Höllental - Zugspitze

Through the Höllental up to the Zugspitze
via Höllentalklamm (open from May - October), Höllentalferner and fixed rope route to the summit.

Short characteristik: beautiful, scenic and diversified, but very ambitious tour.

Back down to the valley: Eibsee cable car (last descent 16:45pm) or cor railway (last descent 16:30pm) from restaurant Sonn-Alpin

Restaurants and huts nearby:
• Höllentaleingangshütte, open from mid-may till mid-october, no day of rest, accomodation impossible, Tel. +49(0)8821/8895
https://www.alpenverein.de/DAV-Services/Huettensuche/Hoellentaleingangshuette/6938759
• Höllentalangerhütte, open from the end of May until mid-october, accomodation possible, Tel. +49(0)163 /5542274
https://www.alpenverein.de/DAV-Services/Huettensuche/Hoellentalangerhuette/6938757
• Gipfelalm, Tel. +49(0)8821/921251, open every day
• Münchner Haus at the Zugspitze summit, Tel. +49(0)8821/2901, open from mid-may until the end of september
https://www.alpenverein-muenchen-oberland.de/muenchner-haus


The ascent via Höllental is probably the most ambitious tour to the Zugspitze and only suitable for very experienced mountaineers. Right at the beginning, the gorge "Höllentalklamm" impresses with its force of nature.The section through Höllentalanger captivates with the beauty of its alpine landscape. As a highlight for climbers, it offers two  fixed rope routes. One of them is the so called "Brett" and the other one is right after crossing the glacier, the fixed rope route right onto the summit.
This ascent to the Zugspitze is the most varied and difficult tour on Germany's highest mountain, which every mountaineer will remember for a long time as an unique experience, but it is also very popular, especially at the weekends. So it is not recommendable to descent during the weekends, since there are a lot of mountaineers climbing upwards in the fixed rope routes.


Description:
The starting point of this hike is Hammersbach. From here the path to the Höllental entrance hut leads steadily uphill (entrance fee to the Höllentalklamm: adults € 6.00; children € 2.00; AV-members and groups receive a discount). After passing the gorge, continue straight through the steep, narrow valley and soon the Höllentalangerhütte is reached. From now on the path leads to the right in the direction of the glacier.
At the end of the valley, turn left from the path to the Riffelscharte (signpost) over the "Brett" (one hour), secured with wire ropes across a rock face in two - three hours to the "green Buckl" on the Höllentalferner. Afterwards it lasts about one hour to get to the starting point of the fixed rope route above the moraine and the glacier (mind the crevasses here). The fixed rope route is located on the right side above the glacier (crampons required). At the right side of the entry area and afterwards on the left, a rock face, which is constantly secured by wire rope, has to be passed, to get to the so called "Irmenscharte" (2.660m). It lasts another hour to get directly to the summit cross of the Zugspitze.