Bavarian Alps · Moderate · There and back

Höllentalklamm to the Höllentalangerhütte from Hammersbach

Up the Hammersbach, through the tunnels and bridges of the Höllental gorge, to the hut below the north face of the Zugspitze.

Distance
11.6 km (7.2 mi)
Ascent
642 m
Time
About 5 h
High point
1,396 m
Grade
Moderate

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

0 km2 km4 km6 km8 km10 km1,389 m756 m
Move along the height chart to see each point on the map.
Höllentalklamm to the Höllentalangerhütte from Hammersbach
Christian Nawroth · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

The walk starts from the pay car park in Hammersbach, by the halt of the Zugspitze rack railway. A forest path climbs beside the Hammersbach to the Höllentaleingangshütte, the hut at the foot of the gorge, where you pay. Beyond it the path runs for about a kilometre through the gorge itself, in lit tunnels, over bridges and up rock steps, with the stream thundering below. Above the gorge the valley opens and a good path leads on to the Höllentalangerhütte, at 1,387 m under the walls of the Zugspitze. Return the same way.

It is 11.6 km there and back with 642 m of ascent; allow about 5 hours. The grade is Moderate. The path is rocky and wet, and steep in the forest below the gorge.

The gorge is open only from about mid-May to mid-October: in 2026 from 14 May to 20 October. In winter the bridges are taken out and entry is forbidden. Entry cost €7 in 2026, half for Alpine Club members. It is cold and dripping inside even in summer, so take a waterproof and boots with a good grip.

Snow can lie above the gorge into June. The hut serves food in season; in 2026 its last night was 3 October.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • The gorge is about a kilometre of tunnels, bridges and rock steps beside the Hammersbach; there is an entrance fee at the hut at its foot
  • The gorge is open only from about mid-May to mid-October: the bridges are taken out for the winter
  • The Höllentalangerhütte stands at 1,387 m below the north face of the Zugspitze
  • The Zugspitze rack railway stops at Hammersbach

Getting there

Start: Hammersbach walkers' car park · Pay and display. 47.46863, 11.04026

Directions to the start

Places to stay nearby

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Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.