Sulzleklammspitze

Overview

The western end of Karwendel ranges is a huge and massive ridge which runs north - south and rises about 1400 m above Mittenwald valley. As this valley opens at its northern end to a broad mountain basin, this eastern Karwendel ridge, starting with Wörner summit in the north and ending at Brunnensteinspitze / Rotwandlspitze high above Scharnitz / Austria, is an impressive sight.

Sulzleklammspitze is one of the not so prominent summits within this ridge, nevertheless this peak is an impressive rock tower when viewed from the north. To the south and east there are very steep meadows between rocksteps and rockfaces, bearing an interesting mountain flora during spring and summer times.

What makes Sulzleklammspitze an interesting and often visited summit is Mittenwalder Höhenweg, an airy and sometimes exposed but not very difficult via ferrata, traversing Sulzleklammspitze and the northern neighbouring summits Nördliche, Mittlere and Südliche Linderspitze.

Mittenwalder Höhenweg ends (or starts, as you like it) at the saddle north of Brunnensteinspitze / Rotwandlspitze which is called Brunnensteinanger (Anger means alpine meadow).

The easy accessibility of Mittenwalder Höhenweg is guaranteed by Karwendelbahn cableway, making its way from Mittenwald up to Karwendelmulde, a little cirque below Westliche Karwendelspitze (a summit which can easily be bagged with Mittenwalder Höhenweg) and Nördliche Linderspitze, the starting point of the via ferrata. The true mountaineer will start from the valley ground. Thus Mittenwalder Höhenweg is a long tour which tests you stamina: with Westliche Karwendelspitze you will have about 1900 meters of altitude difference to overcome.

My advice: if you plan to summit Sulzleklammspitze / Mittenwalder Höhenweg from the valley ground, start early and do the traverse south to north: you avoid the masses of people starting the via ferrata at the Karwendelbahn summit station. You will meet them at Sulzleklammspitze where you take your well deserved break. Go on when the first clutter and confusion is over. From Westliche Karwendelspitze walk down to Mittenwalder Hütte or via Dammkar to Dammkarhütte for a cool beer - thus you will have a great day without queuing up in front of the iron ladders.

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 .

Routes Overview

Sulzleklammspitze 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)

Sulzleklammspitze south ascent

Sulzleklammspitze north face - via ferrata

Sulzleklammspitze north face - via ferrata

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 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 three Linderspitzen summits using Mittenwalder Höhenweg, descend to Gamsangerl and climb Sulzleklammspitze following Mittenwalder Höhenweg. Nördliche Linderspitze can be bypassed on Heinrich Noe trail, starting above the mountain station and traversing the southeast slopes of Nördliche 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.

Spring Enzian on top of Sulzleklammspitze

Viola biflora, seen on top of Sulzleklammspitze

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.

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 to Gamsangerl and to the summit.

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

Red Tape & Accommodation

Red Tape
Sulzleklammspitze 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

Sulzleklammspitze is normally accessible in late spring through summer and autumn until the first heavy snowfalls by using Mittenwalder Höhenweg. This 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 of Sulzleklammspitze thus making the approach more difficult. Crampons and an ice axe can be advisable in these times of the year.

Brunnensteinspitze as seen from Sulzleklammspitze south ascent

Brunnensteinanger

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 Books

Map

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

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

Images

View Sulzleklammspitze Image Gallery - 14 Images