Karwendel

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The Gamsjochgruppe of the Sonnjoch - western flank, left the Laliderer wall with Kaltwasserkarspitze and Birkkarspitze, right behind the Falk Group

The Karwendel is a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps. It is for the greater part in the Tyrol, smaller in Bavaria; the border runs through northern Karwendel chain and by the Vorkarwendel. Four major mountain ranges stretch from west to east; plus numerous side chains and groups and to the north a vast promontory. His name carries the Karwendel after the old German family name Gerwentil, first mentioned in 1280, which was originally limited to the Karwendeltal Scharnitz. Hermann von Barth extended the term in the course of the Alps in the 19th century development of the whole territory.

7.1 Karwendel Alpine Park
7.2 Karwendel Nature Reserve and Karwendel promontory

8.1 Development History
8.2 Climbing in the Karwendel
8.3 mountain huts
8.4 Via ferrata
8.5 long-distance and long-distance trails
8.6 Traffic and transport
8.7 mountain railways

Boundary and expansion

In the west the Karwendel is limited by the Seefeld saddle and a part of the Isar valley, in the north the Isarwinkel with the Sylvensteinstausee and the lower Achen valley, to the east by the upper Achen valley with Lake Achen and the south by the Inn Valley. Significant places in the West Seefeld in Tirol and Mittenwald, in the east Pertisau and south of Innsbruck. From east to west the mountain has an area of about 45, from north to south of nearly 30 kilometers.

Structure

Hermann von Barth, the catalogers of the Karwendel, began the tradition of naming the chains to the valleys which they are boundaries in the South: Karwendeltal, Hinterautal and Vomper hole Gleirsch and Halltal, Inn Valley:

Northern Karwendel chain
Hinterautal Vomper - chain ( also Karwendel main chain )
Gleirsch Halltal chain
Inn Valley chain ( the southernmost Karwendelkette, but called from Innsbruck's northern chain point of view )

Side groups are: Erlspitzgruppe, Soierngruppe, Vorkarwendel, hawks, Gamsjoch and Sonnjochgruppe and the Rough Knöll branch in the southeast of the Karwendel.

Summit

There is in the Karwendel 125 peaks that reach above 2,000 meters. Here is an excerpt of the most important:

Birkkarspitze ( 2749 m above sea level. A. )
Mean Ödkarspitze ( 2745 m above sea level. A. )
Kaltwasserkarspitze ( 2733 m above sea level. A. )
Big Bettelwurf ( 2726 m above sea level. A. )
Big Lafatscher ( 2696 m above sea level. A. )
Large Seekarspitze ( 2677 m above sea level. A. )
Rosskopf ( 2670 m above sea level. A. )
Rear Bachofen peak ( 2668 m above sea level. A. )
Southern sun peak ( 2668 m above sea level. A. )
Grubenkarspitze ( 2663 m above sea level. A. )
Front Bachofen peak ( 2663 m above sea level. A. )
Northern sun peak ( 2650 m above sea level. A. )
Western Praxmarerkarspitze ( 2638 m above sea level. A. )
Small Solstein ( 2637m above sea level. A. )
Eastern Praxmarerkarspitze ( 2638 m above sea level. A. )
Small Lafatscher ( 2636 m above sea level. A. )
Speckkarspitze ( 2621 m above sea level. A. )
Rauh Karlspitze ( 2619 m above sea level. A. )
Jägerkarspitzen ( 2608 m above sea level. A. )
Three zinc peak ( 2603 m above sea level. A. )
Rear Brandjochspitze ( 2599 m above sea level. A. )
High Observatory ( 2597 m above sea level. A. )
Bockkarspitze ( 2589 m above sea level. A. )
Breitgrieskarspitze ( 2590 m above sea level. A. )
Laliderer peak ( 2588 m above sea level. A. )
Kaskarspitze ( 2580 m above sea level. A. )
Sonntagkarspitze ( 2575 m above sea level. A. )
Pleisenspitze ( 2569 m above sea level. A. )
Front Brandjochspitze ( 2559 m above sea level. A. )
Hochnissl ( 2547 m above sea level. A. )
Stempeljochspitze ( 2543 m above sea level. A. )
Larchetkarspitze ( 2541 m above sea level. A. )
Big Solstein ( 2541 m above sea level. A. )
Eastern Karwendelspitze ( 2537m above sea level. A. )
Moserkarspitze ( 2533 m above sea level. A. )
Vogelkarspitze ( 2522 m above sea level. A. )
Gamskarlspitze ( 2513 m above sea level. A. )
Lamsenspitze ( 2,508 m above sea level. A. )
High Gleirsch ( 2492 m above sea level. A. )
Wörner ( 2474 m above sea level. A. )
Kühkarlspitze ( 2464m above sea level. A. )

