It is autumn in the Zugspitze region, the trees are showing their colorful leaves in yellow, orange and red, there is already occasional snow on the highest peaks, but the days are still sunny and warm. A wonderful time for hikes and tours through the natural landscape. Before the mountain trails go due to snow and bad weather conditions and the Höllentalklamm also goes into hibernation, I would like to take a tour through the gorge to the Hochalm today.

Tour profile

Difficulty level: difficult
Route length: approx. 10.5 km (total)
ascents: 1,100 hm
descents: 0 hm

09:00 a.m.: I had a good breakfast, my backpack is packed with food and warm clothes and my tour can start after I have put on my hiking boots. The weather looks promising, although it will be quite cool in the morning, the sun will shine and the sun's rays will give me some warmth. It starts in Hammersbach and I follow the climb, which will bring me to the entrance of the Höllentalklamm gorge. The landscape is beautiful in autumn, so I keep my camera pulled out. I've completed the first climb and any coolness I've felt before is gone. My body is warmed up.

9:25 a.m.: I thank God for every level of path along the ascent. This allows my legs to recover a bit before the muscles have to use all their strength again and the pulse goes into overdrive. The autumnal forest to the right and left of the trail is terrific, I don't even know which season is my favorite. How much do I appreciate the change of nature, which, regardless of the season, always shows its best side. The rushing Hammersbach river below me is also incredibly beautiful. The water flows down into the valley over small waterfalls and through fat boulders. And I haven't even reached the Höllentalklamm gorge, the real natural highlight on this hiking trail.

10:00 a.m.: I've reached the entrance to the Höllentalschlucht. The trail has been quiet so far, there aren't very many hikers out and about early in the morning. I pay the entrance fee and now enter the fantastic world of the Höllentalklamm gorge. It has become cool again in the gorge after I really warmed up again on the climb up to the entrance. So I'm going to put on my thick fleece sweater.

10:10 a.m.: You have to enjoy the Höllentalklamm gorge. I slowly move along the narrow path, which takes visitors through a vast natural landscape. The sound of the water is beguiling, the pools formed under waterfalls are so turquoise blue that you would like to jump in for a swim. The grey rock walls are threatening on the one hand and protective on the other. An impressive natural landscape meets brilliant human construction skills; the path is a construction of stairs, bridges, tunnels carved into the rock and a path carved out of the rock.

10:15 a.m.: The fact that tourists and hikers from all over the world can walk through the gorge so easily today is thanks to the engineering skills of Adolf Zoeppritz and several local mountain guides who already surveyed and explored the gorge at the beginning of the last century. After almost 4 years of work, the Höllentalklamm gorge was inaugurated on 15.08.1905. To ensure that the trail is always easy to walk on, significant work steps are required every year to preserve the trails and remove the enormous amounts of snow (up to 70 m). The flexible walkways and bridges must be assembled and safety checked regularly. This is financed by the entrance fee.

10:20 a.m.: The gorge was created millions of years ago. The hard layers of mussel limestone that settled on the seabed during the Middle Triassic period around 240 million years ago were later folded during the formation of the Alps and then cut deep into the typical gorge formation over many, many years by the rain and meltwater of the Hammersbach. The name Höllental is quite misleading, because it does not go back to a mystical legend about the origin of the gorge, but to the word “cave”. It's a shame, actually, because an exciting legend would certainly be interesting to listen to.

10:30 a.m.: Huge masses of water tumble down from the rocks into the gorge, it drips down from the ceiling, sometimes you have to pass through small waterfalls quickly without getting too wet. The rock floor is moist but fortunately not slippery, many pools of water have formed along the way, the tunnels are dark, sometimes you can barely see your hand in front of your face. Good, sturdy shoes are therefore not wrong to wear. After all, there is hardly any traffic in the gorge, there is no oncoming traffic at the early time, as most hikers set off for the mountains first.

10:50 a.m.: Every gorge comes to an end and I too reach the exit. The rocks diverge again and make room for Hammersbach, which can still expand here. The temperatures are also more pleasant again. This is the ideal time for a first break and a warm cup of tea, which ensures that I warm up a bit again after the very cool temperatures in the gorge.

11:05 a.m.: It is simply too cool for a longer break. The sun's rays do not yet reach so deep into the gorge to generate heat between the rocks. Let's go to Höllentalangerhütte, the next destination on today's tour. The trail only climbs very slowly at first, but then I have a steep climb ahead of me, which will bring me up to the top. The muscles start screaming again and ask themselves why we are doing this to ourselves, I can clearly feel the pulse rate on my throat, a warming tea to warm up internally is no longer necessary, instead there is a desire for a cold drink. No matter what has to be done, I chose the tour myself. It's uphill in bends, on and off it's time to take a deep breath, then it's on again. But when I look at the landscape that opens up around me, I know that the effort and effort is worthwhile.

11:40 a.m.: Cheering and cheering pervades me as I have finally reached the height and the path is straight again. Oh thank you dear nature for giving me a break again. The step accelerates again, the pain escapes from the muscles, the pulse calms down. It can continue like this for now and the trail from here to the Höllentalangerhütte is actually pleasant to walk.

11:50 a.m.: I reach the Höllentalangerhütte, which is unfortunately already closed. So I sit on the steps a bit sheltered from the wind and instead of hot tea, I get a cyclist out of my backpack. That feels really good now. And a good snack and the energy comes back. My cyclist also causes envy and astonishment when hikers pass by. “How did I get a cyclist? ”, “Cheers, we would like to have a beer like this now too.”, “That's a good idea,” I'm told. Having stood in front of many locked huts and was in the mood for a cool cyclist, I now always have one with me in my backpack.

