1962m above sea level (asl)

Reservations

Some hut reservations for have been made for the below dates, in the event the weather cooperates and people are interested in going. Reservations will be canceled if there's no interest, or if they tell me I cannot keep so many. There's still several vacancies in May and early June mid-week, but the snow may not fully melt by then. **If you know another date that would work for a group of people, let me know it so I can try to make reservations for it.**

Timing

These are potential hiking schedules, based on average times from previous hikes.

Notes for Leaders

• Along some of the trail, there is no cellular signal.
• In the early morning when the Partnach Gorge is closed, it must be bypassed by going up and over. The shortest way is to take the stairs immediately left of the ticket turnstile, cross overhead and continue up the trail. Higher up at the fork, cross the gorge using the bridge to your left. At the next intersection follow the signs to the right towards Kaiserschmarrn Alm, and continue past the Alm and down again. The trail rejoins a before the river fork. This bypass is depicted in the downloadable map and on the Atlas.Bayern map, waypoints 1 thru 4.
• Hikers should check the map and signs at trail junctures to confirm they are headed in the right direction, especially at junctures marked with thick red arrows on the downloadable map. Referencing the Atlas.Bayern map, be careful around waypoint 5 at the river fork, waypoints 6 & 7 along the trail, and upon leaving the Knorrhütte at waypoint 11.
• There are three different trams that terminate at the Top of Zugspitze, providing three different ways to ride back down. The Zugspitze Seilbahn descends to the Eibsee in Germany - take this one for the most direct route to the Zugspitze parkplatz. A one-way ticket down will cost around €45, and the ticket can also be used to take the train from Eibsee into Garmisch. The Gletscherbahn tram descends to Sonnalpin station, where you can catch the Zugspitzebahn Cogwheel train to Eibsee or further to the Garmisch Hauptbahnhof. The Tyrolean Zugspitzbahn tram is only accessible from the Austrian side of the summit building, and it descends into Austria.
• Hikers need to be aware of when the "last tram down" is, so they don't miss it. In the summer the last tram may be at 1730, but off-season it may be at 1630. Also note that all trams and the train close for maintenance several weeks out of the year (usually on weekdays). Schedules are posted to the websites, which as of early 2026 are here and here.
• Overnight parking is available at the Skistadion Parkplatz (prepay using the machine) as well as at the Zugspitze Parkplatz. However, it is recommended to park at the Zugspitze Parkplatz and taxi or bus over to the Skistadion starting point before the hike. Otherwise, at peak traffic times, the commute could add an additional 40-60 minutes by car or potentially more travel time by bus/train to your departure schedule.
• If you must commute from the Zugspitze Partkplatz back to the Skistadion there are multiple options. A taxi all the way to the Skistadion costs around €60, but check google maps because at peak traffic times it's no faster than a bus or train. For €3-€6 per person you can catch the bus from the Eibsee parkplatz bus stop back to the Garmisch-Partenkirchen hauptbahnhof. Depending upon the bus, it may continue directly to the Skistadion. The train is free with your tram ticket, and even if you have to change trains on the way, it will eventually take you here, just east of the hauptbahnhof. Walk north to the pedestrian underpass and cross under the tracks to reach the main hauptbahnhof building and the bus/taxi station. From there you can catch another a bus to the Skistadion for around €3 per person, or or three to five people can share a taxi for around €15.
• In addition to the hut and meal options discussed in the next section, all huts offer some form of food/snack service during daytime hours. Plan to pay with cash. Off-season (outside of summer), the huts are not open, even for meals. The restaurants at the top of the Zugspitze are usually open on days the tram is running.

