Guides Zugspitze

Zugspitze without a via ferrata: is it possible? Reintal and Gatterl explained honestly

Updated 15 October 2026 · All facts with sources at the end of the article

Lots of people want to climb the Zugspitze (2,962 m) but don’t want to do a via ferrata. The good news: there are two routes that don’t need a via ferrata set. The honest news: no route reaches the summit without any fixed cables at all. This guide explains what that means in practice.

The short answer

Reintal and Gatterl are long mountain trails. Both cross the Zugspitzplatt plateau to the Sonn-Alpin station (2576 m). Up to that point you are on mountain paths, not on a via ferrata.

From Sonn-Alpin it gets steeper. The DAV (German Alpine Club) describes the last part as a mountain tour with “easy secured rock passages and very steep scree”, crossed “with the help of wire cables”. Bergwelten even calls the final stretch of the Gatterl route a “short but exposed via ferrata”.

What this means for you:

  • A via ferrata set is not expected on Reintal or Gatterl. tirol.at says of the Gatterl route: “No climbing equipment required.”
  • But you will walk along fixed cables over exposed rock. That takes sure-footedness and a head for heights.
  • If you don’t want to do that, the glacier lift (Gletscherbahn) runs from the Zugspitzplatt to the summit.

In the DAV brochure both routes have the same rating: “I, A”. “I” means climbing passages of “low difficulty”, and “A” is the easiest via ferrata grade (“easy”). To be honest, then: these routes do have short via ferrata-style sections too.

Reintal: long, but technically the easiest

The DAV calls the Reintal “the longest, but easiest” route up the Zugspitze. According to the DAV brochure it is 21 km with 2300 m of ascent. It starts in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, runs through the Partnach Gorge and the long Reintal valley, then climbs past the Knorrhütte onto the Zugspitzplatt.

The DAV plans the route as a two-day tour with a night in a mountain hut. Walking time to the summit adds up to 10 to 11.5 hours. hoehenrausch.de rates the route T3, a demanding mountain trail.

hoehenrausch.de describes the last section like this: above the research station “the via ferrata begins in the rocks”. It needs “sure-footedness and a head for heights”, but “experienced mountain walkers can manage it without a via ferrata set”. You can skip this section by taking the glacier lift.

Gatterl: shorter, with cables before the pass

The Gatterl route starts on the Tyrolean side in Ehrwald. tirol.at gives 13.9 km, 2145 m of ascent and 8 hours from the Ehrwalder Almbahn valley station. Taking the Almbahn lift saves about 390 m of ascent, according to the DAV. From the top station, Bergwelten gives 11.2 km, 1700 m of ascent and 6 hours 30 minutes.

Important: on the Gatterl route the first cables come earlier. The DAV describes a steep climb “on a secured path to the Gatterl”. Bergwelten describes the spot as “somewhat exposed rocks” along a wire cable. From the Knorrhütte the route is the same as the Reintal.

tirol.at rates the tour “difficult” and says “good fitness, sure-footedness and a head for heights are required”.

The glacier lift for the last few hundred metres

From Sonn-Alpin to the summit is just under 400 m of ascent. This is the steepest and most exposed part. The DAV is clear about it: “Anyone who is exhausted at Sonn-Alpin should take the lift to the summit.”

According to the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn, the glacier lift takes 4 minutes. It runs from 8:45 to 16:25 from September to June and from 8:15 to 17:25 in July and August (as of October 2026). From 9 to 13, 16 to 20 and 23 to 26 November 2026 the Zugspitze is completely closed. Check the times on zugspitze.de before your tour.

Taking the lift is not a failure. You will still have walked most of the ascent. And you avoid the section that is trickiest when you are tired or when there is fog or snow.

Höllental and Stopselzieher: clearly via ferratas

Two other well-known routes are proper via ferratas. They are not meant for beginners.

Höllental: the DAV rates it “I, C”, and “C” means “difficult”. On top of that comes the Höllentalferner glacier. bergsteigen.com requires “complete via ferrata equipment and a helmet” and “full glacier equipment (ice axe, crampons and crevasse rescue gear)”. Without snow cover you walk on bare ice up to 30 degrees steep. The site’s verdict: “This tour is no Sunday stroll.”

Stopselzieher: it counts as an easier via ferrata. Bergwelten grades it B and requires a complete via ferrata kit. The DAV warns of rockfall from people above and of old snow in the summit face into the summer.

For a comparison of all four routes with distance, ascent and walking time, read Zugspitze for beginners: which route suits you?.

Signs that you should turn back

The sources name some clear warning signs:

  • Fog on the plateau. The DAV explicitly warns about fog on the Zugspitzplatt. Finding your way there is hard.
  • Snow in the summit flank. The DAV warns of snowfields at the Gatterl and in the summit flank. Bergwelten notes that old snow can still lie there in June.
  • Exhaustion at Sonn-Alpin. Then, says the DAV, take the lift.
  • Carrying on despite ice, snow or worsening weather. According to Bergwelten, many emergencies start this way.

The DAV gives the best season as “early June to the end of September”. In an emergency, 112 is the Europe-wide emergency number; in Austria, 140 connects you directly to mountain rescue (DAV brochure).

Exactly where the secured sections are and where it makes sense to turn back is covered in the Zugspitze preparation pack.

Sources

All sources accessed on 15 October 2026. Times, prices and operating hours can change (as of October 2026). Quotes are translated from German.

Read on