Kaltwasserkarspitze

Overview

Some call Kaltwasserkarspitze the “Queen of Karwendel”.

Other call it “Arrogance in stone”.

Well, queens sometimes have to be arrogant.

Standing in the very center of Karwendel, southeast of Birkkarspitze, the highest Karwendel peak and “her king” and west of Rauhkarlspitze, Kaltwasserkarspitze is the most wanted summit for Karwendel peak baggers. Despite of being the 4th highest peak within Karwendel, Kaltwasserkarspitze looks so bold and keen when viewed from the west or east and you think, this is a must-have summit.

The north face drops more than 1300 m down to Kleiner Ahornboden and the summit block shown an immense upsurge which might be the explanation for the marking as “arrogant”.

But every queen has her soft sides, too, even when being arrogant – sorry for that, ladies – and this soft side is the long and huge south ridge down into Hinterautal, a sort of royal train, dividing the Birkkar valleys to the west from Moserkar valley to the east. This south ridge bears the easiest route to Kaltwasserkarspitze.

The arrogant side of the Queen

The soft side of the Queen

Kaltwasserkarspitze belongs to the Hinterautal – Vomper ridge, the main and highest ridge of Karwendel. The first confirmed ascent was by Hermann von Barth on august, 15th, 1870. He used the south ridge route for his successful attempt, despite of a heavy snow storm.



An ascent of Kaltwasserkarspitze is always a very long day. As there is no possibility for an overnight stay (with the exception of an illegal bivvy night) you have to combine hiking with biking to manage this outing as a one day undertaking. The bike route to Kastenalm is about 15 km long, one way! The ascent from Kastenalm to Kaltwasserkarspitze is 1500 m of altitude difference and another 6 km long (south ridge), again one way.

The Queen is not only arrogant, it takes a royal effort to conquer her!

Getting There

The best trailhead for Kaltwasserkarspitze is Scharnitz.

You reach Scharnitz by car:

From Munich via highway A 95 to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and road number B 2 to Mittenwald and to Scharnitz.

From Kufstein, Innsbruck or Arlberg region follow the highway A 12 (Inntal highway, fee required) to the exit Zirl. At Zirl proceed on road number 177 to Seefeld and Scharnitz.

Alternatively follow from Telfs in the Inntal valley the Buchener Straße and on road number L 36 up to Leutasch Gasse. Go on on road number L 75 and 177 to Scharnitz.

Birkkarspitze and Kaltwasserkarspitze

Summit view to Birkkarspitze

The old summit register of the late 80th

At the church near Isar bridge take Hinterautalstraße in southern direction. After the undergrade passing of the railways you reach a huge parking area to your left (fees!). 300 m further on there is another small parking area after the bridge across river Isar to your right.

Scharnitz can be reached with railway, too. See the railway schedule here.

For the unusual north ascent to Kaltwasserkarspitze you have to start at Karwendelhaus (overnight stay).

The Karwendelhaus ascent from Scharnitz uses the long Karwendeltal road up to Hochalmsattel, the col between Birkkarspitze and Östliche Karwendelspitze where the huge mountain hut is located. MTB is nearly a must (otherwise 13 km walk!).

Hinterautal / Gleierschklamm

Hinterautal / Reps summit

Hinterautal in early morning

Karwendelhaus can be reached, too, from

Hinterriß via Johannistal and Kleiner Ahornboden (MTB possible)

Falkenhütte via Kleiner Ahornboden

Hallerangerhaus via Kastenalm, Birkkar, Schlauchkarsattel (long and demanding traverse)

Route Overview

Main Routes Overview

Approach Scharnitz – Kastenalm

This is the bike part of the tour.

Starting at Scharnitz parking areas follow the first paved road across the Isar bridge to Schönwieshof inn. Bike up the steep ascent, no unpaved, to Gleierschhöhe, were the forest road to Amtssäge, Möslalm branches off to the right. Go straight on and descend slightly into Hinterau valley. Follow the good road (number 224) with a moderate grade up to Isar wells and to Kaser hunters cabin.

Kastenalm

Starting point of south ridge route

The forest road goes on to the right to Halleranger Haus.

For the Hochjöchl route leave your bike around Kaser hunters cabin.

For the south ridge route go straight on on another forest road which turns right after some 500 m and left again at the Kastenalm meadows. This rather bad forest road enters then Roßloch. Leave your bike near the confluence with Moserkar valley.


Hochjöchl route

200 m before you reach Kaser hunters cabin / Kastenalm, trail number 225 branches off to the left into Birkkar valley. Ascend on the trail left / east of Birkkarbach until you reach some springs.

