Birkkarspitze
2,749 m
Austria
Also known as БирккаршпитцеAlso known as
Бирккаршпитце
- Elevation
- 2,749 m
- Prominence
- 1,564 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Approximate line — not for navigation
An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.
Why? 3 check notes
- the line does not follow 'Schlauchkar', the route's namesake (281 m away): mislabelled
- unresolved waypoints: Larchetalm
- waypoints not on the route line: Schlauchkar (238 m off the trail)
Sources differ: T5 (alpenvereinaktiv.com (summit section from the Birkkarhütte))
The standard ascent of the Karwendel's highest summit: a long approach of about 17 km up the car-free Karwendeltal from Scharnitz (often by mountain bike) to the Karwendelhaus (1,765 m), then 1,000 m up the scree of the Schlauchkar to the Schlauchkarsattel and the Birkkarhütte bivouac, and a short, partly cabled, exposed ridge to the top.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- ≈ 19.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +1,893 m
- −109 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,749 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 8h 59m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 6h 59m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Scharnitz (964 m, railway station on the Innsbruck–Mittenwald line) the gravel road up the Karwendeltal, closed to private traffic, leads gently past the Larchetalm and Angeralm to the Karwendelhaus (1,765 m) below the Hochalmsattel: about 5 hours on foot or 2 hours by mountain bike, the last stretch on loose gravel. Most people sleep at the hut. From Hinterriß the hut is about 4 hours through the Johannestal. From the hut, walk briefly towards the Hochalmsattel and, just before the winter room, turn right into the Schlauchkar. A short cabled step and a path through avalanche barriers and dwarf pine lead to the lip of the corrie. After the junction for the Hochalmkreuz and the Brendelsteig the path becomes rockier and crumbly, zigzagging up loose scree; a final rock band leads to the Schlauchkarsattel (about 2,635 m). A few metres east stands the Birkkarhütte (2,640 m), a tiny emergency bivouac. From there an exposed, partly cabled path climbs the last 100 m to the summit cross. Allow 2½–3½ hours from the hut. Descend the same way. Alternatively, descend south from the saddle on a steep path with cabled sections into the Birkkar and the Hinterautal and back to Scharnitz (10–12 km of nearly flat valley walking), or traverse to the Hallerangerhaus. The scree below the saddle is tiring and tricky when icy; old snow lies in the upper corrie in early summer, so carry microspikes or light crampons early in the season. Helmet advisable for the summit section and loose scree.
Start
Scharnitz963 m
- Train to Scharnitz on the Innsbruck–Mittenwald–Garmisch line; the Karwendeltal road starts in the village.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scharnitz → Karwendelhaus | 16.5 | 886 | 82 | 5h 40m |
| 2 | Karwendelhaus → Birkkarspitze | 3.2 | 1,007 | 27 | 3h 48m |
Waypoints
- Station: Scharnitz963 m
- Hut: Karwendelhaus1,765 m
- Feature: Schlauchkar2,469 m
Scree corrie; junction for Hochalmkreuz and Brendelsteig at about 2,190 m (not on route line)
- Col: Schlauchkarsattel2,635 m
- Bivouac: Birkkarhütte2,646 m
Emergency bivouac a few metres east of the saddle
- Summit: Birkkarspitze2,749 m
Key Passages
- Short cabled step above the Karwendelhaus
- Crumbly scree and rock band below the Schlauchkarsattel
- Exposed, partly cabled summit ridge from the Birkkarhütte
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
The highest summit of the Karwendel (2,749 m), a limestone massif in the heart of the range shared with the three Ödkarspitzen. A long approach up a car-free valley, a night at the Karwendelhaus and a loose scree corrie lead to a short, exposed, partly cabled summit ridge.
The Birkkarspitze stands in the Hinterautal–Vomper chain, the central and highest of the four parallel ridges of the Karwendel, in Tyrol a few kilometres south of the Bavarian border. Together with the West, Middle and East Ödkarspitze it forms a compact massif of pale Wetterstein limestone, ringed by scree corries: the Schlauchkar to the north and the Birkkar to the south, where one of the source streams of the Isar rises.
The Karwendel's valleys are closed to private cars, so the mountain feels remote despite being close to Innsbruck and Munich. The usual ascent follows the long Karwendeltal from Scharnitz to the Karwendelhaus, often by mountain bike, then climbs about 1,000 m through the Schlauchkar to the Schlauchkarsattel, where the tiny Birkkarhütte bivouac stands, and up a short, exposed, partly cabled ridge to the summit. Harder variants include the Brendelsteig and the traverse of the Ödkarspitzen, and a southern approach through the Birkkarklamm from the Hinterautal.
The view takes in most of the Karwendel, the Wetterstein and the main Alpine chain. Expect a lot of scree, little water and a long day; the summit is popular on fine summer weekends but quiet otherwise.
Climbing Notes
You need fitness for about 1,800–1,900 m of ascent from Scharnitz (about 1,000 m from the hut), sure-footedness on loose scree and a head for heights on the summit section. Most parties cycle up the Karwendeltal, sleep at the Karwendelhaus and climb the summit the next morning, returning to Scharnitz the same day. A helmet is sensible; a via ferrata set helps those unsure on the exposed cabled passages. In June old snow lies in the upper Schlauchkar and the scree below the saddle can be icy in autumn, so carry microspikes or light crampons outside high summer. The Birkkarhütte is an emergency shelter only (no beds, water or blankets; about five people at a squeeze). The hut gives daily tour briefings at 19:30.
History
The first ascent was made on 6 July 1870 by Hermann von Barth, the pioneer of the Northern Limestone Alps, who described a day on the summits of the Hinterautal chain in the journal of the German Alpine Club (1870/71). The Karwendelhaus, belonging to the Männer-Turnverein München section of the DAV, opened in 1908 after five years of building; a winter house with 24 places was added in 2005.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; Karwendelhaus closed (winter room open); ski-touring only for experts
- Feb
- Winter conditions; avalanche risk in the Schlauchkar
- Mar
- Spring ski-touring for experienced parties
- Apr
- Spring snow; long approach
- May
- Snow in the corries; hut closed
- Jun
- Hut usually opens early June; old snow in the upper Schlauchkar
- Jul
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season
- Sep
- Stable weather, fewer people
- Oct
- Hut usually closes early October; ice on the scree possible
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Karwendelhaus (DAV Sektion MTV München) is booked online via its reservation system; cancellation terms apply.
- Fees
- Overnight fees at the Karwendelhaus, with discounts for Alpine Club members
- Rules
- Karwendel valleys (Karwendeltal, Hinterautal, Johannestal) are closed to private motor traffic; cycling is allowed on the valley roads
- Karwendel Nature Park regulations apply
- Getting There
Scharnitz (Tyrol); Mittenwald (Bavaria)
Innsbruck (INN); Munich (MUC)
- Train: Innsbruck–Scharnitz–Mittenwald–Garmisch-Partenkirchen line, station in Scharnitz
- Car: to Scharnitz on the B177 from Innsbruck/Zirl or from Mittenwald; park at the entrance to the Karwendeltal
- Alternative start: Hinterriß (Bavaria/Tyrol) via the Johannestal to the Karwendelhaus (4 h)
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
2- 1,765 m
KarwendelhausHutStaffed
190 beds · Usually early June to early October, depending on snow; unlocked winter room with up to 24 places
- 2,640 m
BirkkarhütteBivouacUnstaffed
Always open; emergency shelter with a table and two benches, no beds or water