Sonnjoch ( 2457 m above sea level. A. )
Gamsjoch ( 2452 m above sea level. A. )
Laliderer Falk ( 2427 m above sea level. A. )
Lackenkarkopf ( 2416 m above sea level. A. )
Risser Falk ( 2413 m above sea level. A. )
Erlspitze ( 2405 m above sea level. A. )
Cow head ( 2399 m above sea level. A. )
Western Karwendelspitze ( 2385 m above sea level. A. )
Falkenstein ( 2347 m above sea level. A. )
Hafelekarspitze ( 2334 m above sea level. A. )
Exemptions, West summit ( 2332 m above sea level. A. )
Sunntigerspitze ( 2321 m above sea level. A. )
Blade tip ( 2306 m above sea level. A. )
Mrs. Hitt ( 2270 m above sea level. A. )
Bettlerkarspitze ( 2268 m above sea level. A. )
Soiernspitze ( 2257 m above sea level. NHN )
Dog head ( 2243 m above sea level. A. )
Centimes peak ( 2223 m above sea level. A. )
Reither Spitze ( 2374 m above sea level. A. )
Hochalmkreuz ( 2192 m above sea level. A. )
Rotwandlspitze ( 2191m above sea level. A. )
Fountain Stone peak ( 2180 m above sea level. A. )
Krapfenkarspitze ( 2109 m above sea level. A. )
Mont glow peak ( 2106 m above sea level. A. )
Schafreuter ( 2102 m above sea level. A. )
Mahnkopf ( 2094 m above sea level. A. )
Four peak ( 2054 m above sea level. NHN )
Meat Bank ( 2026 m above sea level. A. )
Grasbergjoch (2020 m above sea level. A. )
Torkopf (2014 m above sea level. A. )
Hölzelstaljoch (2012 m above sea level. A. )
Compart (2011 m above sea level. A. )
Bear's Head (1991 m above sea level. A. )
Juifen (1988 m above sea level. A. )
Schönalmjoch (1986 m above sea level. A. )
Demeljoch (1924 m above sea level. A. )
Plumsjoch (1921 m above sea level. A. )
Front head (1858 m above sea level. A. )
Centimes Klammspitze (1835 m above sea level. A. )
Change head (1835 m above sea level. A. )
Dürrnbergjoch (1835 m above sea level. A. )

The Sonntagkar in Gleirsch Halltal chain

The Rough Knöll branch is named after the mountain

The central part of the Hinterautal - Vomper chain of the Eastern Ödkarspitze to Laliderer tip of the south

The Erlspitze is the highest peak of the Erlspitzgruppe

The western Hinterautal - Vomper chain of the Pleisenspitze to Kaltwasserkarspitze from southwest

The Northern Karwendel chain in the East

The Hinterautal - Vomper chain of the Pleisenspitze

The Praxmarerkarspitzen in Gleirsch Halltal chain from the south

The western Vorkarwendel from Sonnjoch

The Vorkarwendel of the Seeberg peak

The northern chain of the Mandl tip, view to the west

Adjacent Mountain Ranges

The Karwendel borders the following other mountain groups in the Alps:

