Johannifeuer has a long tradition in Grainau. Every year on June 23, the day before St. John's Day, the mountains are celebrated in flames. In addition to the brave “fire makers” who diligently transport fuel upwards and prepare fireplaces, many locals and, of course, guests also watch the St. John bonfires from the valley.

Tour profile

Difficulty level: difficult
Route length: approx. 16 km (total)
ascents: 1,450 hm
descents: 1,450 hm

Although St. John's Fire is a nice tradition, there are of course also concerns. It is often discussed whether fires on the mountain should be banned for reasons of nature protection. The “fire makers” are already using bio-diesel and rapeseed oil as fuel — or sometimes even artificial light sources, in order to be environmentally friendly here. However, the fire still has to be lit on site, which means you have to reach the summit at dusk.

The risk of fire spreading and spreading to mountain forests is also frequently discussed. The fireplaces are selected with appropriate care so that there should be no danger here. In addition, June in the Bavarian Alps is usually very wet with rain showers spread over the day or night. The wet soil provides additional protection.

In addition, the safety of participants is always in focus. Especially in bad weather, mountaineering and climbing becomes tricky for the “firemakers”. Some people then stay on the mountain overnight or descend with light in the dark. Fortunately, they are all experienced mountaineers. Visitors to the St. John's Fire in the Mountains, on the other hand, should always stick to public venues and use the marked trails or gondolas, especially after the spectacle is over.

But the biggest question is always the same: Will there be a thunderstorm? In June, the probability of a thunderstorm in the Alps is highest: 50-70% of thunderstorms are announced almost every day, mostly in the evening or at night. It is therefore all the more important to always check the weather forecast when planning a mountain tour to the Johannifeuer. It is of course best when the sun says goodbye behind the mountains with a nice glow and continues to avoid rain clouds in order to experience the St. John's bonfire with the best views.

5:00 p.m.: After the Johannifeuer 2021 here in Grainau was so rainy and stormy that there were almost no mountains to be seen in the fog, the weather forecast today fortunately promises perfect summer weather. During the day, I check the weather forecasts several times and am already looking forward to the next Johannilauf. Today I'm planning to climb up to Kramer, possibly a short trip to my old friends on Ziegspitz , then cross the Kramer massif and descend to St. Martinshütte, where, just before it gets dark, I meet my friend to admire the mountain fires together with him. So I park my car at Maximilianshöhe in Garmisch and head towards Stepbergalm.

18:00 o'clock: When I notice the buzzing on my cell phone, I've been on the road for a long time. Who could send me messages right now? The news comes from my friend, who writes that thunderstorms and rain are forecast and that he won't go to St. Martinshütte after all. Thunderstorm and rain?! That can't be, everything looked good just over an hour ago. I'm going to the weather app. In fact, now thunderstorms are suddenly on the weather forecast with 70%, and in just 2 hours! Maybe I'm still lucky and the thunderstorm will pass by. Today on St. John's Eve of all days. I'm still running uphill and thinking about how I can now flexibly adapt my plans to the current weather conditions. The trip to the Ziegspitz has already been canceled once. I watch that I come to Stepbergalm and check the weather forecast there again.

6:30 p.m.: Due to my good physical condition, I reach Stepbergalm after just 1:35 hours. Just like last time, I enjoy wonderful panoramic views along the way. The alpine pasture is open but occupied by a large group who are apparently familiar with the owners. I don't want to disturb, look at the sky again and keep checking the weather forecast. It still looks good, I still have time and keep running towards Kramer.

6:50 p.m.: A few hundred meters higher, I decide to take a short break. I remove my water bottle and an apple from my backpack and simply sit on a steep grassy slope with a wonderful view of the Zugspitze massif and the Ziegspitz. And then I see them. The fat gray cloud with a white border. The white border of such rain clouds often means that there is hail in addition to the thunderstorm. I take the first sip from my water bottle and the cloud immediately reacts with a soft rumble. I also notice that a typical thundercloud is forming on the Zugspitze massif. It's all a very bad sign. My friend also sends me a screenshot from the DWD warning app, where the growing thundercloud on the Zugspitze and its development over time is easy to see. For me, this now also means retreating in order to get off the mountain in time.

19:00 o'clock: After I had to cancel my tour and have not yet completed that many meters in altitude, the descent is quite easy and fun. In the upper area, I am met by several chamois, which are extremely reluctant to leave the path when I pass by. However, I am more amazed by many reckless mountaineers who want to celebrate St. John's Day on the mountain despite the change in weather. They attach little importance to my weather statement, they believe that the weather may still stabilize and that the thunderstorm will pass by at the end. I can only hope so for them, safety comes first and continues to descend. A large group of children who climb up to Kramer on an unsignposted trail with large backpacks also wants to ignore the weather warning. I can only appeal to common sense over and over again not to take weather warnings lightly. Because you not only put yourself in danger, but also the rescuers who are called to help in an emergency. And depending on how the weather develops, these too cannot immediately come to the rescue.

