Sonnenspitze crossing

From Kochel station, turn right into Bahnhofstraße. Follow the federal road through the town. After a pronounced left curve, Kalmbachstraße soon branches off to the left. Follow it briefly and at the first opportunity turn right into Alte Straße. This initially leads out of the town but later reaches built-up areas again. There, the street Am Sonnenstein continues half-left, leading to the forest edge above the Laingraben. At the end of the settlement, you reach a crossing forestry road. Turn left onto it and shortly afterwards cross the Laingraben by a bridge. On the other side, a path begins that turns left and reaches a wide forest road. Turn left on this and before the barrier turn right onto an unmarked but clearly visible path. This leads up the slope in a long left curve. During the curve, the path branches: one variant continues through a small gully; another, preferable route first runs parallel to the right above the gully. But this also soon branches again. This time, keep left and follow the surprisingly appearing red-white mark. After some steps, the forest road is reached shortly before a hairpin bend. Keep right and enter the bend. Adjacent is a round clearing, from which, on the right side, an unmarked but subsequently repeatedly marked path leads away. It soon turns south, later southwest, and ascends immediately. Upon reaching the saddle to Kienstein, a very popular climbing rock, the still good path turns slightly left. Now, partly very steep but basically easy to walk, it ascends with repeatedly beautiful views to a terrace. Here, a cart track comes in from the left, offering an alternative ascent. Continuing to ascend southwards, the terrain quickly becomes steeper again. Once a beech forest is reached, it is not far to the summit, whose magnificent view promises a pleasant break.

For the descent, proceed from Sonnenspitze in a semicircle to the slightly higher Graseck, from where there is a nice view back to Sonnenspitze. However, do not follow the signposts left there, but start the descent straight ahead on an old path. This initially still follows the ridge line, then turns left and descends a steep meadow in switchbacks. At the lower end of the mountain meadow, a crossing path is reached, on which keep right towards Kochel. The path maintains some elevation with slight ups and downs but later descends quite fast in places. After a viewpoint rock, the path soon reaches a clearly pronounced, crosswise terrain hollow. Go right here and descend rather quickly at first. As soon as the path reaches flatter terrain, it turns left and surprisingly flatly leads to the upper part of Brandenstein, whose steep cliff is bypassed abruptly on the right. Immediately afterward, take the left at the junction of another path; the path turns beneath Brandenstein into a cart track and soon merges into a forest road that leads further down. Just above the federally audible road, almost exactly at the height of the power lines, leave the comfortable driveway and join a small path to the right that crosses a forest road without major inclines and then somewhat keeps right into the Laingraben. Cross the mostly small stream by a bridge and keep right on the other side. The footpath ascends once more but stays parallel to the now increasingly incised Lainbach. Shortly afterward, the path finally merges into the outbound path at the edge of Kochel, and via familiar paths it returns to the starting point at Kochel station.