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Zugspitze via the Gatterl: route, walking time and how the day works from Ehrwald

Updated 18 October 2026 · All facts with sources at the end of the article

The Gatterl is a small notch on the border between Tyrol and Bavaria. The shortest mountain trail up the Zugspitze (2,962 m) from the Tyrolean side crosses it. With the Ehrwalder Almbahn lift it can even be done as a day tour. This guide covers the route, how much time you need, what the Gatterl ticket includes and where to turn back. As of October 2026.

Key figures

The numbers depend on where you start:

Start Distance Ascent Walking time Source
Ehrwalder Almbahn valley station (1108 m) 13.9 km 2145 m 8 hrs tirol.at
Ehrwalder Almbahn top station (1502 m) 11.2 km 1700 m 6 hrs 30 min Bergwelten

The DAV (German Alpine Club) gives 14 km and 2100 m. According to the DAV, the Almbahn lift saves you about 390 m of ascent.

The ratings sound different, but they say the same thing: this is a demanding route.

  • DAV: “I, A”, meaning short, easy scrambling and light cable protection.
  • tirol.at: “difficult”. According to tirol.at you need good fitness, sure-footedness and a head for heights.
  • Bergwelten: T4, “difficult”. Bergwelten asks for alpine experience, route-finding skills and the fitness for 1700 m of ascent and up to 7 hours of walking.

According to tirol.at you do not need climbing equipment. There are still fixed cables, even before the Gatterl.

The route step by step

1. Ehrwalder Alm (1502 m). Walk up or take the Ehrwalder Almbahn. In summer 2026 the lift runs daily from 14 May to 8 November, from 8:30 to 16:30, and in July, August and September from 8:00 to 17:30.

2. To the Hochfeldernalm (1732 m). First on a wide gravel track, then up beside the ski piste. According to the DAV, the route passes the Pestkapelle chapel and follows the Max-Klotz-Steig path.

3. Over “Am Brand” to the Feldernjöchl (2045 m). Through dwarf pines below the Gatterlköpfe to the Am Brand saddle, at 2120 m according to the Almbahn. Then a short descent to the Feldernjöchl.

4. The Gatterl. According to tirol.at, the path now climbs steeply on a secured path to the Gatterl. Bergwelten describes the spot like this: along a wire cable over exposed rocks to the cable-protected pass. This is the German border. The DAV warns: “Beware of snowfields around the Gatterl”.

5. The Plattsteig to the Knorrhütte (2051 m). On the German side, the Plattsteig path leads to the Knorrhütte. The DAV calls it “level”; the Almbahn says it crosses scree and snowfields. From the top station to the Knorrhütte, Bergwelten gives about 3 hours.

6. Across the Zugspitzplatt to Sonn-Alpin (2576 m). From the Knorrhütte the route is the same as the Reintal. You walk over scree to the Sonn-Alpin station. The DAV warns: “Beware of fog on the Zugspitzplatt!”

7. To the summit (2,962 m). According to the DAV, the final section has 390 m of ascent and takes about 1.5 hours: secured rock passages and very steep scree. The DAV also warns of snowfields in the summit flank here. Alternatively, take the glacier lift (Gletscherbahn) from the plateau to the top.

What “secured” means at these spots is explained in Zugspitze without a via ferrata: is it possible?.

As a day tour: the timing is tight

With the Almbahn lift you can do the Gatterl in one day. You ride back down to Ehrwald on the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn. According to zugspitze.at, in summer 2026 it runs from 8:40 to 16:40 every 20 minutes. Bergwelten gives 16:40 as the last ride down.

Do the maths using the Bergwelten times:

  • First Almbahn in July at 8:00, plus 6 hours 30 minutes of walking: you reach the top at around 14:30 at the earliest. Breaks come on top.
  • In June or October the Almbahn only starts at 8:30, so it gets even tighter.

