Jubiläumsgrat RIDGE-MASSIF : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost

Overview

The Jubiläumsgrat is a very imposant, long and exposed ridge with a length of more than 6 km. It combines the Zugspitze (2962m) and the Alpspitze (2620m). Although in summary, the ridge goes down from the Zugspitze to the Alpspitze, in between the ascents and descents change continously. Therefore in the direction from the Zugspitze to the Alpspitze, you go up more than 500 hm and down more than 800 hm. You pass many different mountain summits: Innere Höllentalspitze (2737m), Mittlere Höllentalspitze (2740m), Äußere Höllentalspitze (2716m), Vollkarspitze (2630m). Between the Mittlere and the Äußere Höllentalspitze (about in the middle of the ridge) is a bivouac hut (Höllentalgrathütte, 2684m) with 4 beds (but not really with blankets). In the direction from the Zugspitze, you follow simply the ridge all the time. You have to leave it finally after having passed the Vollkarspitze with NE-direction to the Griesskarsscharte (2465m). It is a traverse from the ridge from the Vollkarspitze to the ridge which leads to the Alpspitze. From this point it goes up again to the Alpspitze always just on the ridge.

The Jubiläumsgrat is not really a climbing track although it has some ladders, bolts and fixed ropes. But you should be able to climb exposed passages without any aid. Especially in winter you need high alpine experiences in order to climb this ridge. You can compare the difficulty with ridges of II (without aid). After some rockfalls near the Vollkarspitze, the difficulty of one passage over there has been estimated to be IV to V (without fixed ropes).

In sommer, the Jubiläumsgrat is climbed frequently. But during winter, only a few persons go this ridge. Then it could happen, that you are alone on the ridge.

Getting there

If you start from the Zugspitze, you can get to this starting point in sommer through the Höllentalklamm or by different cable cars, in winter best by the cable car from the Eibsee (Eibseeseilbahn). To the Eibsee, you get by bus or car from Grainau. You get to Grainau by bus or car from Garmisch-Partenkirchen in a few minutes. You take the little road which goes from Garmisch in western direction.

If you start from the Alpspitze, you can get there from Garmisch by bus, stop at the ground station of the Osterfelder Bahn (Alpspitzbahn) or the Kreuzeckbahn. In summer, you can go on foot to the Osterfelder Kopf or take one of the cable cars. In winter, the only possible way to reach the Alpspitze without ski or snowshoes is the Alpspitz Ferrata from the Osterfelder Kopf (final station of the Alpspitzbahn). Take care in winter: the ski-run from the Osterfelder Kopf down to the Hochalm is officially closed for pedestrians! And there is no other way between the Hochalm and the Osterfelder Kopf in winter except this ski-run. So you must take the Osterfelder Bahn.

You reach Garmisch-Partenkirchen with train or car from Munich on the A95 till about Eschenlohe. Then you continue on a road a few kilometers till Garmisch. From Innsbruck in the South, you go also by train or by car on the road no. 177 via Mittenwald to Garmisch.

Red tape

Normally, the Jubiläumsgrat is kind of closed during winter. At least the gate from the cable car station to the Jubiläumsgrat is closed. But nobody really cares about this. You can climb over this closed gate.

But any way between the Osterfelder Kopf and the Hochalm on foot is definitely officially closed. And it could be that people care about this ban.