Bavarian Alps ( in the north)
Rofangebirge (in the east )
Tux Alps (South )
Stubai Alps (southwest )
Mieminger chain ( in the west)
Wettersteingebirge ( in the west)

Geology

The Karwendel is composed of limestone and dolomite (the latter especially in the Erlspitzgruppe ). The four main chains are composed of mighty limestone beds that are inclined by the unfolding to the south. The characteristic construction of the Karwendel can be seen particularly well in the middle of the Lalidererwänden Hinterautal - Vomper chain. The broken edges of unfolding form vertical up to 1,000 meters high walls on the north side, from the gentler south the glaciers of the Ice Ages have been milled wide cirques, which are separated by thick ridges.

Waters

The only very small glaciers in the Karwendel is situated in the Hinterautal - Vomper chain north below the Eiskarlspitze in the Eiskarln.

The Karwendel area is drained with the exception of its faces to the west and north. In Hinterautal between the two center main strings the Isar, in the neighboring valleys parallel their tributaries Gleirschbach (left) and Karwendel Bach ( right) rises. The next two largest bodies of water in the Karwendel flow into the river Isar: The catchment area of Rißbachs mainly covers the north side of the massif and the Soierngruppe. North-east of the dewatered Duerrach the Vorkarwendel. The streams on the east side of the mountains flow into the Achensee ( Pletzach with the Falzthurnbach and Oberau Bach ) and its natural course, the Isar inflow Seeache ( Unteraubach, Doll Bach ). The only significant natural Innzufluss is the Vomper brook in the Southeast.

The Isar River in Hinterautal few kilometers before Scharnitz

The Gleirschbach in Gleirschklamm

The Falzthurnbach above the Gramaialm in Falzthurntal

The Rißbach of the cross- bridge direction Hinterriß

Animal and plant life

The Karwendel there are the usual species of the Northern Limestone Alps; particular, one can observe large Gamsrudel in the high Karen often. In Sonnjochgebiet and on the north chain ibex were settled, who settled in well.

Settlements

The only permanent settlement within the Karwendel Mountains, the village is behind plan. Of the numerous pastures are in some valleys, including as the most well-known Eng. About the Inn Valley and the Vorkarwendel but there are also high pastures. In the eastern Vorkarwendel Rether the horn of oil shale is in the area of Tiefenbachalm on the eastern slope degraded, but only for cosmetics production and thus in relatively small amounts.

Conservation

Both the Tyrol and the Bavarian part of the Karwendel are protected. The share of the Tyrolean Alps Karwendel has a size of 727 km ² and forms one of the largest nature reserves in the Eastern Alps. The directly adjacent Bavarian Karwendel Nature Reserve and Karwendel promontory measures further 190 km ². These protected areas are shown across borders with Bavaria as a Natura 2000 site ( either by Fauna-Flora-Habitat-Richtlinie/FFH and after the Birds Directive).

The area is characterized by the large golden eagle population, the high naturalness of the forest and the wild river Isar system. In the nature reserve in particular tents, lighting fires, the disturbance of wildlife and the picking of plants ( share ) are prohibited.

The Great Ahornboden

The Kaltwasserkarspitze of the Birkkarspitze

The Laliderer wall from Hohljoch

Alpine Park Karwendel

The Karwendel Alpine Park goes back to one of the oldest protected areas in the Eastern Alps ( area spell from 1928 ). With an area of 727 km ² it is as a whole also Natura 2000 site (site code AT3309000 ). The alpine park is formed from three conservation, 2 rest and 6 protected areas, and has been declared a natural park with 2009 ( Law Gazette 26/2009 ):

Karwendel Nature Reserve
Nature reserve Martinswand
Nature reserve Fragenstein
Rest area Eppzirl
Rest area Achen Valley West
Conservation area Bärenkopf
Conservation area Falzthurntal - Gern Valley
Conservation area Large maple floor
Conservation area Martin Wall Solstein - Reither Spitze
Conservation area Nordkettenbahn
Conservation area Foothill