12:25 p.m.: The break was good and I'm ready to start the next part of the journey. The miners' houses are a stopover destination. After the break, my legs feel quite light again and the first route is easily flaky. It could just stay that way. I will soon reach the heights from which I can look down into the valley from which I came. I can make out the path that I climbed up to the Höllentalangerhütte in Kehren. I also have an eye on the miners' houses, still very small, but still in front of my eyes.

12:45 p.m.: The view now extends far out to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Oberau. I already feel very high up at the point where I am now, but it will still be a few meters in altitude to climb. But I've already gained a good amount of altitude from Grainau and so there's also encouraging praise to yourself.

1:30 p.m.: The road on the second half to the miners' houses becomes rocky and stony, and it climbs more and more. The initial lightness has disappeared, now it is becoming more exhausting again. The trail is partly secured with a rope, although it is quite easy to walk. But it is also dry and it is still quite lonely on the route, although it is one of the most popular hiking trails in the Zugspitze region. Then I have also reached the miners' houses and a table and a chair invite you to pause for a moment, have another drink and look back at the path you have now left behind.

1:35 p.m.: Unbuckle your backpack and off you go. The next destination is also in sight, the Hupfleitenjoch. A signpost states that it is still 1 hour and 15 minutes to the Kreuzeck cable car via the Hupfleitenjoch. Unfortunately, it is unknown how far it is to the Hochalm. But 1 hour 15 minutes sounds good because most of the way is already behind me and the actual destination is getting closer and closer.

2:00 p.m.: But the way to the Hupfleitenjoch is tough, especially on the last stretch of the way. Once again, the muscles start to complain, almost go on strike and I get the idea again why I'm actually doing this effort and effort in my free time. Why didn't I just sit on the balcony and look at the mountain panorama comfortably from below. Now I'm trudging up here, out of breath, sweaty and haven't even reached the end yet. The 1 hour 15 minutes sounded better than it actually is. I sat down on the wooden steps, looked back at the path I've already walked and see how more hikers are now frolicking on their way to me. Some have already overtaken me on the track. Regardless, the journey is the destination. I need to find my own time to get on with it.

2:20 p.m.: I've done it. I'm standing on the Hupfleitenjoch, happy and satisfied, even though the piece was really difficult for me. But I've put that behind me now and I actually think that things will have to go downhill at some point. Until now, the trail has only ever been uphill. While I'm standing on the Hupfleitenjoch and enjoying the view again, I watch the other hikers trudging up here as well. They don't look happier either and the climb seems exhausting for them too. I'm probably not alone in my feelings. But once at the top, the effort is gone in no time.

2:35 p.m.: Enjoyed the view of the journey extensively, drank enough for new energy and ate another sandwich and I'm ready again. I have to see how my journey continues, because even from the valley in Grainau, it was easy to see the miners' houses on the mountain. A hiking sign already indicates that I still have 1 hour of hiking time ahead of me. It would only be 45 minutes to Kreuzeck. Maybe I should just walk to Kreuzeck, that's 15 minutes less. No, it's off to the Hochalm. A look in the direction of the arrow at least tells me that it's downhill for now, but another climb awaits me on the other side. I was actually hoping I would only have to walk downhill. But it's also a shame.

3:20 p.m.: I have now fought for the last climb and for today I have had enough of climbing uphill. What did my leg muscles have to do today! But the landscape was simply breathtaking. What a natural landscape and what expansive views I was able to enjoy on the way up here. But now I'm looking forward to a ride on the Hochalmbahn up to Alpspitze and from there comfortably back down to the valley. But there is still a long way to walk to the Hochalm. Just downhill, thank goodness!

3:40 p.m.: The last part of the trail is actually relaxing and I climb light-footed and easy down to the Hochalm. The gondola also leaves shortly after I arrive, so I don't even have to wait long. After the hike, which cost me a lot of energy but was simply overwhelmingly beautiful in terms of landscape, the mountain inn at the mountain station of the Alpspitze cable car is now waiting for me, with a cool drink and something delicious to eat. After that, it's a leisurely ride downhill again with the gondola. I will certainly walk this trail from time to time, at different times of the year. But now winter is coming and until I trudge up here again, there is a nice winter break.

Tips & info:

• Length of route: approx. 10.5 km
• Duration without a break: approx. 4 hours 15 minutes to 5 hours
• Altitude difference uphill: approx. 1,100 m
• Difficulty: medium — difficult, sure-footedness and a head for heights required, good shoes and hiking sticks
• The Höllentalklamm gorge is open annually between May and the end of October, depending on weather and snow conditions. When the Höllentalklamm gorge is closed, you can walk the trail across the Stangensteig that leads across the gorge.
• It is possible to start in the opposite direction, for example from Kreuzeck down to Hammersbach (Top hiking trail stage 8).
• Places to stop for refreshments: Höllentalangerhütte, Höllentaleingangshütte, Berggasthof Kreuzeck or Restaurant Alpspitze. Please note opening times.
• Start early to take the gondola down to the valley. Gondola opening hours: zugspitze.de
• Public transport Hotel am Badersee: take the Eibseebus to Hammersbach. From the Alpspitzbahn valley station, take the Zugspitzbahn to Grainau-Badersee.

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