Grünstein Klettersteig (B/C, 500 m), 2011
Easy to moderately difficult climbing sections, suitable for beginners Start at the Hammerstiel car park. The via ferrata is well signposted.
Key Facts
| Location: | Grünstein, Königssee, Bavaria |
| Difficulty: | C |
| Exposure: | Northwest |
| Walking time: | ca. 2.5 hours, ca. 2 hours |
| Climbing length: | ca. 600 m |
| Elevation gain: | ca. 250 m |
| Descent: | Descent via hiking trail |
| Summit: | ca. 1.500 m |
Links
via-ferrata.de
bergsteigen.com
klettersteig.de
Report
A sunny autumn weekend was forecast, and so we headed to Berchtesgaden to tackle the Grünstein via ferrata. Arriving in Schönau, the Königssee greeted us with sub-zero temperatures and fog, which initially denied us a view of the Watzmann and the Grünstein. Parallel to the toboggan run, we walked up a footpath for about three quarters of an hour to the entry point of the Grünstein via ferrata. There are actually three entry points, as the route offers three variants. The left approach leads to the easiest variant, the Isidorsteig. The middle and right entries lead to more sporty and partly overhanging variants, with the rightmost being the longest and hardest of the three.
By now we had left the valley fog behind and were treated to a superb view of the Berchtesgadener mountain world under a deep blue sky and glorious sunshine. Tom wanted to take it easy that day and took the Isidorsteig. Rudi and I chose the right-hand, newest variant. Straight away it went near-vertical with overhanging sections – for me undoubtedly the finest part of the whole route. After that you work your way across various traverses to another steep, equally overhanging bulge ending in a very unpleasant rock nose. There you definitely need to grip hard once more before you can cross the obligatory rope bridge typical of modern sport via ferratas. From here our section merges into the Isidorsteig, where we met up with Tom as planned.
The signs of approaching winter were unmistakable. The entire Watzmann massif, the Hoher Göll, the Jenner and many other peaks were already snow-capped, providing a wonderful photographic contrast against the still-green views below in the via ferrata. Apart from the three of us, only one other pair was on the route – rockfall was not a serious concern, though in summer it certainly needs to be considered. We needed just over two hours, roughly as indicated. In summary, the Grünstein via ferrata is well worth doing, at least in its lower half. To end the tour properly, the Grünsteinhütte offered the perfect spot for a last beer in the final warming rays of the sun.
Photos
