Eagle Walk Stage 11: Karwendelhaus Lodge - Hallerangerhaus

On this stage you will find yourself in a world almost as far removed as you can get from the forested valleys below. It's steep, brushy, challenging and technical. It’s also long at about 14 kilometres, and more than mere time is required for this trek; you'll also need excellent fitness. The trail climbs steeply from the Karwendelhaus lodge to the high ridgeline. Once aloft on those airy plains, you'll be in a true alpine environment. The scramble route starts at Schlauchkar cirque. Here, the trail becomes increasingly rock-laden, slowing your pace as you clamber up and around talus and scree slopes and you'll have to cross a snowfield. Beyond the Birkkarhütte (emergency refuge), the final push to the summit of Birkkarspitze is an exposed scramble that contours along the western ridge of the mountain, assisted by a fixed anchoring system of cables. A steep descent takes you into the lovely Hinterautal Valley, where you can catch your breath while ambling along a gently graded forest road. Parallel to the cascading Lafatscherbach stream, the trail heads to Lafatscher Niederleger with its quaint hut. Soon after, it branches off towards the Hallerangerhaus, the destination end of the most challenging Eagle Walk stage in the Karwendel Mountains.
Starting point: Karwendelhaus