Since 2008, entrusted with the care reserve on the Tyrolean side of the carrier club Karwendel Alpine Park. Members of the association are the Karwendel 15 municipalities, five tourism organizations, the Austrian Federal Forests, the German and Austrian Alpine Association, the Chamber of Agriculture and the State of Tyrol Tyrol, on who initiated the foundation of the association. This is a stronger involvement of the communities and landowners, and thus ultimately a higher acceptance rate for the protected area can be achieved. First major activity of the club was the celebration of 80 years under protection with a comprehensive annual program and the geotag of biodiversity. In January 2009, the Karwendel 2013 program was adopted, in which the medium-term orientation in the fields of nature conservation, visitors and offer awareness education was enshrined.

Karwendel Nature Reserve and Karwendel promontory

Despite this protection, it is also developing measures that have provoked criticism ( new alpine roads, oversized Almgebäude ). In particular, the development of the Isar origin in Hinterautal in 2003 a counter initiative to protect the Karwendel called into action ( Jetz werds eng). Environmentalists is the strong traffic in the Eng an eyesore. On the initiative of the sections of Munich and Upper Country of the German Alpine Club in the meantime set of bus Lenggries was revived in the Eng in summer. 2012, this bus to two trips per day in each direction.

Tourism

Development history

Also, to the development of the summit of the Karwendel there were conflicts. 2004 marks and insurance at the three- prong tip ( Ross holes) have been removed. Affixed to the Duke edge bolts were handled by strangers. In July 2005 the summit crosses the Gamsjochs and Kaltwasserkarspitze were broken from their moorings and thrown down the mountain. There were Nacherschließungen of previously unmarked summit climbs ( Wörner, peaks around the Pfeishütte ), the criticism provoked.

Mountaineering in the Karwendel

Just a few peaks of the two powerful medium chains are accessible by good trail systems. Most of the other peaks are indeed from the south without too much climbing technical difficulties reachable, but the climbs through steep craggy, mountain pine and boulder fields are partially pathless. The rock in the Karwendel mountains in many places is seriously flawed.

In winter, the peak of Vorkarwendels (eg Schafreuter, Juifen, Schönalmjoch ) are often climbed with skis, in spring and early summer, the great peaks of the Hinterautal - Vomper chain ( Birkkarspitze, Large Seekarspitze, Pleisenspitze ).

Mountain cabins

In the Karwendel mountains 26 mountain huts are managed, 14 of which are mountain huts of the German and Austrian Alpine Club. Twelve other privately operated cottages also offer overnight accommodations. Most cabins are open only in the summer ( from May / June to October), but often have winter rooms that are accessible from outside the management period. In addition, there are three self-catering chalets and 3 bivouacs, which primarily serve as an emergency shelter.

Alpine hut Sons (Private)
Amtssäge ( Private, 1223 m above sea level. A., Gleirschtal )
Bärenbadalm ( Private, 1457 m above sea level. A., Rauer Knöll branching )
Bettelwurfhütte ( OeAV Innsbruck)
Binsalm ( Private, 1502 m above sea level. A., Sonnjochgruppe )
Birkkarhütte ( Notbiwak, 2640 m above sea level. A., Hinterautal - Vomper chain)
Breitgrieskarscharte ( Notbiwak, 2388 m above sea level. A., Hinterautal - Vomper chain)
Brunnsteinhütte (DAV Mittenwald )
Dammkarhütte ( Private, 1667 m above sea level. A., Northern Karwendel chain)
Eppzirler Alm ( Private)
Falkenhütte (DAV Oberland / Munich)
Gramaialm - Hochleger ( Private, 1756 m above sea level. A., Sonnjochgruppe )
Hallerangeralm ( Private, 1776 m above sea level. A., Hinterautal )
Hallerangerhaus (DAV Schwaben)
Hinterhornalm (Private)
Highland Cottage (DAV Highlands / Munich)
Höttinger Alm ( Private, 1487 m above sea level. A., north chain)

