After a successful day on the ski slopes, a hike to a toboggan hut offers the best opportunities to discover the Zugspitze region from a new perspective.

Tour profile

Difficulty level: easy
Route length: approx. 4 km (ascent only)
ascents: 170 hm
descents: 0

The good thing about the Top Snow Card is that you have a wide selection of ski areas, both on the German and Tyrolean sides. Sometimes the snow conditions also vary from place to place due to altitudes and snowfall, so the Top Snow Card offers a lot of flexibility. If you don't want to ski all day, you can, among other things, go to a toboggan hut to get to know the Zugspitze region from a different sporting and also very fun side.

That is also how we want to handle it today. First, we will use our Top Snow Card to ski in Mittenwald in the morning. We then want to spend the afternoon at the popular Hämmermoosalm in the Tyrolean alpine paradise of Gaistal and go on a short snow hike with a toboggan ride at the end. Hot chocolate and mulled wine will certainly also be included.

1:30 p.m.: At noon, the ski slopes are over for today and we drive to Leutasch. Here we take a relaxing long lunch break at the “Naturwirt”, where we always like to stop off. Then it's on to the Gaistal, which is only a quarter of an hour away by car.

3:45 p.m.: In the Gaistal valley, there are a total of 12 mountain huts and alpine pastures within a day's march from Leutasch, so it's no wonder that the high valley is proudly called “alpine paradise”. Some huts are also open in the winter season, but the others are real cow stalks and are only operated from May/June to October. The south side of the Zugspitze, including the Leutasch and Gaistal valleys, generally benefits from more rainfall than the north side during winters with little snow. In addition, the two valleys are 400 to 800 m higher than the Loisach Valley and are therefore less affected by weather fluctuations. That is why Leutasch is known to be a paradise for cross-country skiers. You can also sled longer on the Hämmermoosalm (1,417 m) than in other places. The hut is located at the beginning of the Gaistal valley and is easy to reach on a 30 to 40-minute hike. Even small children can easily make a relaxing 200 m climb through the snow-covered forest.

The Gaistal is generally closed to car traffic. There are several large hiking parking spaces right at the entrance to the Gaistal valley. In the afternoon, many hikers return home so that we can park directly “in the front row”. We get the sled and the pointed bob out of the car and off we go on the snow hike to Hämmermoosalm. We also take our ski helmets and goggles with us.

4:00 p.m.: Just as we leave the parking lot, several sledgers race towards us. Climbing the toboggan run doesn't seem like a good idea, so we turn right into the forest at the signpost after approx. 100 m — onto the “Ganghoferweg”. It gets quiet from here on. The last golden rays of sunshine shine through the trees. From time to time, you can take a look at the mountains — right at the Wetterstein, left at the Mieminger chain. In the Gaistal at an altitude of approx. 1,500 m, you can also see several types of conifers growing together in the mountain forest: pine trees, spruces, firs, larches and junipers feel very comfortable in the high valley.

4:30 p.m.: The path through the snow is wide enough for the sled we pull behind us. After a short time, we leave the forest and come out onto the meadow. From here it is not far to the hut and we can already see some sledgers — from big to very small — preparing for the downhill run in front of the Hämmermoosalm.

Once at the alpine pasture, we look for a spot in the back room, which was recently rebuilt and renovated. The alpine atmosphere is well preserved here. Since 2021, Hämmermoosalm has had new tenants who have polished up the hut concept and supplemented it with regional offers in the food sector: the food is homemade and served fresh, the meat comes from Leutasch and the coffee from the Tyrolean roastery in Wattens. The cabin also offers great views and the outdoor terrace is very popular in summer. The Hämmermoosalm is an important stop on hiking tours to the high-altitude huts in the Wetterstein Mountains.

5:00 p.m.: After the wonderful alpine glow on the surrounding peaks, twilight is slowly making itself felt outside. The coffee and hot chocolate warmed us up again after the short hike and gave us new energy. Now it's time to hit the toboggan run. The descent is not extremely steep — on the other hand, the slope seems a bit too mild for real toboggan fun. I give my buddy a push so that he can easily set off on his sled. Unfortunately I'm missing someone to push me on now. The inclination is not enough for the bob, I always stop at first and have to walk down the slope for the first bit. After just under 300 m, the slope gets steeper and it runs. This makes tobogganing really fun! With momentum, we quickly reach the lower section next to the parking lot, where we have to watch out for pedestrians.

A perfect winter day in the Alps is coming to an end once again. Although you have to expect a slightly longer journey time from Grainau, the trip to the Gaistal is definitely worthwhile if you want to discover more of the Zugspitze region and experience the alpine winter in all its splendor. You can supplement the snow hike with a visit to Alpenbad Leutasch in the evening. In the sauna pool, on a clear night, you can enjoy incredible views of the starry sky and the mountains from the outdoor pool.

Lots of winter fun: toboggan runs in the Zugspitze region

Tips & info:

• Hämmermoosalm — webpage. There is no equipment rental available at the hut - you should bring sledges and bobsleighs.
• Arriving by public transport: Take the train or Eibsee bus from Hotel am Badersee to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, then take the regional train to Mittenwald. From Mittenwald, take bus 430 to Leutasch. However, the journey by public transport takes at least 2 hours.
• Arriving by car: From Hotel am Badersee, drive via Garmisch-Partenkirchen on the B2 towards Mittenwald, then follow the signs to Leutasch through the town of Mittenwald. Once in Leutasch, you drive through the entire valley until you reach the sign for Gaistal. In the navigation system, you can enter the Salzbach im Gaistal car park as your destination.
• Alpenbad Leutasch — webpage

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