At 2,749 m, the Birkkarspitze is the highest mountain in the Karwendel Mountains in Austria. From the Karwendelhaus, the airy Brendelsteig hike connects this peak with the three Ödkarspitzen.
There's nothing like spontaneity: the sun is shining, the conditions are perfect and my buddy Thomas has time to go hiking...
... because unlike Hermann von Barth, the first climber of the Birkkaspitze, I like hiking with friends.
Hermann von Barth loved to climb alone - on July 6, 1870, he stood alone on the highest peak of the Karwendel. In the same summer, he would climb 87 more peaks of this mountain range.
The hike over Brendelsteig to the Birkkarspitze in the Karwendel Mountains in Austria is not yet overcrowded
More than 150 years later, the mountains here are fortunately still not overcrowded. Perhaps this is because the mountain range does not attract visitors with big names that belong in every mountaineer's tour book. Extreme climber and mountain photographer Heinz Zak, who lives close by in Scharnitz, says: "The crossing on the Brendelsteig offers experienced mountaineers a rustic Karwendel adventure of the highest class ." Rustic because comparatively few hikers choose the narrow ridge over the three mighty Ödkarspitzen (west 2711 m, middle 2743 m, east summit 2739 m) to climb the Birkkarspitze. Whether alone or with friends …
Every hiker is rewarded with a first-class mountain panorama:
Rock windows provide an impressive view of the steep Schlauchkar and the high mountains all around. The safety measures are also rustic: outdated, thin and sometimes poorly anchored wire rope sections serve more as orientation than as safety and make the circuit from the Karwendelhaus a very demanding tour that should only be attempted by mountaineers who are not afraid of heights and have surefootedness - and only in safe weather conditions.
Key facts about the hike over Brendelsteig to the Birkkarspitze, the highest mountain in the Karwendel Mountains/Austria
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Walking time : 11 hours
Altitude : 2,060 m up and down
Length : 45.2 km
Accessible by public transport? Yes. From Munich by train via Garmisch-Partenkirchen to Scharnitz. From there you cycle up to the Karwendelhaus, the starting point of the hike.
Directions: From Munich via Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald to Scharnitz.
GPS data: I have uploaded the GPS data for the hike to the Outdoor Active website
Starting and ending point: Parking at the Information Center Scharnitz
Safety note: Marked, only partially secured with a (often poorly attached) wire. Should only be done in good weather and when the trail is free of snow. Sure-footedness, a head for heights and climbing skills are required. The wire ropes at the secured points are in poor condition . In some cases they are no longer properly attached and the wires stick out from the rope. Gloves protect against injuries here.
Equipment: Hiking boots, hiking poles, helmet can be useful for the Schlauchkar, sufficient water, warm location
Further information and links:
Seefeld High Plateau Tourist Board, Bahnhofplatz 115, A-6100 Seefeld, Tel. +43 50880, seefeld.com
Mountain guide: Bergschule Karwendel, Im Gries 16 82481 Mittenwald, Tel. +49 172 83 93 220, bergschule-karwendel.de
Huts: Karwendelhaus, 1778 m, open from early June to mid-October, Tel. +43 720 983554 karwendelhaus.com
My tip: If you want to take it a little easier, drive up to the beautifully situated Karwendelhaus the evening before and spend the night there. It's best to book in good time.
Approximate walking times:
Can be done as a bike & hike combination in one day (especially with e-bike).
Parking lot at the Scharnitz Information Centre - Karwendelhaus 3 hours, - by (traditional) bike
Karwendelhaus- Western Ödkarspitze 3 hours,
Western Ödkarspitze - Birkkarhütte 1:30 hrs.
Birkkarhütte - Birkkarspitze 0:30 hrs.
Birkkarspitze - Karwendelhaus 1:30 hrs.,
Karwendelhaus - car park at the Scharnitz information centre 1:30 hours
Click on the first picture to start the photo gallery
