From Ehrwald via the Zugspitz-Westface to the top of the Zugspitze (2962m) and back via the "Gatterl"
Sometime in the early summer of 1995 I climbed with my cousin Achim and my friend Bernd von Ehrwald via the Wiener-Neustädter-Hütte and the “Stopselzieher” via ferrata on Zugspitze.
Since I’ve done a lot of via ferratas and climbing tours with Bernd over the past few years and Achim, as a mountaineer, is always hanging on the rock anyway, we felt well prepared for this climb.
The west face is known for its brittle rock and the fact that the via ferrata is partly in poor condition. A helmet and via ferrata set are mandatory and always keep an eye out because of the great risk of falling rocks.
We arrived the evening before the climb and spent the night in a tent so that we could park our car early the next morning at the valley station of the Ehrwalder Zugspitz gondola and start the tour.
DAY 1 – Early in the morning we go past the valley station to hike to the Wiener-Neustädter-Hütte. We quickly realize that there is a lot more snow than expected and that the paths and the path are snowy and icy.
So we walk with great care over the snow fields that cover the path and arrive at the hut after a little more than 3 hours.
The climb didn’t make it easy for us and we needed a longer break to gather our strength for the via ferrata.
As expected, the path is not in the best condition and not very trustworthy, but we dare the adventure because the west face is not very steep and there are few exposed and vertical places.
The higher we go, the less snow and ice there is on the wall – it seems as if the sun reaches it better here than further down.
It looks like we are the only ones making the climb over the Zugspitz west face today. Looking back, we can’t see any other climbers and there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the wall in front of us.
We can watch the Zugspitze gondola floating above our heads. Every now and then tourists wave to us from the gondola and of course we wave back.
We always take a break and enjoy the wonderful view in the bright sunshine.
Since we’re traveling at a brisk pace, we can even treat ourselves to a little nap – always well secured, of course!
The last stretch over the ridge to the summit is another challenge as there is waist-deep snow there and there is no well-trodden path yet. Apparently we are the first this year to walk this ridge.
After more than 8 hours we arrive at the Munich house on the Zugspitze.
An hour and 2 wheat beers later we are somewhat recovered. The weather is getting worse, clouds are gathering and it is getting significantly cooler. A thunderstorm is forecast.
After the last tourists have taken the train down to the valley at 4:30 p.m., we make a deal with our hut landlord – we clean-up in front of the hut and set up the benches and tables – in return each of us gets 2 beers on the house.
After these 2 free beers and a good meal we go to bed and fall asleep straight away.
DAY 2 – The next day, after a quick breakfast, we head down to the“Gatterl”. Thanks to Achim’s BW sleeping mat, we make faster progress than expected – the three of us simply slide down the snowfields on the sleeping mat.
It then takes a very long way down from the Gatterl and back to the valley station in Ehrwald.
That was a strenuous and not without danger, but wonderful, tour to the highest peak in Germany!
