to Steinberg.

After a sufficient while, the descent begins to the north, from the summit cross to the right below the ridge. Old markings can still be seen here. Shortly afterwards a path branches off to the left and leads us around the Steinberg back to the Blaueishütte, but we take the path via Schrofen to the right to the grass shoulder. We cross the pines through alleys to the distinctive gully that follow the grass. Now we climb into the gutter and then back up. Now we continue through a larch forest and climb downhill in hairpin bends until we reach the bright pasture of the Schärtenalm, where we can safely take a break.

From the Schärtenalm we climb on an easy gravel path. It goes downhill to near the well-known Wendehammer and then on the well-known path back to the Seeklause.

2-     At the Ochelbaude

The sport of winemaking is particularly important in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, as climbing is always primarily done on free-standing towers. It's different on the rocks of the Ochelbaude, because the easy but exposed trail climbs along a wall and not on a tower top. The path has been equipped with many footholds and can therefore also be easily used by beginners on the steep rock face. In the middle of the wall there are two variants to choose from, which hardly differ in difficulty.

The route starts at the parking lot on the access road to Ochelbaude. We go to the first house and to the valley cut between the rock walls to the left. The trial climb runs along the right rock face. A small wooden gate locked with a combination lock is the entrance to the via ferrata.

Along the smooth wall we come to a slightly rising crossing and junction. Here you can go straight up the ladder, which is the first option. On the lower variant we cross the slab briefly, come to a band at one corner and then climb over slabs to the wide band. Here you cross to the variant with the ladder. On this crossing variant we go on the belt to the right, through the gap to the exit.

3-     Wimbachtal, Hochalmscharte and Schärtenalm

This day tour is a varied and promising route on the Wimbach Bridge. Starting at the bus stop or at the parking lot, we pass the Wollstadel on the way to the gorge, where we have to purchase the entrance tickets to the gorge for €2.50. After we leave Wimbachklamm and are accompanied by great views of Wimbachgries, we reach a cozy restaurant along the Wimbachschloß. The approximately 650 m elevation starts here. long climb to the Hochalmscharte. The Hochalmsteig is rated black, is quite strenuous and includes a few places that are secured with wire ropes or helpful with a short ladder.

In the lower part you are exposed to the sharp midday sun, but you soon hike through beautiful fir and pine trees. At the Hochalmscharte you have a magnificent view back into the Wimbachtal. The descent to the Hochalm takes us over equally beautiful and, in early summer, possibly. slightly overgrown paths to the Schärtenalm. This small alpine pasture is catered for and provides you with its Kaiserschmarren, with its wide view to the north. The way back from here is also a reward, because from here we almost only go downhill. We follow the signs to Ramsau, then back along the shady side path to the Wimbach Bridge.

4-     Nagelfluhkette from Hochgrat to Bühl

From the mountain station we follow the ridge that slopes steeply to the north to the east, where the wire ropes greatly reduce the risk of falling. We walk pleasantly uphill over the first Nagelfluh rock to the summit of the Hochgrat, which is also the highest point on the entire route. We walk easily along a good mountain path, then a short steep section into the wide saddle and then downhill into the Brunnenauscharte. If the weather is bad, there is a possibility of abandonment here.

You climb on the other side, initially a little steeply, then a little flatly uphill over the meadow ridge. We come to a small saddle and then to the fork in the road in front of the Rindalphorn. The short detour to the left to the 1821m. You shouldn't miss the high peak because this is where you can take your first break. At the fork in the road, follow the sign in the direction of “Mittagbahn”. Here there is a somewhat unpleasant, steep descent to the Gündlesscharte, which can be reached via the forest. Here we come to the only really steep climb of the tour, which takes us along the trails to the Gündleskopf. The route is slightly exposed for a short time along the Nagelfluhgrat before we reach the meadow ridge of the Buralpkopf. Behind this we climb a long way downhill along the ridge. At the mountain saddle “Sedererstuiben, Mittagbahn” we have approx. halfway done. We follow the signpost towards Alpe Gund. We follow the signpost to the Kemptener Naturfreundhaus on Alpe Mittelberg. We then walk on this path through the forest, past the fork in the road to the Gschwender Horn in the direction of Büh.

