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The plan was to conquer two peaks in one day: Zugspitze and Alpspitze. Both are located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen area, known as a great skiing resort and the last place of the G7 summit (I heard they built walls with no doors around the summit venue for security and to avoid unwanted guests).
Zugspitze is on the border between Germany and Austria and has a height of 2962m. It is the highest peak in Germany. On the flanks of the Zugspitze are three glaciers, including the two largest in Germany: the Northern Schneeferner with an area of 30.7 hectares and the Höllentalferner with an area of 24.7 hectares. The third is the Southern Schneeferner which covers 8.4 hectares.
About a year ago, while learning German, I was given a homework to read a book about a boy, hiking in mountains near Munich and getting lost while climbing the Zugspitze. The book contained lots of details about the place, mountain huts, places the boy visited, and inspired me to go there and see what Zugspitze is for myself. This is how this stop was born.
The Alpspitze just happened to be next to it and caught my attention with this beautiful viewing platform hanging from the cliff. Its height is 2628m.
As usually in such places there are convenient and expensive means of transportation to the top - a cable car and a cog train:
We bought roundtrip tickets for both peaks (62 EUR per person) and went up to Zugspitze. One very useful piece of advice: unless you are a fan of standing for 1-2 hours in line under the burning sun in +35C waiting to buy a ticket, I strongly suggest being there by the time they open - 9:30AM. Then you'll get up much quicker.
The cable car to take summer visitors up was the same cable car that takes winter skiers up. It was a hanging car with windows that were opened in the current heat and with a space for about 20 people standing.
With this pretty expensive ticket, aside from getting the chance to see Germany from the top of Germany you get a ride quite similar to amusement park ride and, if you choose to hike up there, a great workout.
The top of Zugspitze looked very much like a space station: two buildings - one German, one Austrian - with a walkway between them. The views from the top to glacier were pretty much like you were looking at the moon:
The weather was great and the views - absolutely stunning. In addition we escaped the heat - on top there was pleasant +12C.
There are several trails on the top of those mountains, from quite easy and not requiring any preparations to quite hard ones for professionals. You can get down to glacier and get to real snow and beautiful emerald frozen pools of water.
On the ride down there was this view of beautiful Ebensee glacier emerald lake:
After visiting Zugspitze it was time for a leisurely walk on Alpspitze.
The Alpspitzbahn cable car took us to the top of slightly lower peak - Alpspitze - which features nice highlands and numerous trails on the mountain sides with amazing views. You can walk hours and hours there.
So, we took a walk from Alpspitze peak to Mittelstation (some 200 meters lower). It is a family friendly walk with several stops, where kids and adults can play, relax and learn about the environment.
Halfway to the lower station we stopped at the height of 1705m at Hochalm station - a restaurant and a place to stretch legs for many hikers. This place was also described in the book I read - here the hero met a friend he wanted to hike with and who later saved his life. The only way we needed to be life-saved is by providing us with food and beautiful dessert - the Apfelstrudel!
From Hochalm we walked yet another half an hour to Kreuzeckbahn and got back into the smoldering heat of the valley.
Next stop was about 200 km away at Chiemsee.
Next morning both the weather and the view from the window were great.
The plan was to conquer two peaks in one day: Zugspitze and Alpspitze. Both are located in Garmisch-Partenkirchen area, known as a great skiing resort and the last place of the G7 summit (I heard they built walls with no doors around the summit venue for security and to avoid unwanted guests).
Zugspitze is on the border between Germany and Austria and has a height of 2962m. It is the highest peak in Germany. On the flanks of the Zugspitze are three glaciers, including the two largest in Germany: the Northern Schneeferner with an area of 30.7 hectares and the Höllentalferner with an area of 24.7 hectares. The third is the Southern Schneeferner which covers 8.4 hectares.
About a year ago, while learning German, I was given a homework to read a book about a boy, hiking in mountains near Munich and getting lost while climbing the Zugspitze. The book contained lots of details about the place, mountain huts, places the boy visited, and inspired me to go there and see what Zugspitze is for myself. This is how this stop was born.
The Alpspitze just happened to be next to it and caught my attention with this beautiful viewing platform hanging from the cliff. Its height is 2628m.
As usually in such places there are convenient and expensive means of transportation to the top - a cable car and a cog train:
... and a cheap one - by foot. Although the map of lifts and trails below does not show the trails going down from the top of Alpspitze, they actually exist and there were numerous signs showing various ways to get down to the valley from the Kreuzeck place up next to Alpspitze.
We bought roundtrip tickets for both peaks (62 EUR per person) and went up to Zugspitze. One very useful piece of advice: unless you are a fan of standing for 1-2 hours in line under the burning sun in +35C waiting to buy a ticket, I strongly suggest being there by the time they open - 9:30AM. Then you'll get up much quicker.
The cable car to take summer visitors up was the same cable car that takes winter skiers up. It was a hanging car with windows that were opened in the current heat and with a space for about 20 people standing.
With this pretty expensive ticket, aside from getting the chance to see Germany from the top of Germany you get a ride quite similar to amusement park ride and, if you choose to hike up there, a great workout.
The top of Zugspitze looked very much like a space station: two buildings - one German, one Austrian - with a walkway between them. The views from the top to glacier were pretty much like you were looking at the moon:
The weather was great and the views - absolutely stunning. In addition we escaped the heat - on top there was pleasant +12C.
There are several trails on the top of those mountains, from quite easy and not requiring any preparations to quite hard ones for professionals. You can get down to glacier and get to real snow and beautiful emerald frozen pools of water.
On the ride down there was this view of beautiful Ebensee glacier emerald lake:
After visiting Zugspitze it was time for a leisurely walk on Alpspitze.
The Alpspitzbahn cable car took us to the top of slightly lower peak - Alpspitze - which features nice highlands and numerous trails on the mountain sides with amazing views. You can walk hours and hours there.
So, we took a walk from Alpspitze peak to Mittelstation (some 200 meters lower). It is a family friendly walk with several stops, where kids and adults can play, relax and learn about the environment.
Halfway to the lower station we stopped at the height of 1705m at Hochalm station - a restaurant and a place to stretch legs for many hikers. This place was also described in the book I read - here the hero met a friend he wanted to hike with and who later saved his life. The only way we needed to be life-saved is by providing us with food and beautiful dessert - the Apfelstrudel!
From Hochalm we walked yet another half an hour to Kreuzeckbahn and got back into the smoldering heat of the valley.
Next stop was about 200 km away at Chiemsee.
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