8:20 p.m.: I get back to my car and drive to Farchant to my friend who is waiting for me at home. The sky is slowly closing and slight gusts of wind can be felt. Even though my mountain tour didn't turn out as planned, I'm satisfied with my Johannilauf, took advantage of the wonderful time and am now safely back home. It is already a tradition for me to go on a mountain tour on St. John's Day. I change my clothes for a minute and we watch the weather from the garden again over a cup of coffee. The sky has now become completely black and most fires are already being lit so that the firemakers can still descend safely and in time. Beautiful mountain fires can already be seen on Brünnstlkopf next to the Notkarspitze, on our little Schafkopf the summit cross has been decorated with lights, and on the other side of the valley, in the deep stone gutter on Fricken, from which the large waterfall springs, a huge cross of light has been created, which almost reaches the summit! Respect!

9:10 p.m.: My friend pulls his car out of the garage and we want to drive to Garmisch and Grainau again to see the fires there. It is still dry right now, but after the border of Farchant, the first heavy raindrops fall on the car. After a few seconds, the storm hits us. The rain is pouring over the windows, there is endless lightning and crashing, and you can't even see the mountain fires now, because the entire mountain peaks have disappeared in the fog!

9:30 p.m.: Nevertheless, we keep up the festive mood and take a big round across the Wankbahn valley station, St. Martinsstraße, where you usually have the best view of Alpspitze, Schwarzenkopf and Waxenstein, and on to Grainau. The roads are already covered with rain. It seems that there are only a few mountain fire fans who have ventured outside to watch the mountain fires. Then the rain subsides a bit and just before the turnoff to Grainau I see the cross on Mittlere Ziegspitz, which glows diligently despite the storm! In Grainau, there is a parking lot on the left side of Loisachstraße, from where the illuminated Wetterstein ridge is usually best observed. Unfortunately there is not much to see today due to clouds.

22:00 o'clock: Finally, we drive to the “An der Zugspitze” industrial park in Schmölz, where the supermarkets are located. Despite the torrential rain, there are several Johanni enthusiasts here at the parking lot watching and filming the mountain fires. The big drama is currently developing on Kramer, where most are fires and therefore most of the “firemakers”. With the black sky, the Kramer with the fires and thunderstorms is certainly very impressive, if I disregard the fact that I met groups of mountaineers who wanted to go up the mountain. I hope that everyone has started the descent safely and in good time, because thunderstorms in the mountains are very deadly. From time to time, I can still spot light rays on the mountain that come from head lamps.

10:30 p.m.: We come home again and watch the last fires on the peaks from the terrace, which are now gradually going out. The evening was quite adventurous, but the fires were once again very nice. It's a pity that the weather didn't play along this year, but sometimes you have to take the weather as it comes and make the best of it. And when you're sitting dry, it's also nice to see the fires and thank the “fire makers” who make the effort every year to continue the tradition, offer us a special spectacle every year, in the truest sense of the word. Let's hope that we are luckier in the coming year and that we can once again witness the mountain fires under a clear cloud cover.

Tips & info:

• Our editorial team is happy to attend the Johannifeuer every year. Here are our reports from the year 2018 and 2020.
• Depending on your fitness level, you can use the Stepbergalm as a full-day hiking tour or as part of the Kramer crossing. Opening times and other information can be found here, Monday is a day off.
• If you want to experience the Johannifeuer spectacle for yourself, that can also be relatively easy. Mountain railways in our region offer appointments for St. John's Day from time to time. A mountain fire is then set near the mountain station and guests can travel by train — read our blog about Solstice celebration on Wank.
• Traditions depend on the weather, so appointments can unfortunately be cancelled at short notice. If you have decided to hold a summit celebration, bring warm clothing and pay attention to Safety rules on the mountain.
• In Ehrwald, too, you can watch the Johannifeuer from the valley very nicely, especially from golf course Do you have a great view of the Zugspitze, the Tiroler Sonnenspitz and other peaks in the Mieminger chain.
• In addition to the Johannifeuer, Oberammergau is held every year on August 24, the King Ludwig II's birthday celebrated with mountain fires. A burning royal crown will be erected on the local mountain of Kofel, otherwise the fires will be ignited on the Kofel and on the surrounding mountains. As the illumination on the Kofel gradually goes out, a long train of “fire makers” with torches moves down to the village, where people party in the inns until the early hours of the morning.
  

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