That leaves only about two hours in reserve before the last ride down, minus breaks. Slower walkers will not make it. On top of that, the DAV says that because of afternoon thunderstorms you should, as a rule, reach the summit by early midday. For many people, the version with a night in the hut is the better choice.

Important: ride down on the right side of the mountain. If you parked in Ehrwald, take the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn, not the cable car to the Eibsee on the Bavarian side.

With a night at the Knorrhütte

Bergwelten suggests splitting the tour over two days with a night at the Knorrhütte. From Ehrwald over the Gatterl, the hut gives 1129 m of ascent and 5 hours 30 minutes.

On day two you set off early across the plateau to the summit. For the opposite direction, from Sonn-Alpin down to the Knorrhütte, the hut gives 1 hour 30 minutes. Going uphill takes longer. According to the DAV, you can leave your extra luggage at the hut and climb with a light pack.

There are two ways back:

  • By lift: the Gletscherbahn to the summit, or from the summit the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn down to Ehrwald.
  • On foot over the Gatterl: according to the DAV tour sheet, a good 3 hours from the Knorrhütte to the Almbahn valley station (200 m up, 1150 m down). Taking the Almbahn down from the Ehrwalder Alm, it is a good 2 hours. According to the DAV, you need to be sure-footed and have a head for heights.

The Knorrhütte belongs to the DAV Munich section. According to the DAV brochure it is open from the end of May to mid-October. In 2026 it was open until 2 October, according to the DAV. What you need to know (as of October 2026):

  • Bookings are online only. Reservations for 2027 open in mid-December.
  • A dormitory bed costs €18 for members aged 26 and over and €35 for non-members; a shared room costs €30 and €49. Half board costs €43.
  • You pay in cash only.
  • A hut sleeping bag liner and hut shoes with a firm sole are compulsory.
  • The hut no longer has a winter room, only an emergency room with no firewood.

The Gatterl ticket

There is a dedicated hiking ticket for this tour. It costs €61 and is valid for 4 days from the date of purchase (as of October 2026, price valid until 8 November 2026). According to the Ehrwalder Almbahn, it includes:

  • one ride up on the Ehrwalder Almbahn
  • one ride on the Gletscherbahn to the summit
  • one ride down on the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn
  • the bus back to the Almbahn valley station
  • entry to two museums at the summit and the valley station

The 4 days are handy if you stay at the Knorrhütte. For comparison: a single ride on the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn costs €43, and a single on the Almbahn €17. More in How much does a Zugspitze hike cost?.

Getting there and parking

  • By car: at the Ehrwalder Almbahn valley station, parking costs €5 a day, or €10 a day in the multi-storey car park (as of October 2026). Sleeping in your car is not allowed.
  • By train: according to the Almbahn, Ehrwald has regular train connections via Garmisch-Partenkirchen or Reutte. In the summer and winter seasons, a bus runs from the station to the Almbahn and the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn.

Turnaround points

  • Before the Gatterl: if there is snow in the notch or the weather is closing in, go back to the Ehrwalder Alm. The DAV explicitly warns of snowfields there.
  • At the Knorrhütte: if you only get here in the afternoon, there is not enough time to do the plateau, the summit and the last ride down safely. Stay at the hut if you have booked, or turn back.
  • At Sonn-Alpin: the DAV says, “Anyone who is exhausted at Sonn-Alpin should take the lift to the summit!”
  • In fog on the plateau: do not carry on if you can no longer see the waymarks clearly.

The DAV gives the best time as early June to the end of September; Bergwelten gives July to October for this route. But no calendar tells you when the path is free of snow. More in Best time for the Zugspitze.

In an emergency, call 112; in Austria, 140 connects you directly to mountain rescue.

The Zugspitze preparation pack breaks the Gatterl route into sections, with hazards, turnaround points and travel details.

Sources

All sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Times, prices and operating hours can change (as of October 2026). Quotes are translated from German.

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