Karwendelhaus (DAV Men's Gymnastics Club Munich)
KRINNER - Kofler -Hütte (DAV Mittenwald )
Karl Schuster bivouac ( OeAV Innsbruck, 2495 m above sea level. A., Hinterautal - Vomper chain)
Lamsenjochhütte (DAV Oberland / Munich)
Larchetalm ( Private, 1173 m above sea level. A., Karwendeltal )
Mittenwalder Hut ( DAV Mittenwald )
Möslalm (Private)
New Magdeburg Hut ( DAV Geltendorf )
Nordlinger Hut ( DAV Nördlingen )
Oberbrunnalm (Private)
Pfeishütte ( OeAV Innsbruck)
Pleisenhütte (Private)
Plumsjochhütte (Private)
Rotwandlhütte (DAV Neuland / Munich, 1528 m above sea level. A., Vorkarwendel )
Seewaldhütte (DAV Achensee, 1582 m above sea level. A., Vorkarwendel )
Soiernhaus (DAV Highlands / Munich)
Solsteinhaus ( OeAV Innsbruck)
Tolz Hut ( DAV Bad Tolz )

The bothy at the top Laliderer

When Pleisenhütte, views of the western Gleirsch Halltal chain

The Plumsjochhütte in Vorkarwendel

Via ferrata

The Karwendel there are some secure peak trails and climbing routes for all levels:

Mittenwalder trail from the Western Karwendelspitze to Tyrolean chalet
Duke climb in the Soierngruppe
Brendel climbing in the Hinterautal - Vomper chain
Granted freedom Crest Trail and climbing on the Reither Spitze
Zirler ferrata on the Erlspitze
Kaiser-Max- ferrata by Martin Wall ( the most difficult climbing route in the Karwendel )
Julius- Pock - way to the Front Brandjochspitze
Innsbruck fixed rope route from the mountain station to Hafelekar Frau Hitt Saddle
Rope route on the Great and Little Bettelwurf
Felix Kuen - climbing on the dog's head
Clattering in the Lamsenspitze and Hochnißlspitze
Gjaidsteig in the Northern Karwendel chain

Long-distance and long-distance trails

The Via Alpina, a cross-border long-distance trail with five sub- paths through the whole Alps, also passes through the Karwendel. The Red Trail Via Alpina runs with three stages through the Karwendel:

Stage R41 leads from Schwaz in the Inn Valley to Lamsenjochhütte
Stage R42 extends from the Lamsenjochhütte about the Hohljoch to Falkenhütte
Stage R43 extends from the Falkenhütte about the Karwendelhaus to Scharnitz

The dream path Munich - Venice also runs through the Karwendel. While this is not an official long-distance trail, which in 1977 for the first time propagated path he has now gained a greater awareness than many of migrant associations and public institutions created long-distance trail.

The 5th day of the dream path leads from the Jachenau in the Bavarian alpine upland Hinterriß in the Karwendel.
Day 6 leads from Hinterriß on local maple floor for Karwendelhaus.
The 7th day runs from Karwendelhaus over the Schlauchkarsattel and Hinterautal to Hallerangerhaus. Of all the stages of the dream path between Munich and Venice, this is the most challenging, which is why it is also called queen stage.
The day runs from 8 Hallerangerhaus about the Lafatscher yoke to Hall in Tirol.

Traffic and transport

In the south the Karwendel is limited by the Inn Valley to the state capital of Innsbruck and its agglomeration, which is the most important transport corridor (highway, rail and airport) in Tyrol. Well-maintained roads also open up the West ( Mittenwald, Scharnitz ), North ( Vorderriß, case ) and east ( Achensee, Pertisau, Achenkirch ) of the mountain.

Only a public road leading from the north ( Vorderriß ) about Hinterriß, in the heart of the mountains to the Great maple floor. This road is passable all year to Hinterriß, the further section down to the Strait is open to toll, and only from May until the onset of winter. From Pertisau the Falzthurntal and the Gern Valley can be driven on a toll road from mid-May to late October. The valleys offer for mountaineers good starting options for things to do in the Sonnjochgruppe and the eastern Hinterautal - Vomper chain or in Vorkarwendel.