Notes for Leaders

• Both huts listed above are managed by the German Alpine Club (DAV) with some unique rules. One rule states all boots must be left in a special room - guests must change into slippers or sandals to keep the inside floors clean. Another rule states guests are prohibited from using regular sleeping bags for hygenic reasons. The hut provides blankets and pillows, and asks guests to bring their own sleeping bag liner (without insulation), also called a "hüttenschlafsack". These sell for around €25 in outdoor stores, or ask around someone might have extras to lend.
• Overnight stay at either hut costs €25 to €45 per person depending upon room type, and €45 to €50 per person for half-board which includes dinner and breakfast, so overall around €70 to €95 per person. You select if you want the half-board when you make the reservation. (In 2025 the half-board at Reintalangerhütte was pretty good and the atmosphere nice.)
• Reservations are managed through separate but easy-to-use online reservation systems that usually open beginning in December the previous year, thus many beds get booked far in advance. However, it's free to cancel up until a week before the booking date, (after which cancellation fees begin to rise), so keep checking for vacancies, particular within 7-10 days of your preferred dates. Cancellation policy here.
• To make a reservation online and for any applicable late-cancellation fees, the system accepts credit card. But when you arrive in person at the hut on the day of your booking, they require you to pay the full reservation amount in Euros.
• If you can't make your booking and it's too late to cancel online, call the hut directly to cancel using the number on their website. Otherwise, you will be charged and the hut staff could report you as a no-show, which could trigger an unnecessary search or emergency response.

Webcams

Alpine Safety

The German Alpine Club (DAV) cautions hikers, "The Reintal Valley Route should not be underestimated, as the distance to the next town is very long and you are on the trail in great seclusion," and offers three warnings:

• Beware of foggy conditions above treeline - the trail is not well-marked!
• If you are exhausted at Sonnalpin, do not continue - take the tram instead!
• Beware of snow and slippery spots on the summit flank - hold onto the cables!

Emergency Contacts

The nearest hospital emergency room is at Klinikum Garmisch-Partenkirchen Auenstraße 6, 82467. The hospital telephone number is 08821-770.

Dial 112 for regular emergency assistance. The same number can be used to reach the Bergwacht, Garmisch-Partenkirchen's Mountain Rescue Service responsible for emergency mountain rescue operations in the region. They work closely with helicopter crews to conduct aerial rescues. Dial 116117 in Germany for non-emergency, on-call or after-hours medical assistance.

In Austria, dial 140 for the Austrian Mountain Rescue Service, or 144 for Emergency Medical Assistance. If these numbers do not work, dial 112.

Next, hopefully you, me or someone else will reply to the signal chat and volunteer as leader for the proposed plan. Volunteer leaders (there can be multiple) should meet with me to discuss the plan and provide feedback, and I can answer any other questions that arise.

At around one or two weeks out, once a determination is made on who is still committed to going, the leaders should create a separate signal chat with participants only. The purpose of this group is to coordinate details, such as how they will all get to the parking lot on day 1, what time to meet up, if anyone needs to borrow anything, etc. Barring vacancy or travel limitations, anyone should be able to join up even later by contacting the volunteer leader and asking to be added to the group. By creating a new group, it helps keep the noise in the main chat to a minimum.

I hope these procedures make sense. The goal is to empower others to experience this hike, promote peer-leadership and responsibility-taking.

• There's a gas station on the way that has unique hours, which may influence your travel plans. Ask me for details.
• For additional lodging options closer to the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Skistadion, check out this Airbnb and this fancy hotel. The Partnach Alm may also be an option. More camping and lodging options can be found in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Grainau or other nearby towns.
• The German Alpine Club (DAV)'s advertises the official Zugspitze Tour as a 3-day hike. The first night is spent in the Reintalangerhütte. Hikers climb the Zugspitze on the second day, and then stay the second night in the Knorrhütte. Then on the third day they descend via the Gatterl, into Ehrwald, Austria.
• For anyone interested in ascending Zugspitze from Austria via the Gatterl route, it may be shorter distance, but it's still a serious hike at 9 mi (14.3 km) long and up to 6,400 ft (1,950 ) uphill. Like the Reintal valley route, thru-hikers are better getting started early in the day. Alternatively, if hikers begin at 0800 and take the Ehrwaldbahn gondola up, they may be able to reach Sonnalpin around 1330, and if hiking on, may reach the top of the Zugspitze by around 1500. More information here.
• Occasionally the Austrian tram to Zugspitze opens early or stays open late for special events (assuming you can commute to/from Austria or wherever you left your car). Hikers should confirm the cost and availability of a 1-way ticket on these dates/times, before committing to hiking and reaching the top outside regular hours of operation. See here and here.