Nördliche, Mittlere, Südliche Linderspitze

Overview

Karwendel ranges look like an unconquerable fortress when viewed from the west. The rockfaces from Wörner summit, the huge sentinel at the northern edge of Karwendel to Brunnensteinspitze above Scharnitz rise about 1400 meters above Mittenwald valley ground and seem impenetrable. Some of the pinnacles of this stronghold are the three peaks of Linderspitzen which are named, due to their geographical position, Nördliche(2372 m), Mittlere (2339 m) and Südliche Linderspitze (2305 m). Mittlere Linderspitze is the least prominent, though not the lowest of these three sisters and even not named in the Karwendel Alpine Club guide book.

Located between Sulzleklammspitze to the south and Westliche Karwendelspitze to the north, Linderspitzen are often visited due to two main factors:

first the famous and not very difficult but delightful via ferrata, Mittenwalder Höhenweg, traverses them all and

second Nördliche Linderspitze is some easy 20 walking minutes away from Karwendelbahn cableway summit station.

You can imagine the crowds of people up there.



This cableway is the gateway for Mittenwalder Höhenweg and for those who don´t want to take the long and stamina - demanding routes from the valley ground. From valley ground to valley ground, Mittenwalder Höhenweg with all three of Linderspitzen is an 1800 meter tour and with Westliche Karwendelspitze you will have about 1900 meters of altitude difference to overcome.

Nördliche Linderspitze and Südliche Linderspitze both have meadow ridges up to their summits, the first on the north side, the latter on its south side. The connecting ridges of the three summits are high, airy, sometimes narrow and quite exposed. Without the iron ladders and fixed ropes of the via ferrata this would be UIAA grade III in parts. Südliche and Mittlere Linderspitze are framed by two meadow cols: Gamsanger to the south with a wooden emergency shack and “Am Gatterl” to the north, a broad col which separates Nördliche from Mittlere Linderspitze. Thus the traverse is a diversified and never a boring one: simple mountain trails alternate with secured climbing sections and the views are great, wide and deep.

As a comfort and an extra plus it may be added that around Linderspitzen, Mittenwalder Höhenweg and the adjacent summits there are a lot of welcoming mountain huts for a good break and some cool beer: Mittenwalder Hütte high above Mittenwald, Dammkarhütte in the middle of wild Dammkar below towering Viererspitze and Brunnsteinhütte south of Mittenwald.

Getting There

You reach Mittenwald or Scharnitz

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 or pass the frontier behind Scharnitz and go on on road number number B 2 to Mittenwald trailheads.

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 14 to the frontier and to Mittenwald. Alternatively follow L 75 and 177 to Scharnitz.

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

Trailheads & Routes Overview

Linderspitzen normal route is Mittenwalder Höhenweg - the via ferrata traverses the summit.

Valley ground trailheads are:

Mittenwald barracks - hiker parking area: leave road number B 2 at the exit north of Mittelwald and follow road number St2042 to the junction with the barracks access road. Turn left there and proceed on this road between the barracks until you passed the underground crossing of road number B 2. The parking area is on the right.

Mittenwald Karwendelbahn - cableway valley station: proceed on road number B 2 to the exit “Mittenwald Karwendelbahn” and follow the signposts to the cableway parking.

Mittenwald - hiker parking area at the southern end of Innsbrucker Straße: Exit road number B 2 south of Mittenwald and immediately turn left to reach the parking area. There is a second entrance to the parking directly from B 2 some 100 m south od the exit.

Another trailhead is at the Karwendelbahn mountain station.

Scharnitz, Karwendel valley parking area: Leave road number 177 at Goldener Adler inn at the center of Scharnitz and proceed on Hinteraustraße to the huge parking area (fee required) left of the road.

Larchetalm - Karwendel valley - to be reached from Scharnitz Karwendel valley parking area on the forest road into Karwendeltal (walking or biking)

Traverse from Mittlere to Nördliche Linderspitze

Ladder leading to Mittlere Linderspitze

Traversing Nördliche Linderspitze

Main trails and routes

From Mittenwald barracks or Mittenwald Karwendelbahn follow the signposts to Dammkarhütte and ascend on the Dammkar trail to Obere Dammkarscharte (col). Traverse Westliche Karwendelspitze west slopes to Karwendelbahn mountain station.

