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Alpine Climbing
· Berchtesgaden Alps
Watzmann East Face - THE Eastern Alps classic on the Berchtesgaden route
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Watzmann east face - overview image with routePhoto: Stefan Stadler, DAV Section Teisendorf
Of course, the Berchtesgaden route through the Watzmann East Face to the South Peak (2,712 m), rated as difficulty grade 3, is a climbing route, yet the character of large parts of the route is not comparable to a typical climbing route. It is dominated by hours of climbing at grades 1 and 2 interrupted repeatedly by walking sections. Due to the actual climbing length of about 3,000 m, only short sections can be secured to complete the route in a reasonable time. So most of the route must be climbed without a rope!
Watzmann! For centuries, countless stories and legends have been told about this mountain. In recent history, Wolfgang Ambros brilliantly portrayed the myth with the musical Watzmann. Every mountaineer must have stood on this mountain at least once in their life! Climbers choose the Berchtesgaden route through the very famous and historically significant East Face, which is also the highest wall of the Eastern Alps!
More beautiful climbing routes on the most famous mountains of the Eastern Alps can be found in the book and picture volume: Classics - 50 climbing routes.
Author’s recommendation
It is recommended to make the scenic unique crossing on the Königssee by boat the day before the tour, which is the jewel of the Berchtesgaden National Park. You then spend the night at the East Face Hut (self-catering hut – key at the inn), which is about 300 m behind the inn, and spend a quiet evening in St. Bartholomä. Only very fit climbers are recommended to take the first boat to St. Bartholomä on the day of the tour.
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Track types
Rest stops
St. BartholomäWatzmannhaus
Safety information
Unfortunately, many accidents occur in this wall. The majority are caused by climbing mistakes. There are trail tracks all over the wall, so those who climb wrong notice it much too late. So, if you are not completely sure, look at the topo three times and read the route description!
Tips and suggestions
Tourist info Schönau ; Königssee boat trip ; Inn St Bartholomä ; Berchtesgaden National Park ; Latest from the author on Facebook
Roadbook
Approach: We start from St. Bartholomä on the marked path to the Ice Chapel and stay south (left) of the stream on the moraine until the memorial plaque.
Route: You continue ascending over scree and then, left of a prominent gorge, enter a gully. In the gully, ascend a bit and then carefully look for a faintly visible marker where you leave the gully to the right onto a grassy ramp. Follow a clearly visible trail in switchbacks upwards, carefully passing a ledge on a mostly wet slab. Keeping south (right), you reach the scree cirque. This is a good spot to get an overview of the further route. Cross almost level over the scree cirque and the stream, then ascend briefly through rocks on the far side (keeping right) to a vegetated rise. Now continue left on a system of slabby ramps and bands (between the 1st and 2nd spur) to the start of the waterfall wall (belay station on a pedestal). Climb the waterfall wall in three rope lengths and after this do not miss the branch to the right into a chimney-like ramp! At a small saddle, leave the steep rock faces to the right to reach a bivouac cave over relatively exposed slabs and then a section rated 3. Then continue again on easier terrain (partly very flat, keeping right) to an old snowfield below the summit gully (last water source). Now, not in the stonefall-dangerous summit gully (the summit gully has nothing to do with the summit), but far right on a trail easily to a ledge. Follow this until you cross near the prominent drops not too high on a ramp. Ascend a water-polished gully and immediately leave the stonefall-dangerous area again to the right, reaching the Drabenstein slab. Then, again away from the wall (right) on a clear trail upwards until finally reaching the bivouac hut over a saddle. After this, 70 meters on scree and then left into a brittle gully. In easy climbing to the right to the next higher band. Again, look carefully to find the start (piton) into the exit chimneys. Now follow a logical route and nice climbing to a small peak (attention many loose stones) from where the final wall is well visible. Climb the key section and over easy terrain reach keeping right the ridge and in a few minutes go on to the Watzmann South Peak. Berg Heil!
Descent: For the descent, one can either add the Watzmann crossing and climb over the Middle Peak and Hocheck to the Watzmannhaus (3-4 hours). Then the descent continues via Kühroint and leads back directly to the car at Königssee. Alternatively, you can go via Schönfeld ridge into the Wimbachgrieß and then out to the Wimbach bridge. This route quickly leads into easier terrain and reaches water at about 1,850 m at the Goldbründl and below in the Grieß the Wimbachgrießhütte. At the Wimbach bridge, you either have a second car parked or take the bus (check bus schedule for the last departure!) back to Königssee.
Watzmann-Ostwand-Biwak
Watzmann Südspitze (2.712 m)
Watzmannhaus
Kührointalm
Public transport
Public-transport-friendly
You take the railway line Munich-Salzburg (or the S-Bahn line S3 from Salzburg) to Freilassing and from there with the regional train (or also the S3) to Berchtesgaden. Directly at the station is the central bus station from where you take the bus no. 841 to Königssee. (bus hourly)
Directions
We leave the Tauern motorway A10 at the Salzburg South junction and follow the signs to Berchtesgaden (B160, B305) to the large roundabout at the station. Coming from the west, it is better to leave the A8 Munich-Salzburg at the Bad Reichenhall exit and drive via Bad Reichenhall and Bischofswiesen to Berchtesgaden (no motorway vignette required for Austria). From the roundabout continue towards Königssee and after about 5 km reach the very large parking lot.
Parking
The tourist parking lot costs 6 EUR/day (status 2022).
Coordinates
Book recommendation by the author
For the Watzmann East Face, there is a dedicated small guide by Franz Rasp published by Rother Verlag; Alpine Club guide Berchtesgaden Alps Alpin by Bernhard Kühnhauser www.dav-shop.de
Author’s map recommendations
Alpine Club map BY 21 National Park Berchtesgaden 1:25000 www.dav-shop.de
Book recommendations for this region:
Recommended maps for this region:
Equipment
Climbing gear with 50 m rope and 3 quickdraws, well-fitting yet still comfortable approach shoes are probably the best compromise for this route; a helmet goes without saying for every climb!
Localization
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
User Questions