Wolfsklamm canyon

Overview

Wolfsklamm is a beautiful and well known canyon on the south slopes of Karwendel ranges and opens into Inntal valley at the village of Stans. Well known means: you will not be alone!

Wolfsklamm marks the end of the Stallenbach valley, which leads up to Lamsenjoch col and the Lamsenjochhütte, famous and equally well known alpine club hut of Karwendel. Due to some topographic obstacles of Stallenbach valley, Wolfsklamm can not be included into an ascent to the hut – sadly enough.

Nevertheless on a hot summer day, as it was when I explored this canyon and its round trips, Wolfsklamm is a great half days outing on the southern rim of Karwendel.

To the north are standing the summits of Stanser Joch and Ochsenkopf. To the south Wolfsklamm is bordered by the Vomper Kette ridge which starts at the village of Stans and goes up to Hochnisslspitze.

A hike through Wolfsklamm leads you up to a lonely and remote monastery, the Sankt Georgenberg, founded in the 10^th century by benedictine monks. It always was a very small monastery, due to the remote and exposed place (its called the rock monastery of Karwendel) and due to the difficult supply situation. Nevertheless the monastery shared the changes of Inntal valley history and was burned down several times. The today church is a beautiful baroque one with a tower dating back to the late gothic period. A monastery inn adds to the pleasures of this place.

The shortest route to this monastery always was the Wolfsklamm. So in the early times after the foundation, monks built the first trail through the canyon; the foundation for the actual route.

Getting There

Trailhead for Wolfsklamm is the village of Stans.

There are two parking areas:

• “Parkplatz Wolfsklamm” at the entrance of the canyon. This parking area is a small one and you have to pay. Take the road “Oberdorf” to reach this place.
• Parking area “Sportplatz Stans”, at “Sportplatzweg” road. No fee.

You reach these parking areas on highway A 12 (toll road) from Munich, Kufstein or Innsbruck direction. Leave at exit “Schwaz” and follow the signposts to Stans.

• Go right on Sportplatzweg at the entrance of the village to reach the cost free parking area.
• Go to the center of the village and turn left on “Oberdorf” road to reach the “Wolfsklamm Parkplatz” (signposts).

Public transportation

The next railway station is at Schwaz.

Take bus 601 or 655 to busstop “Stans Schwimmbad”. Walk into the village center and turn right on the road "Oberdorf" until you reach the trailhead.

Red Tape & Accommodation

No Red Tape

Wolfsklamm has, like the “Wolfsklamm Parkplatz”, an entrance fee.

The monastery Sankt Georgenberg lies within 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 of the National Park:

Accommodation

Stans

Schwaz

Routes

Trailhead is parking area “Wolfsklamm Parkplatz”.

To reach the trailhead from the cost free parking area “Sportplatz Stans”

• go along the tennis courts, go through an opening in the sport area buildings and gain the village road “Am Rain” by ascending shortly on a trail. There are signposts for “Wolfsklamm”,
• follow “Am Rain” to the village center, go left onto the “Oberdorf” road until you reach the trailhead.

Follow the now closed road until you reach a fee station for the entrance fee.

Some paces after the fee station the road ends and the Wolfsklamm trail starts. The first part leads through woods above the Stallenbach creek. The valley gets more narrow and after a while the rock part of the canyon starts. The trail leads through this part of the canyon on very exposed bridges and staircase – like construction and soon gains hight.

After a huge waterfall the trail leads through a rock tunnel and ends at a log dam across the creek. There is the bathing spot of the Stallenbach valley, a beautiful place for a cool rest.

Above the bathing spot you reach a forest road. Follow the road up to the already visible monastery. It sits spectacular on a huge rock in the middle of the even more spectacular Karwendel summit surroundings. On the last part of the ascent to the monastery you cross a beautiful wooden bridge, the so called “Hohe Brücke, which was erected without metal parts.

Some steps above the monastery is a church of gothic stile, the “Lindenkirche” with rests of frescoes, dating back to the gothic.

For a round trip go back across Hohe Brücke to the first swithback of the forest road. Turn left there on another forest road and after some steps turn right on a trail.

Follow this trail above Stans and the Inntal valley until a trail branches off to the right, signposted “Maria Tax”. This is another small church, belonging to the monastery. From Maria Tax a trail leads down to Stans and to the two parking areas.

For a very long outing you can stay left after the above mentioned switchback and follow the forest road up to Stanser Joch. As this is a full and long southern ascent avoid summer months!

Gear & Weather Condition

Normal hiking gear is sufficient.

Easy hike, well secured, in some parts slippery.

Weather Stans: