Parking Alpspitzbahn - Alpspitze (Ostgrat)

Access to starting point:
Through the Karawanks Tunnel, we drive to Austria, and then we continue driving towards Spittal and forward towards Lienz (a little after Spittal highway ends). Further, we drive on a relatively nice and wide road through Drau valley, which brings us in Italy. The road further leads past Dobbiaco / Toblach and Brunico / Bruneck. We still continue on the main road and then we join the highway towards Austria (direction Brenner, Innsbruck). In Innsbruck we continue on the highway which runs towards the west by the river Inn (at the highway junction direction Garmisch). Highway we soon leave at exit for Garmisch. The road then starts ascending towards the mountain pass Scharnitz where there is a border between Austria and Germany. From the mountain pass, we then descend on the German side and follow the signs for Garmisch-Partenkirchen. When we drive through the mentioned settlement we follow the signs for Austria and settlement Ehrwald. A little before the end of the settlement Garmisch-Partenkirchen we turn left where signs »Alpspitze« point us to. We follow this road to a large parking lot at the bottom station of cableways Alpspitze and Kreuzeckbahn.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we go towards the bottom station of the cableway Alpspitze and at first, we cross a railway track, and then we go on a macadam road, that runs between the both cableways. At the beginning macadam path leads past few houses, and by the path, we will also notice signposts, which marks the path towards the mountain hut Kreuzeck. The road then turns left and starts steeply ascending through the forest. Further road runs occasionally on a ski slope from which a view opens up towards the settlement Garmisch-Partenkirchen and then again through the forest.
Later, the path brings us on a wider macadam road on which we continue right following the signs »Kreuzeck«. We follow gentle wide road only a short time because signposts soon point us to the left on a steeper road by the ski slope. Here the path leads past the artificial lake Speichersee and later again joins wider road. For some time we again walk on the mentioned road, and then signs for Kreuzeck point us to the right on a footpath.
Here we are then ascending in zig-zags through the forest, soon we come again out of the forest and a view opens up also towards the summit Zugspitze. A short ascent follows by the ski slope and the path brings us to private mountain hut Trögelhütte.
At the mountain hut, we continue right on a narrow macadam road which then after a shorter ascent, we leave and we continue on a footpath. Further, we are ascending through the forest and by the path, we will also notice a sign on which there are writen various verses. Higher, the path brings us to the mountain pasture Kreuzalm where we again join the macadam road. On the mountain pasture where a beautiful view opens up towards the summit Alpspitze we continue right on a macadam road on which we soon come to the hut Kreuzeckhaus where there is also an upper station of the cableway Kreuzeckbahn.
At the crossroad, which is located little below the mountain hut we then continue left towards the mountain pasture Hochalm. The path from the crossroad slightly descends and leads us past the vantage point by which there are also different signs. Here at first from the left joins the footpath from ski jumping hills in the settlement Garmisch-Partenkirchen and then also from the right path from the settlement Hammersbach. We continue on a macadam road which soon brings us to another crossroad.
At the crossroad, we continue left on a gentle road towards the mountain pasture Hochalm, and right upward leads a little longer path over the peak Längenfelder also to the mountain pasture Hochalm. From the crossroad, the road runs towards the south and from the left joins the path Bernadeinsteig from the mountain hut Stuibenhütte. The road further slightly ascends and it brings us to the cottage on the mountain pasture Hochalm.
At the crossing on the mountain pasture, we continue slightly left on the road following the signs »Osterfelderkopf«, right leads the road towards the cableway Längenfelder and a little steeper footpath towards the summit Osterfelderkopf where there is also an upper station of the cable car Alpspitze. From the crossing, the road starts ascending a little steeper towards the south and leads us past a smaller cottage Bergwachthütte. Further, the road becomes less steep and soon a view opens up on precipitous northern wall of the peak Bernadeinkopf on which runs also extremely demanding secured path (difficulty D/E). Gently sloping road then brings us to a marked crossing. First from the left joins the path from the valley Reintal and mountain hut Bockhütte, and only a little after that, we come to another crossing. This time path Schöngänge towards the summit Alpspitze branches off to the left and also the already mentioned extremely demanding secured climbing path on Bernadeinkopf. At the crossing, we continue slightly right on a macadam road, that runs by the ski slope. Here we have from a path very nice view towards the northern walls of peaks Bernadeinkopf and Alpspitze, and by the path, there are also situated numerous signs, which in an interesting way describe surroundings. Later road turns to the right and leads us through smaller notch from which a view towards the summit Osterfelderkopf opens up.
Further, the path turns slightly to the left and then it is ascending on grassy slopes towards the summit. Higher joins steeper path from the mountain pasture Hochalm and only a short ascent follows to the top of Osterfelderkopf where there is also a restaurant Alpspitze and the upper stations of cableways Alpspitze and Hochalmbahn.
From the restaurant Alpspitze we continue left on gentle and wide path, which crosses slopes towards the south. Our path then crosses the fence and short time still crosses slopes towards the south, and then it brings us to a marked crossing.
At the crossing, we continue left, and right leads the path over notch Rinderscharte into a valley Höllental. From the crossing at first follows a short ascent with the help of some steel cables, and then again less steep path brings us below the walls of the peak Alpspitze where there is another crossing.
Right leads secured path Alpspitze Ferrata towards the summit Alpspitze, and we continue left on the path named Nordwandsteig. Still not that steep path then brings us in the tunnel. Tunnel, which isn't too long makes crossing of precipitous slopes easier. Through tunnel we will easier walk with a lamp, which isn't urgently needed, because the tunnel is relatively short. When we come out of the tunnel, the path for some time crosses steep slopes towards the east and is mostly secured with a steel cable. Such a path then brings us on less steep slopes on the eastern side of the peak Alpspitze where there is also a crossing.
Straight leads the path towards path Schöngange and towards the summit Bernadeinkopf to which is only approximately 15 minutes of walking. We continue right upward and we steeply ascend on a ladder. Next follows a short crossing by the steel cable, and then the path brings us on less steep scree. Steep part of the path which runs on a ladder we can also avoid if before the ladder we go on the scree. This is recommended only in case, when there isn't any snow fields on the scree.
On the scree where there is a marked crossing we continue towards the south following the signs »Alpspitze über Ostgrat«, and right leads the path »Ostflanke« also towards the summit Alpspitze.
From the crossing, we slightly ascend on the scree and then we soon come on the eastern ridge. Here we continue right and we are then ascending on a wide and panoramic ridge. Later, the ridge becomes a little narrower and steeper, and we also get help from fixed safety gear. Higher the ridge becomes again less demanding, but because there is a lot of gravel on the path some caution is still needed. On more and more scenic path we then soon reach the peak.

On the way: Speichersee (1230m), Trögelhütte (1436m), Kreuzeckhaus (1652m), Hochalm (1705m), Osterfelderkopf (2033m)