Daniel
2,342 m
Austria
- Elevation
- 2,342 m
- Prominence
- 1,234 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: schwierig / challenging (Tiroler Zugspitz Arena tour portal)
A long but technically easy mountain walk from Lermoos station (1,004 m): forest path to the Tuftlalm (1,496 m), then a steep, increasingly loose climb through dwarf pine and scree to the broad ridge between the Upsspitze and the Daniel. About 1,350 m of ascent and 3½ hours up; the usual loop descends over the Upsspitze and the Grüner Ups.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,377 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,342 m
- Time Up
- 5h 25m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 38m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at Lermoos railway station (1,004 m) beside the path to the Panoramabad and follow signs to the Tuftlalm. A forest path gains height quickly, crossing and briefly using a forestry road, then leads across meadows past a viewpoint to the Tuftlalm (1,496 m, about 1¼ hours), which looks straight across at the Zugspitze and the Ehrwalder Sonnenspitze. Behind the alm a small chapel marks the way up through larch-dotted meadows into the cirque below the Upsspitze and the Daniel. The path winds through shrubs and dwarf pines, steepens and fades into scree; the final pull to the connecting ridge is very steep and tiring. The broad ridge then leads without difficulty east to the summit cross of the Daniel (2,340 m), about 2 hours from the alm. For the loop, return along the ridge and climb a small rock step on the right to the Upsspitze (2,332 m, no cross), then descend over the Grüner Ups (1,852 m) back to the Tuftlalm. The upper part of this descent is slippery and suited only to sure-footed walkers. Allow about 6 hours for the round trip. There is no water above the Tuftlalm.
Start
Lermoos1,004 m
- Train from Munich via Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Außerfernbahn towards Reutte) to Lermoos; the route starts at the station.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lermoos → Daniel | 5.9 | 1,377 | 43 | 5h 25m |
Waypoints
- Station: Lermoos1,004 m
- Hut: Tuftlalm1,496 m
- Shoulder: Upsspitze–Daniel ridge2,322 m
Point where the steep scree path from the cirque reaches the broad connecting ridge
- Summit: Daniel2,342 m
Key Passages
- Very steep scree climb from the cirque to the ridge
- Small rock step to the Upsspitze (loop variant)
- Slippery upper descent towards the Grüner Ups
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The highest summit of the Ammergau Alps (2,340 m), rising directly above Lermoos and Ehrwald opposite the Zugspitze. A long, steep but technically easy T3 walk from Lermoos station via the Tuftlalm, often combined with the near-equal Upsspitze.
The Daniel is a Triassic limestone peak at the southern edge of the Ammergau Alps in the Tyrolean Außerfern, with a 200 m north face and a broken, grassy-rocky south flank falling towards the Lermoos basin. With more than 1,200 m of prominence it is the clear high point of its range, and it forms a double summit with the Upsspitze (2,332 m), 400 m to the west, joined by a broad ridge.
The main attraction is the position: four ranges meet around Lermoos, and the summit looks straight across at the Wetterstein with the Zugspitze, the Mieming Range and the Lechtal Alps. The normal route starts at the railway station and gains about 1,350 m, most of it on a steep path that becomes scree in the upper cirque.
There is nothing technical on the normal route, but it is a long, sun-exposed day, and the upper scree and the descent over the Upsspitze demand sure feet. The Tuftlalm, an hour and a quarter above the village, is the only place for refreshments.
Climbing Notes
A day walk for fit, sure-footed hikers: about 1,350 m of ascent and 6 hours for the loop over the Upsspitze. Start early in summer, as the south-facing slopes get hot and thunderstorms build over the Wetterstein in the afternoon. Carry enough water for the whole climb above the Tuftlalm.
Poles help on the steep scree. The small rock step to the Upsspitze and the slippery upper descent towards the Grüner Ups are the trickiest parts; less confident walkers can descend the way they came. Snow lingers in the upper cirque into early summer, and in winter the Daniel is a ski or snowshoe objective only for experienced parties who can judge avalanche risk.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; avalanche terrain in the upper cirque
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Winter
- Apr
- Snow on the upper slopes
- May
- Tuftlalm opens early May; snow in the cirque
- Jun
- Usually clear by late June
- Jul
- Hot on the south side; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Hot; start early
- Sep
- Often the best month
- Oct
- Good until the first snow; Tuftlalm closes end of October
- Nov
- Snow likely
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Parking at the Panoramabad Lermoos is officially for pool visitors only
- Grazing cattle on the alpine pastures in summer; keep your distance
- Getting There
Lermoos (Ehrwald nearby)
Innsbruck Airport (INN); Munich (MUC)
- Train: Munich – Garmisch-Partenkirchen – Lermoos (Außerfernbahn towards Reutte); the path starts at Lermoos station
- Car: from Garmisch-Partenkirchen into Tyrol and on towards Reutte/Fernpass, exit Lermoos; parking at the station or the Wanderparkplatz Gartneralm
- Local buses serve Lermoos (stops Abzweigung Panoramabad, Lermoos Wanderparkplatz)
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,496 m
TuftlalmHutStaffed
Early May to end of October (day refreshments)