From Mittenwald Karwendelbahn valley station ascend the trail to Mittenwalder Hütte and to the mountain station.

From Karwendelbahn mountain station ascend to Nördliche Linderspitze. Traverse the north summit, go on on the ridge crest and descend to the col “Am Gatterl”. You reach this col, too, by using Heinrich Noe trail on the southeast side of Nördliche Linderspitze, thus bypassing this summit. From “Am Gatterl” some iron ladders lead back to the ridge crest and to Mittlere and Südliche Linderspitze.

From Mittenwald - Inntalstraße follow the signposts to Brunnsteinhaus and to the Brunnensteinanger. Brunnensteinspitze / Rotwandlspitze can be easily summited as an encore. At the col follow Mittenwalder Höhenweg to the not prominent Kirchlespitze and on the ridge crest in some ups and downs to Sulzleklammspitze. Descend to Gamsanger and ascend again to traverse the three Linderspitzen

Brunnsteinanger can be reached, too, from Scharnitz via the south ridge trail to Brunnsteinspitze and the short descent to this beautiful mountain meadow or directly from Pürzelkapelle near Scharnitz and the trail leading directly up to Brunnensteinanger. Follow Mittenwalder Höhenweg to Sulzleklammspitze, Gamsangerl and the three Linderspitzen.

Alternatively follow Heinrich Noe trail, starting at Brunnsteinhaus to “Am Gatterl”, the col between Nördliche and Mittlere Linderspitze. Turn south at the col and follow Mittenwalder Höhenweg, traversing Mittlere and Südliche Linderspitze or turn north to climb Nördliche Linderspitze.

From a point about 800 m southwest of Larchetalm where Kirchlbach meets Karwendelbach, there is an unmarked and narrow foot trail up to Gamsangerl - sometimes this route may be off trail. It can be used as an emergency descent in case of bad weather. From Gamsangerl proceed on Mittenwalder Höhenweg to the Linderspitzen peaks.

The western arête of Südliche Linderspitze (UIAA grade II to III- in parts) is accessible directly from Heinrich Noe trail.

Red Tape & Accommodation

Red Tape
Linderspitzen and the whole of Mittenwalder Höhenweg 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.

Camping is forbidden within the parks boundaries.



Accommodation of all kind can be found at:
Leutasch
Seefeld
Scharnitz
Mittenwald
Garmisch-Partenkirchen

The following mountain huts offer food and lodging:
Dammkarhütte (private hut)
Mittenwalder Hütte
Brunnsteinhütte
Tiroler Hütte on the top of Rotwandlspitze (only food)
Larchetalm (private hut)
Shortly southwest of Gamsangerl col there is an emergency shelter shack below an overhanging cliff.

Gear & Mountain Condition

Linderspitzen are normally accessible in late spring through summer and autumn until the first heavy snowfalls by using Mittenwalder Höhenweg or Heinrich Noe Weg. The via ferrata is not very difficult, beginners, however, should use full via ferrata gear.

In spring and early summer snow is lingering on the northeast slopes and in the cols of Linderspitzen thus making the approach more difficult. Crampons and an ice axe can be advisable in these times of the year.
Mittenwalder Höhenweg can be a winter adventure for the experienced, too. Please remind that this is a difficult undertaking and that the fixed ropes and iron ladders are not maintained during winter times.

Current Weather:

Map & Guide Book

Guide Books

Heinrich Klier, Fritz März, und Walter Klier
Karwendelgebirge. Alpenvereinsführer alpin: Ein Führer für Täler, Hütten und Berge. Verfaßt nach den Richtlinien der UIAA
Bergverlag Rother
2005

Bernd Eberle, Peter Mair, Mike Rutter, und Ralf Sussmann
Kletterführer Karwendel: Alpine Ziele & Klettergärten incl. Martinswand
Panico Alpinverlag
1. june 2004

Linderspitzen

Buttercup species on the summit meadows of Südliche Linderspitze

Map

Alpenvereinskarte
Karwendelgebirge, West
Scale 1 : 25.000
Deutscher Alpenverein, 2005

Images

View Nördliche, Mittlere, Südliche Linderspitze Image Gallery - 11 Images