Previous Stage  Section  Next Stage

An exciting ridge-walk along the spine of the Ammergauer Alps awaits you today. This hike and the next are proof that you do not have to suffer hypoxia in order to enjoy and be challenged by mountains: sometimes sub-2000m terrain can be as much fun as anything that Switzerland has to offer.

It is possible that I may be biased because my first hiking experiences in the Alps were here, but if so then I'm not alone: the Ammergebirge were for centuries the special hunting preserve of the Kings of Bavaria... and if there is one thing that royalty has always known how to do, it is to take the best for themselves!

Route
From the the southwestern corner of the terrace of the Pürschlinghaus take the E4 (Maximiliansweg) westwards to the Brunnenkopfhaus (1602m). After this the path soon becomes significantly more challenging, taking you up and over the Grosse Klammspitze (1924m), then along an at times narrow ridge to the Feigenkopf (1866m). A little further on you fork left to descend to the Bäckenalmsattel (1540m), from where the path on the right leads down to the Kenzenhütte.

Alternatives: if you want to avoid the narrow ridge, or the weather is bad, or simply to make the day shorter and easier, then consider going via Linderhof (signposted to the left a few minutes after you start the hike). The path down is steep, but well maintained. From Linderhof (940m) follow the E4 valley trail westwards then up and alongside the Sägertalbach to the Bäckenalmsattel. From there go down to the Kenzenhütte as with the primary route. This is both safer and quicker (saves 1h+, +/-270m).
Map: K-5 Wettersteingebirge.

Journal
The House to House blog... stage 8.

Photos
<A couple of representative photos from this stage will be added here after the hike>
In the meantime, click here to go to all of the H2H photos on Flickr.

GPS Track
<To be added during or after hike>

Room and Board Options
Lunch: the Brunnenkopfhütte, which you reach after a couple of hours, is an excellent place to have lunch.
Dinner and overnight: the only good option is the Kenzenhütte (+49-(0)8368/390, sleeps 60, a few in beds in small private rooms, most in a bunkroom). There are no other places to stay within a couple of hours hike, although if you get there early enough you can catch the Kenzenbus down to the village of Halblech where there are a variety of places to stay and eat (for a complete list, see here).

Getting There and Back
Pürschlinghaus: from Unterammergau, where there is a railway station, walk south and up via the Schleifmühle (2.5h, +730m) to the Pürschlinghaus (for train schedule information see Die Bahn).
Kenzenhütte: either walk north down the valley to the village of Halblech (3h, 10km, -520m), or take the Kenzenbus. From there you can catch a regular bus to Füssen where there is a railway station (for both bus and train schedules see Die Bahn).
ViaMichelin Road Map and Driving Directions: centered on Unterammergau, centered on Halblech.

Background Information and Links
Linderhof
Halblech

Previous Stage  Section  Next Stage