Above those springs, at about a height of 1750 m, a barely visible foot track branches off to the right into Östliches Birkkar, above and west of the creek coming out of that valley. Follow this foot track and later on off trail, ascending to Hochjöchl, the lowest point between Birkkarspitze to the west/left and Kaltwasserkarspitze east/right. It is marked as point 2411 m on the Alpenverein map.

Birkkarspitze and point 2552 m as seen from the summit

The chute system (snow) and point 2552 m, the ascent route is the middle chute going up to the south ridge

At the col turn southeast and traverse upward some steep slabs south / below the ridge crest. Follow then the ridge near the ridge crest over steep rocks with some UIAA grade II moves exposed (!!) to point 2552 m (Alpenverein map).

There is a foot track again, ascending southeast below Kaltwasserkarspitze summit block into a system of chutes running down from the south ridge of Sägezähne. Take the leftmost chute for the ascent; this chute ends at the last notch between Kaltwasserkarspitze summit block and Sägezähne, the uppermost rock bumps of the south ridge.

Follow the easy rocks and some foot tracks in the scree up to the summit.


South ridge route

This can be named the normal route to the summit. It is the easiest route and the most frequented – mind: the summit isn´t frequented at all (see the small summit register of 1987; about 2/3 of the register was full in 2016)!

Unbenannter Gipfel, Moserkarspitze, Kühkarlspitze and Sonnenspitzen as seen from the trail of the south ridge route

Kleiner Heissenkopf ( south ridge route; view to Praxmarerkarspitzen (left) and Hoher Gleiersch (right)

Follow the forest road from Kastenalm into Roßloch until the road touches the scree field of the Moserkar creek and the runoff out of Roßloch. Look out for a cairn on the other side of the scree field.

Cross the runoff at the cairn and enter the dwarf pines zones. A trail leads first east then north and starts to climb up a slope called Moserkaregg into woods.

Moserkar view

The K.S. mark at the route junction

Ascent to Kleiner Heissenkopf

Follow this trail, it is the route into Moserkar and the summits Kühkarlspitze, Moserkarspitze, Rauhkarlspitze and Unbenannter Gipfel.

When you leave the woods and reach the dwarf pine zone again the trail levels out at a viewpoint into Moserkar. From there on follow the trail for about 100 m and then look out for some red dots and a barely visible foot track on your left. Turn on this foot track and follow the red dots – after 200 m there is a red “K.S.” on a rock – into the steep east slopes of Kleiner Heissenkopf. After some easy rocks and zigzags the trail starts to become more clearly and distinct. It winds itself up in endless zigzags and then starts to traverse in southern direction along some inclined rock faces up to a level part between Kleiner Heissenkopf and Großer Heissenkopf.

Großer Heissenkopf

Descent marks at Kleiner Heissenkopf - important!!

Around Grosser Heissenkopf

This part, about 2000 m high, is crucial if you are descending this route: There are many red dots and a red arrow marking the beginning of this trail. Follow closely these marks when descending! There were many fatal accidents in this area as the south faces of Kleiner Heissenkopf are near perpendicular and you need to reach the trail to get safely down to the valley ground.

Follow the meadow ridge and then the easy scree and rock ridge up to Großer Heissenkopf, 2435 m and big cairn. The ridge gets more sharp then, follow it over easy rocks into a notch in front of a steep ridge part, which leads easy up to the first of the Sägezähne, several rock bumps within the south ridge to Kaltwasserkarspitze. You reach the first bump over scree, easy rocks and slabs, sometimes left / west of the ridge, sometimes on it. Shortly before you arrive at the first Sägezahn you will have a first view of the still rather distant summit.

Sägezähne

Sägezähne ridge

Sägezähne ridge

Follow the scree and rock ridge in some ups and downs until it drops down steeply to a notch. Leave the ridge there to your right / east, turn south and descend on a ledge until you can turn north again and follow another ledge into the notch. There are some easy grade I moves before you arrive at the notch.

Ascend steeply back to the ridge crest (grade I) and follow the ridge on good and easy slabs until you arrive at a second drop down to the next notch. Go right / east again and follow slabs and some rocks on the east side of the ridge into the notch.

Traverse of Sägezähne, Kaltwasserkarspitze summit in the background

Traverse of Sägezähne

First narrow notch with steep ascent to the next Sägezahn (grade I) after the first eastern bypass

Cross the notch to the left / west side and descend 5 m into the chute, running down from the notch into Östliches Birkkar. Leave the chute immediately in southern direction gaining a very narrow ledge which bypasses the last of Sägezähne. You soon will find some cairns on this bypass which ends at the last notch where the Hochjöchl route gains the south ridge.

