Overview
Zwiesel as seen from Hochstaufen - Zwiesel traverse
Zwiesel is a three peak ridge between the southeast Bavarian alpine foreland to the north and the valley of Bad Reichenhall to the southeast.
Immediate neighbour of the nearly equally high
Hochstaufen, the three Zwiesel summits, belonging to the easternnmost subrange of
Chiemgau Alps (Staufen subrange), see less visitors than the more popular Hochstaufen. Maybe that is due to the wellknown
Pidinger Klettersteig, a difficult via ferrata from Piding to Hochstaufen summit. Maybe that is because of
Reichenhaller Haus below the summit of Hochstaufen, offering great views and Weißbier on the sunny southern terrace.
On the Zwiesel summits however you will find more solitude, nice meadows for a nap and equally good views to the south, west and east. And there is
Zwieselalm on the south slopes of the mountain waiting with food and lodging, if needed.
Showing a more rugged and rocky appearance to the north and, when viewed from the west or east a sharp and peaked outline, Zwiesel is a broad and comfortable looking ridge to the south.
Zwiesel, sometimes named
Hinterstaufen, consists of three summits:
Impressive Zwiesel (left) and Hochstaufen (right) as seen from Salzburg (thanks to MauriceRavel)
All three summits can be traversed easily using a connecting trail which runs east – west over the dwarf pine overgrown ridge.
There are five main hiking routes to Zwiesel summits and two winter / spring ski routes. Besides that Zwiesel is the starting or ending point of the Hochstaufen – Zwiesel traverse and part of the
E 4 / Maximiliansweg, one of the European long distance hiking trails.
Getting There
Zennokopf and Zwiesel
Main trailheads for Zwiesel peaks are:
For
Bad Reichenhall / Gasthof List trailhead use
highway A 8 from Munich or Austrian
highway (toll road) A 1 to the exit Piding / Bad Reichenhall
Follow the
road number 20 to Bad Reichenhall. Leave the road to cross the river Saalach at the signposts to Schneizlreuth, Karlstein,
Nonn.
Immediately after the bridge turn right at the traffic light and follow the
road to Nonn. Where the road turns to western direction go straight on until the road ends at
Gasthof List with a parking area for guests of the inn and for hikers, too.
For
Adlgaß trailhead leave the
highway A 8, München – Salzburg – at the exit Traunstein / Siegsdorf and follow the
road number 306 to Inzell.
From Bad Reichenhall follow
road number St2101 and
305 to Inzell.
At Inzell follow the local roads to the east, passing Würau, Eck and arriving at the parking area of Adlgaß.
For
Weißbach or Jochberg trailheads go on
road 305 to Weißbach. The Weißbach trailhead is at the western end of the village.
Alternatively follow the
Jochbergstraße at Weißbach to the little village of Jochberg and to a parking area at the end of that road.
Normal Routes Overview
Normal Routes Overview | Zwiesel as seen from southeast |
There are five main routes leading up to the summit ridge.
Zwiesel as seen from Hochstaufen - Zwiesel traverse | Ascent to Zennokopf | Zwiesel and Zennokopf as seen from northeast |
Red Tape & Accommodation
Gamsknogel and the meadows of Zennokopf
There is no red tape as far as I know.
All types of accommodation can be found at
Mountain huts and inns
Gear, Mountain Condition & Maps
Soldanella alpina is abundant on the south slopes of Zwiesel in springtime
Zwiesel is an
all season mountain. Winter / spring ski routes are not very frequented because Berchtesgaden Alps offer more demanding and interesting ski routes.
The
traverse Hochstaufen – Zwiesel is normally open in april / may until the first heavy snowfalls.
The hiking routes require full hiking gear, good shoes and – as to Hochstaufen – Zwiesel traverse route – some rock scrambling experiences (UIAA grade I, mainly secured with fixed ropes).
The ski routes require full ski hiking gear and avalanche gear.
Check the
Bavarian avalanche bulletin here.
The following
maps can be recommended:
Alpenvereinskarte Bayerische Alpen
Scale 1 : 25.000
Number BY 19, Chiemgauer Alpen Ost, Sonntagshorn
Kompass Wanderkarte
Scale 1 : 50.000
Number WK 14 Berchtesgadener Land-Chiemgauer Alpen ISBN: 3-85491-017-7
Current Weather:
Check the
weather forecast here.
SzaniUherkovich - Aug 31, 2012 4:32 am - Voted 10/10
Correct Height?Isn't Zwiesel 1782 m high? In the header of the page I see 1758 m. Cheers, Szani
selinunte01 - Aug 31, 2012 6:47 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Correct Height?You´re right, I mixed it with Zennokopf height! Thanks.