Ascent of the Kramerspitz in October 2024

In October 2024, I went on another hiking vacation in the Alps and climbed the Kramerspitz. The summit is 1985 m / 6500 ft high and is located right next to Garmisch-Partenkirchen located at the southern end of Germany. Unlike my Zugspitze adventure two years earlier, I actually made it to the summit this time.

Information & Tips

Route Planning

There are a lot of trails and crossing in this region, especially at lower elevations, so there are many options for building your route. However, the summit itself is only accessible via one trail, so there is no other option to reach it.

It’s a good idea to start from either Garmisch or Schmölz and end in the other town (see also my route below).

There are two places to stop for something to eat or drink around the Kramerspitz: the Stepbergalm and the restaurant St. Martin am Grasberg. From the Stepbergalm in particular, you can also go on many other hikes in the region and have the opportunity to climb one of the many other peaks.

My route

Here are my key details:

• Start: Zoeppritzstraße (Garmisch)
• End: Schmölz
• Distance: 14,5 km / 9 mi
• Elevation: 1700 m / 5570 ft up and 1600 m / 5250 ft down
• Duration: about 7:30 hours
• Difficulty: T3 (according to the SAC, so it’s demanding and only suitable for people with a certain experience in alpine terrain)

I started in Garmisch, went along the Zoeppritzstraße and used the forest trail, that starts at its end. From the St. Martin am Grasberg restaurant, I hiked up the Kramersteig trail to a clearing where the trail split. From there, I continued eastward toward the Kramerspitz summit. I stopped at the Stepbergalm and finally made my way down through the Gelbe Gewänd cliffs to the village Schmölz.

Equipment & Safety

As the pictures below might suggest, the terrain is definitely alpine and is classified as T3 on the SAC scale. Therefore, hiking boots and some experience with mountain hiking are required! However, you don’t need any safety gear.

You should also have a head for heights, as there are spots where the slope drops very steeply off the trail, and you’ll also have to walk along a ridge with steep drops on both sides.

You should also bring enough to drink and and something to eat. Especially in the summer, some streams and drinking water sources may run dry, at least temporarily. I reached the summit after about 4 hours and was very glad, that I brought enough to drink and some snacks.

Also keep in mind the temperature difference between the valley and the summit, as well as the harsher weather up there. On cool days, it’s best to bring a windproof jacket.

Ascend

I started in Garmisch at around 9 AM, followed the Zoeppritzstraße towards the Kramerplateauweg trail. I didn’t take the Kramerplateauweg trail, because that’s where the Kramersteig trail begins, which I follows uphill to the St. Martin am Grasberg restaurant. Since I had only been hiking for one hour, I didn’t take a break there.

Behind the restaurant, the Kramersteig trail becomes very steep, very strenuous, but also very beautiful. You climb higher and higher, and the view of the landscape gets better and better. The trail also becomes increasingly challenging, and in some places you’ll find steel cables for safety or measurements to secure the path.

There are plenty of spots from which you can enjoy the view, and the Felsenkanzel -– a small viewing platform for hikers with a head for heights -– offers a particularly beautiful view across the valley. I arrived there at around 10.45 AM and took a short break.

From the viewing point onwards, it gets even more difficult. The path winds its way up the mountain in serpentines, and every now and then you need to use your hands to pull yourself up. You don’t have to actually climb (it’s not a via ferrata), but the terrain is quite challenging.

As someone from northern Germany (it’s very flat there), I wasn’t used to this kind of hiking at all, and even though it was no more than 10 °C / 50 °F and windy, I was drenched in sweat. A few older people passed me, as if the elevation and terrain was nothing.

A bit more than an hour later, I reached the upper section of the Kramersteig around 11:45 AM. In a small clearing among the mountain pines, which have replaced the forest some time ago, the trail splits. To the right is the Katzenkopf; to the left is the Kramerspitz.

From here on, it went still uphill, but less steep. The trail was more a series of ups and downs amoing rugged peaks and rough cliffs.

And finally, around 12:45 PM, I reached the 1985 m / 6500 ft high summit of the Kramerspitz. It was really cold and windy up there and I was glad, that I brought a jacket.

There were quite a few people up there, it was almost crowded. One guy even went there with his dog, which didn’t seem to have any trouble with the incline at all. Even at the summit, the dog was full of energy, exploring and sniffing around.

Descent

The descent was really steep in only a few places and, overall, less challenging than the ascent. It’s about 2 km / 1.2 mi from the summit to the Stepbergalm, which took me about an hour and a half. I arrived at the Stepbergalm around 2:45 PM and had something to drink and eat. There were many hikers out and about in the area, but it was not too crowded.

From the alpine pasture, I then headed down the Gelbes Gewänd Trail for the remaining approximately 6 km / 3.7 mi to the village Schmölz, where my hike ended at around 4:15 PM. The trail is narrow but easy to walk on and not as steep as the ascent from Garmisch to the clearing. At the Gelbes Gewänd cliff, there’s a small, clear stream where you can take a break and refill your water bottle. Unfortunately, I don’t know if it carries water in the summer as well.

Final thoughts

Even though the Kramerspitz only close to being a 2000 m peak, it definitely offers beautiful alpine terrain, magnificent views, and is very easy to reach. However, the trails above the tree line definitely require alpine experience and should only be used in good weather conditions. If the weather is fine and you have the necessary experience, I highly recommend this tour and hope you have a great time.