The major east-west valleys are accessible by good gravel forest roads, but closed to motorized traffic (except for riparian, forest enterprises and the taxi service from Scharnitz ) and correspondingly popular with mountain bikers. The Hinterautal ( Ursprungstal the Isar ) is easy to drive from Scharnitz to farmed Kastenalm over a length of 14 km by bicycle. The secondary distance from the Kastenalm to Hallerangerhaus however, makes very high demands on the physical condition and is suitable only for sufficiently experienced mountain bikers.

By public transport the Karwendel is difficult to reach, especially summit goals in the Gleirsch Halltal chain, the Hinterautal - Vomper chain as well as the Northern Karwendel chain are often accessible as day trips from Scharnitz or of Hinterriß only in conjunction with a mountain bike tour through the valleys. The Mittenwaldbahn (also Karwendel Bahn ) from Innsbruck to Garmisch opens up the west side to the stations Mittenwald, Scharnitz, Gießenbach, Seefeld in Tirol and Hochzirl, the German trains run from Munich to Mittenwald, the Austrian from Innsbruck to Mittenwald, some just to Seefeld or scharnitz. Year-round bus routes from Tegernsee to Achensee up to Pertisau and from Jenbach in the Inn Valley to Pertisau. The narrow Achenseebahn leads from Jenbach to Seespitz station on Lake Achen, traction only May to October. In summer, a bus from Lenggries moves (in cooperation between the RVO and the sections of Munich and Upper Country of the German Alpine Club Bergsteigerbus ) to the Eng.

Sacred Heart - Fire on the Seekar near Achenkirch

New Guide to the Sonntagkar

RVO bus in Rißtal before the blade tip

Mountain railways

From the middle of the forest leads an aerial cableway, the Karwendel Bahn, up to the foot of the Western Karwendelspitze, the starting point of Mittenwald High Route. In winter, skiing is possible on skis by the Dammkar. The route is not prepared but secured against avalanches ( explosions, blocking).

From Innsbruck's district Hungerburg the Nordkettenbahn into two sections on the Seegrube to Hafelekarspitze.

West of Achenkirch is the winter sports area Hochalmlifte Christlum that offers some chairlifts and drag lifts.

In Pertisau is located in the Karwendel cable car, which opens up a hiking or winter sports area.

The Karwendel there are two funicular railways.

The Hungerburgbahn is the first section of the Nordkettenbahn from Innsbruck to Hafelekar.
From Seefeld a funicular leading to the Ross cottage. From there, aerial cableways on the Seefeld yoke and Härmelesgrat.

Sources and maps

The Alpine Club Guide contains no more from the 14th edition mountain and climbing tours that exceed the level of difficulty of the Alps II scale, with a few exceptions. Thus, there is currently no work that comprehensively describes the Karwendel from mountaineering and tourism point of view.

Heinz Zak: Karwendel, Bruckmann, 1990, ISBN 3-7634-1022-8
Wolfgang Ehn: Karwendel, Innsbruck 2002
Walter Klier: Karwendel Alpine Club Guide, 13th Edition, 1990, Berg Publisher Rother, Munich, out of stock
Walter Klier: Alpine Club leaders Karwendel Alpine, 15th edition, 2005 Bergverlag Rother, Munich, ISBN 3-7633-1121-1
Bernd Eberle et al: Kletterführer Karwendel, 3rd edition, 2006, Panico, ISBN 3-926807-54-7

Historic:

A. Roth Pletz: the Karwendel Mountains, Reprinted from the Journal of the German and Austrian Alpine Club, Munich 1888 ( online archive.org ).

Maps:

Alpine Club map 1:25,000, sheets 5/1, 5/ 2 and 5/3, Karwendel Mountains West, Central and East

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