The weather for today promises lots of sunshine. It is therefore the perfect day for an adventure in nature. The question is once again which of the numerous hikes I am embarking on today. While I'm having breakfast in peace, I browse through my KOMPASS hiking guide in search of the right tour. It should be an easy hike, that's for sure. After some back and forth, I finally make the decision to climb the Schafkopf.

Tour profile

Difficulty level: medium
Route length: approx. 8 km (total)
ascents: 650 hm
descents: 650 hm

3 good reasons for the Schafkopfweg:

1. Easy arrival and departure by train or bus.
2. The tour is 8.3 km long and takes 4 hours for the hiking tour. This leaves enough time to relax both along the way and after the hike.
3. The hiking tour promises fantastic views.

8:30 a.m.: Take the Zugspitze Railway from Grainau train station to the train station in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Here I transfer to the regional train to Munich, which takes me all the way to Farchant. The journey has already worked flawlessly.

09:08: Arrival at the train station in Farchant. From here I walk through the small village up to the Spielleitenweg. The starting point of the hike is at a playground that is easy to find.

09:20: From now on, the hiking tour starts. A signpost states that it takes 2 hours to get to Schafkopf. The mountain trail climbs behind the waterfall at the playground and I've disappeared into the thick forest. The sound of the waterfall accompanies me for the first few meters. The trail climbs slightly uphill in bends and soon the first beautiful views await me, which make me pause for a moment. The view is clear and so I am already looking forward to the view that will arise from the summit. It continues uphill until I come across a wide path. At the crossing, turn left for about 50 m. The ascent route then branches off to the right. The road continues uphill through dense forest. I slowly feel the rise in my legs and so I'm happy when I hit a bench on a wide side street. This is where I sit down and get my water bottle out of my backpack.

10:05: A rustle makes me sit up and take notice, but instead of an animal, a hiker appears who is also on his way to Schafkopf. As quickly as he appeared, he moved away again. For me, it's time to keep running again. It is still more than 1 ½ hours to reach the summit. The trail climbs steadily and leads over bends through dense forest. It smells deliciously fresh and I breathe in deeply. The trail is decomposed by stones and roots of trees, so I am happy to have my sturdy hiking boots on. The numerous stone men you meet again and again show that a number of hikers have already been out and about here. I also add a stone. For someone who comes from the lowlands, the climb is quite exhausting and I have to stop again and again to catch a breath. Another pair of hikers passes me by and then I am also faced with an obstacle. A tree has fallen across the path and is blocking it with its trunk and branches. A short obstacle course begins, which would certainly look funny when watched. With hands and feet, climbing and scrambling, I master the course. A little further up I see the couple running for the last time, then they disappear behind another bend in the road — did they watch me dance with my tree?

11:10 a.m.: I keep fighting my way up the road. It's warm and I'm glad I have a big water bottle with me. There must be another break on a rock. I enjoy the peace and quiet, listen to the sounds of the forest, hear my own pulse and breathe in and out deeply. How beautiful nature is, but now I would like to reach the summit. I have the feeling that I've been running for ages, so the summit must finally show up. The forest is too thick, no chance of finding a hidden clue. A hiking sign with the inscription “Schafkopf 15 min.” Would be bad “Schafkopf 45 min.”, so better not a sign. With motivating hiking sayings “The journey is the goal” and “With every step you get closer to your goal,” I pick myself up again. I don't have to get there in 2 hours, I'm not in a hurry. Enjoy nature, breathe in the fresh air and take one step ahead of the other.

12:07: It seems that I finally reach the path that runs below the summit. In fact, I am now running on a thin hiking trail that loops along the slope up to the summit. The views are terrific, but running and enjoying the view at the same time is not possible; the path is too narrow. So I pause from time to time to enjoy this magnificent view of the alpine landscape. I then focus on the path again and feel like I'm balancing along a trapezoid. Of course, there is also oncoming traffic on such a narrow path, how could it be otherwise. That also works and I climb the last bends and I already see the summit cross.

12:20 p.m.: I've done it, I've reached the summit. Up here I also meet the hiking couple once again, who are already getting ready to continue their journey while I settle down on the bench happy but also ready and done. Time to enjoy the view to the fullest and have a proper snack. It wasn't just lunchtime that made you hungry. A few other hikers are also on the summit so you can chat with each other a bit. It's amazing how lonely it is up here on the summit. We are just three hikers who enjoy the great weather and the fantastic view. The Schafkopf is probably so unfrequented because there is no stop here. Who knows that. This is how we enjoy the heavenly peace at 1,380 m.

13:00: I could sit here forever, look out into the distance, watch the butterflies dance in the air and just let the day go by. But it is time to descend. I descend the ascent route for a short distance and then follow the signs towards Gießenbach. On an easy path with some ups and downs, I reach the descent route, which branches off to the left at a trail sign. It's always downhill on hairpin bends. Along the way, I discover mountain flake flowers and even a white forest bird, an orchid species. At some points along the trail, it's time to pay attention again, the trail runs close and narrow along the slope. For people with a fear of heights, these passages would be unreasonable. The narrow path ends on a gravel road, which I follow towards Farchant. I get back to my ascent route and now walk it in the opposite direction. I settle down again at the bench with the distinctive rock. A hiker from Freising, who is also traveling alone, joins me. While she still has the route to the summit ahead of her, I am now looking forward to reaching the final destination of the hike shortly.

3:20 p.m.: I reach the waterfall on the Spielleitenweg and am now just looking forward to an ice cream before taking the train back to Grainau. Instead of 4 hours, it was a 6-hour hike, but I enjoyed it to the fullest. I've earned a big ice cream sundae after this tour and that Ice cream parlour in Farchant is ideally located on the way to the train station. Before I say goodbye to Farchant, I once again look up at the summit, which now seems to be a long way off. The summit cross is barely visible. I was actually that high — wow. Not bad at all! Even though it was quite exhausting in some places, it was definitely worth the effort.

Route information

track: approx. 8 km there and back
Altitude: approx. 600 m
Difficulty level: easy to medium
tips: Sturdy shoes required. When it rains, the trail becomes a riverbed of a small mountain stream.

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