5-     Schönau – Feldkogelsteig – Kärlingerhaus

From the stop we can walk along the Ludwig-Ganghoferweg, past the busy shopping street and along the Seeklause. Then we reach the jetty with which we start the crossing to Salet. Now we follow the wide paths 492 and 424 and reach the Obersee with a view of the Röthbach Falls. We go back a few hundred meters and climb up the challenging Sagerecksteig to the left of the wide path to the pier. Here we branch off onto trail 422, pass the Saletalm and then begin the steep climb over the damp wall. We use the wooden ladders and sections secured by steel cables, which should not be underestimated, to enjoy fantastic views of the Königssee and Obersee. After the Sagereggalm alpine pasture it only goes slightly uphill and shortly afterwards you come to path 416, which comes from the Wasseralm on the left. We keep right here in the direction of the Kärlingerhaus, turn off at Grünsee and climb down to the shore. Good orientation is a must here because the Feldkogelsteig is not marked here and is difficult to see. It runs along the rock face that rises steeply to the Glunkerer, approx.40m. above the lake, but does not come onto the marked path to the Kärlingerhaus.

Now we follow the path to the Grünseealm and turn right below the Feldkogel. We can tell that we have come to the correct entrance to the Feldkogelsteig by seeing old markings and iron pins on the wall. From here it is easier to follow the path, as we have to climb the damp overhang directly along the wall to the top left. Instead, we should not follow the grass verge to the right. We reach the end of the trail when the terrain in front of us drops away again and we can see a view of the Schottmalhorn and the Schönfeldspitze. We keep right here and walk across the area to the highest point, the Feldkogel. Here we can take a break while enjoying the view over the Königssee and then continue on the normal route 423 to the Funtensee and after the short climb to the top we reach the destination, the Kärlingerhaus.

6-     LE MONDE OU RIEN – AIPLPFEILER

It is an alpine free sport climbing tour of 3 pitches. The route is pretty well secured and therefore very exposed due to the great rock in the overhang on the Aipl pillar.

We walk along the forest road from St. Margarethen and follow the path up towards Mitteralm. After we have reached the Aipl station, we follow the road up to the right until we reach approx.50m. turn right onto a forest path. As soon as we leave the Aiplsee on the left, with its striking crater, there is a possible bivouac site. Here we are in the windbreak area and then follow the stone men and the little-used path to the right of the lake over the forest and the scree up to the base of the wall. We keep to the right on the scree, where the path is better. The entrance to the Aipl pillar is located almost at the lowest point of the wall via a crack intersection.

A direct abseiling over the abseiling slope is difficult due to the diagonal course from the overhang. Therefore a retreat with 2x 60m ropes from the 2nd is possible. Stand recommended.

7-     Iceberg over the iceberg notch

We start at the “Hintersee” bus stop right next to the lake of the same name and hotels. We follow the signposted path uphill to the Halsalm, which briefly leads on asphalt and then uphill on the narrow path in serpentines. After about 200m. we turn right onto a path 50m. goes downhill. After the next avalanche path, where, depending on the season, you can still find hissing streams or snowfields, we follow the unmarked but really clear path. Shortly afterwards the path leads us uphill through the avalanche alley and crosses the small stream several times. After approx.300m. The small valley ends on this path. While the path to the Edelweißlahnerkopf turns left in front of us, we will keep to the right.

Now we pass two large deciduous trees where we can take a short break and then follow the path below the rock face until we reach the point where the forest reaches up the most. Here we arrive at markings of pale red dots that indicate the path up to the Eisbergscharte. Here we follow the upper variant, where we soon come to a ladder. The steepest part is defused here by climbing through a gully and then mountain pines into the gap. Once we have reached the gap, the path takes us over the sharp karst rocks with deep gullies and a few grassy depressions.

At the three particularly large boulders, a path that is difficult to see leads us past the right into the forest. We follow this path first in an easterly direction, then in a north-westerly direction towards the iceberg. Below the summit we have to fight our way through the narrow mountain pine alleys. We get the best view if we leave our path for a few meters while descending (or ascending) the narrow ridge and climb onto a ledge.

In the gap we follow the deepest path back in the direction of a forestry worker's hut. The surrounding area is full of larches and here begins the descent downhill to the gravel area that has the name Baumgarten. We meander down in narrow serpentines over loose ground until our path disappears again into dense forest. After the short section in the forest, we reach the part of the shot-in path that has actually been blasted into a steep rock face. The path is now easier, even if it continues steeply downhill through the forest to the Wachterlsteig. Once there, we keep to the right and after approx.1km. to the Alpenstrasse at the Wachterl inn.

8-     CHAINS OF BIGOTRY – HIGH BLOW

A demanding climbing route with a fairly modern character awaits us here. At the Kreuzeckbahn parking lot, we cycle past the left edge of the parking lot and, after the railway underpass, turn left onto a bad tar road. Then we always follow the signs in the direction of Kreuzeck-Haus. A few meters below the Kreuzeck house we drive left briefly downhill to the valley station of the Längenfelder cable car and continue on the road over the Hochalm. Then there is a steep climb to the mountain rescue hut in the direction of Osterfelderkopf. Now we come to the bicycle depot in the valley right after the mountain rescue hut. From here we continue on foot along the wire rope-secured path, the Schöngehen, into the gap below the Bernadeinkopf. On the way with 100m. We turn south around the foothills of the Alpspitze into the Grieskar. On the southern flank of the cirque we cross to the Kargrund a few meters from the entrances. In total, the route takes around 4 hours, is at an altitude of 1450 m and is 13.8 km long. by bike and 2.5km. on foot We stop after 15m. When you exit, turn right to the large band and climb 10m. to the “Peter Lustig” abseiling station. From there we abseil down the abseiling slope.

9-     Through the Höllental to the Zugspitze

The Zugspitze is Germany's highest peak and not exactly a very desirable summit experience. It's the route that counts here: The climb takes you through the Höllental and is therefore the most beautiful and, after its anniversary ridge, the most exciting climb.

On a wide path in the forest we walk from Hammersbach along the stream of the same name to the entrance hut in the Höllental. From there we continue through the Höllentalklamm to the Höllentalangerhütte where you can stay overnight. We first go almost flat via the Höllentalanger on the hiking trail behind the hut, then much steeper to the Hühnerleiter, the fairly steep rock ladder made of staples. Shortly afterwards we go to the “board” on the marked route. A head for heights is important here. The iron pins and the wire rope stretched over them make it possible to cross the rock face.

After the "board" we climb into steep, rocky terrain. We always walk along fixed wire ropes to reach the Höllentalkar. There, until you approach the Höllentalferner, the area soon becomes very dreary. Now the trail leads us over the beginning of the glacier to the left. So that we can avoid the crevasse zone, we keep right again and approach the via ferrata to the summit quite steeply. On this airy climbing system we climb steeply up to the Irmerscharte and through the northern flank of the eastern Zugspitz summit using the wire ropes and iron pins up to the wide path. On this we turn right and walk the last few meters over the greasy rocks to the golden summit cross.

The easiest way to descend back to the valley is with one of the three cable cars. If we want to go on foot, we can come back to the valley via the ascent path or via the "Stopselzieh". Pretty committed alpinists climb back over the anniversary ridge.

10- Hillenberg climbing arena

In the disused quarry area, the members of the “German Alpine Club” and “IG Klettern NRW” have done painstaking work over the years and have developed more than 80 routes. Routes with difficulty levels from 3 to 9+ have been created, making them some of the most challenging routes in the entire Sauerland. The five developed walls attract climbers from all over North Rhine-Westphalia and the Benelux. The center point is the 45m. high Hillenberg wall with up to 50 meters of climbing, which is particularly suitable for professional sport climbers and alpine climbers. The sophisticated multi-rope length tours such as:b The large alpine traverse "Querulant" makes the Warstein quarry very attractive for repeated visits and spectators.

The rocks located in the low mountain ranges are home to a variety of plants and animals. Some rock areas are therefore excluded from climbing uses. There are also some rock closures during bird breeding. The Hillenberg climbing arena is located within a security area of ​​a still active quarry, which is why climbing is only permitted from 12 p.m. during the week.

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