You can traverse this last Sägezahl directly on the ridge crest, too; then there are some grade III – moves to master!

Ledge system of the western bypass of the last Sägezahn

Ledge system of the western bypass of the last Sägezahn

Last notch between Sägezähne and Kaltwasserkarspitze

Follow the easy rocks and some foot tracks in the scree up to the summit.



Other routes

Karwendelhaus – Schlauchkar (ascent route to Birkkarspitze), leaving the trail below Schlauchkarkopf, traverse to Hochjöchl, continuing on Hochjöchl route.

This route is difficult as the traverse from Schlauchkarkopf to Hochjöchl is steep, without tracks and there is a 150 m descent from the Birkkarspitze west ridge into Hochjöchl.

Direct north face, grade IV, frail rock

North arête, grade IV+ (1 part) and III, frail rock

Northeast face, grade V-

East face from Rauhkarl, grade II and III, via "Grauer Kamin" (grey chimney), very frail rock

ascent possibility from Kleiner Ahornboden via Sauissköpfl, Westliche Moserkarscharte (grade II) into Rauhkarl; very unusual route, then east face route

Traverse Rauhkarlspitze – east arete, grade III, very frail rock

First eastern bypass with short grade I scramble - south ridge route

On the west bypass of the last Sägezahl (grade I / II), view to the south

Sägezähne as seen from the last ascent to Kaltwasserkarspitze summit

Ski route

(only for very experienced ski mountaineers!)

In springtime with good snow cover and secure avalanche conditions:

From Östliches Birkkar (Hochjöchl route) ascending the west chutes directly up to the south ridge (~50° slope gradient!).

Red Tape & Accommodation

Red Tape

Kaltwasserkarspitze is part of the “Alpenpark Karwendel”, an important and strictly protected national park.

There is no entrance fee for the park but many regulations to follow.

Please respect the following rules in the National Park:

No camping outside campgrounds

No open fire

Don´t leave the trails and routes

No noise, no litter

Don´t disturb animals, no unleashed dogs

Don´t collect plants or parts of plants

There is a National Park Information Center at Scharnitz and Hinterriß.

The parking areas at Scharnitz require a parking fee!

Kaltwasserkarspitze north face as seen from Eng valley

Dangerous snake? Surprise on an early morning ascent

Accommodation

Food and lodging can be found at

Scharnitz

Mittenwald

Leutasch

Camping is not allowed within Alpenpark Karwendel.

Mountain huts

Kastenalm (only drinks)

Karwendelhaus(not for the main ascent routes!!)

"Cairn city" of Hinterautal

Summit view to the west with Zugspitze and Seekarspitze

Gear & Mountain Condition

Kaltwasserkarspitze normally is a summer and early autumn undertaking. It is in both main routes a long and strenuous outing.

There is no overnight possibility for Kaltwasserkarspitze on the two main ascent routes!

First of all you need a bike to go from Scharnitz to Forsthaus Kasten unless you like to walk 15 km one way.

For the two main ascents you need hiking gear, good boots and lots of water. Belaying normally is not possible so you need no rope or belay items. The rock difficulty never exceeds grade II. Mostly its grade I and scrambling.

A helmet, crampons and an ice axe in early summer, especially for the Hochjöchl ascent is recommended.

The few climbing routes require a rope and climbing gear. The rock is frail and the routes are not very frequented.


Current Weather:

Maps & Guide Books

The appearance of the Queen as seen from Marxenkarspitze

Kaltwasserkarspitze (left) and Birkkarspitze as seen from Östliche Karwendelspitze

Maps

Alpenvereinskarte 1 : 25.000
Blatt Nr. 5/2, Mittleres Blatt
Online Shop Deutscher Alpenverein

For the Karwendelhaus ascents you need:

Alpenvereinskarte 1 : 25.000
Blatt Nr. 5/1, Westliches Blatt
Online Shop Deutscher Alpenverein

Bayerische Topographische Karte 1 : 50.000
Karwendel, UK 50/51
Landessamt für Vermessung und Geoinformation, München

Kaltwasserkarspitze and Sägezähne

Lafatscher ridge as seen from Hinterautal/Kastenalm

Guide Books

Walter Klier
Alpenvereinsführer Karwendel alpin
Bergverlag Rother, München

for rock climbing:

Walter Klier
Alpenvereinsführer extrem
Bergverlag Rother, München
(out of stock)

Available only in German

Images

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