Zugspitze - Jubiläumsgrat

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Zugspitze
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- Jubiläumsgrat
Zugspitze - Jubiläumsgrat

Page Type:	Album
Image Type(s):	Alpine Climbing

Preface - A 2010 retrospect

The plan

In december 2007 we planed to climb the Jubiläumsgrat Ridge of the Zugspitze, a classic but demanding winter climb in the german Wetterstein Range.
Our fitness was good - at least we thought so -, our technical abilities were better than the climb was demanding and the weather pretty stable. The only problem we had was the heavy snow fall some days before the intended weekend, but we hoped the snow would settle or be blown away by the time we arrive at the Zugspitze. This was actually not the case...

Together with István and his two friends, who we met at the beginning of the climb, we've experienced our longest and most tricky tour by then.
We've spent 19.5 hours from the Zugspitze to the bivy hut and another 16 hours from the bivy to the Osterfelderkopf station, climbing in total 35 hours with 4 hours of sleep in between.
It was not only the snow, which caused troubles - mainly it was the lack of experience, too heavy baggage, overprotection, insufficient fitness - all of this mixed with high ambitions.

I don't regret this tour - but it tought me several principles of mountaineering and allowed me to recognize how far endurance and volition can last, and also its limits.

Thank you István for your ideas.

Some advices

• Go fast & light. Leave tent, thermal mat & sleeping bag at home, take a bivy bag - head for the bivy hut - until then, climb on.
• Don't try to protect every steep part of this climb, this is unnecessary and takes time.
• If there's too much powder, head home or brace yourself for two or more long days.
• We took our via ferrata sets for a walk only - the via ferrata is either snowed in or easy terrain.
• Don't even think about descending to the valley across the flanks (cliffs!) - several have tried, nobody reached the deck alive.

Dec 18 2007 - The Approach

Zugspitz massif

Camp at Eibsee

Dec 19 2007 - Zugspitze to bivouac

Eibseebahn cable car	Münchener Haus	Zugspitzplatt ski slopes	Jubiläumsgrat
Zugspitze summit	Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Start of the climb	At the Zugspitze summit		First meters
	"Only for trained individuals"	The ridge
Peter	István	Daniel	Höllentalspitzen
	Easy climbing		Up & downs
Belaying	Innere Höllentalspitze	Slipping along the ridge	Exposed traverse
Yet another step

Dec 20 2007 - Bivouac to Osterfelderkopf

Images

View Zugspitze - Jubiläumsgrat Image Gallery - 58 Images

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Cooking at the Grathütterl	Mittlere Höllentalspitze	Panorama	Bivy hut
Our hut book entry	We continue...		Descending towards Vollkarspitze
	CS	Vollkarspitze west face	Via ferrata
	Resting	Our party	Sundown
The valley	Kirchtürme	Lights of Garmisch-Partenkirchen	Last rays of sun
"Official end"	Climbing through the night	Couloir back to the ridge	Alpspitze summit
Osterfelderkopf	Alpspitze north face	CS and me