Several years ago my husband and I went to the top of the Zugspitze and walked down from the cable car station. I remember it as a wonderful walk that included walking by a meadow of wild flowers We are going to Germany again this June and we would like to do the same thing. Does anyone know whether the path is still there and how long it takes and the difficulty. The old knees are not the same as they were over ten years ago.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16265 posts
Do you mean down to Ehrwald on the Austria side? According to my hiking book for the Zugspitze area, there is a route from Schneeferner Haus near the top of the Ehrwald cablecar down to Ehrwald. It is described as " the ultimate adventurous descent" and is not to be attempted in fog or bad weather. The first part crosses the rocky plateau to Gatterl (2.5 hours) and then you descend through meadows( with flowers) another 1.5 hours. There is a cabled section through rocks near Gatterl.
There is another route via the Höllentalklamm which takes longer and ends on the Garmisch side. I have done that hike uphill but only as far as the Höttentalanger hut. From there up to the summit it becomes much more difficult. No part of this route traverses wildflower meadows so I doubt it is the one you mean.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
It was definitely the German side. As I said it was 10 plus years ago but both my husband and I remember the walk. It was not from the summit but further down.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
If it was actually a cable car you rode, as opposed to a ski gondola, it was probably the Alpspitzbahn. The walk down from the Zugspitze goes over some extremely rough terrain and you probably would not have attempted it without proper gear. The lower slopes of the Alpspitz (where I think you were and not technically the same mountain) are pastures in the summer and ski pistes in the winter. Yes, these trails and many more are still there and will probably remain as long as people still visit the region. I've never walked all the way down, so I can't comment on how long it would take.
Posted by
Oberpfalz, Germany
1291 posts
Take a look here. There is a Flyer you can download too:
http://www.alpenverein.de/bergsport/sicherheit/sicher-wandern-und-bergsteigen/zugspitze_aid_12915.html
Maybe it was number 1, 21km, or number 2, 14km?
The Hike
● einfach blue is easy
● mittelschwer red is medium difficulty
● schwer black is hard
Climbing / mountain climbing
A leicht is light/easy
B mittel is medium difficulty
C schwierig is difficult.