Brecherspitz in Schliersee is one of the first summit hikes that I did in Germany. The trail to the summit alternates between rocky sections and jungle walks. Therefore, if you are someone looking for a summit trail with a teeny taste of alpine terrain, I would highly recommend summiting Brecherspitz. As an added bonus, the view from the summit towards Schliersee and Spitzingsee is simply magnificent!
In this blogpost, I reveal all the details you need to know to hike up Brecherspitz.
Contents
- Why Brecherspitz?
- Getting to Brecherspitz
- Public Transportation
- Car/Motorbike
- Hike to Brecherspitz
- Best time to visit Brecherspitz
- Things to know about Brecherspitz
- Costs
- Transportation
- Food
- My Brecherspitz experience
- Ready, Set, Go!
Why Brecherspitz?
Munich is city that is blessed with so many alpine hikes located just a train ride away. If you fancy a day hike from Munich that is a level higher than a beginner trail, has a bit of alpine terrain, a few adrenaline pumped sections and a fantastic summit experience, Brecherspitz will not disappoint. On a bright, beautiful, breezy day, the view from the summit will simply blow your mind.
Disclaimer: I do not recommend this hike if you have no prior hiking experience. Sure footedness and hiking shoes are an absolute MUST. If you are new to the world of hiking, I highly recommend reading my beginner’s guide to alpine hiking. If you are a beginner and feel intimidated by Brecherspitz but still want to feel the adrenaline rush of conquering a summit, I suggest ascending Rotwand. Although it is an easy hike, the view over Mangfall Ranges from its summit is just as stunning.
Getting to Brecherspitz
This hike is best done as a day trip from Munich. Therefore, this section will feature directions from Munich. If you are reading this blog from elsewhere in the world, feel free to add this hike to your Bavarian Itinerary to experience a perfect day hike in the Bavarian Alps.
Public Transportation
Once in Munich, getting to the starting point of the hike is quite easy. The Bayerische Oberland Bahn (BOB) runs every hour from Munich to Bayrischzell. Although it runs till Bayrischzell, you need to alight at Fischhausen-Neuhaus to get to the trailhead. The entire journey takes less than 90 minutes. More information regarding the train schedules can be found here. The departure and arrival stations must be mentioned as ‘München Hbf’ and ‘Fischhausen-Neuhaus, Schliersee’.
Alternatively, it is also possible to ascend from Spitzingsattel. This is a much shorter hike and covers less altitude. If you would opt to hike up this way, after alighting at Fischhausen-Neuhaus, continue further with bus number 9562 to Spitzingsattel, Schliersee. In this case, the departure and arrival stations must be mentioned as ‘München Hbf’ and ‘Spitzingsattel, Schliersee’ here.
Lastly, the train from Munich Central Station initially starts with three bogeys. During the course of the journey, each bogey splits at some point and heads to a different destination. In order to reach the starting point of the hike, it is important that you are in the coach that goes to Bayerischzell. However, if you are in the wrong coach, you will be given a few minutes to get into the right coach at Holzkirchen.
By Car/ Motorbike
If you would rather drive to the trailhead that I followed (Neuhaus), put this GPS co-ordinates in your navigation device and you are good to go! The co-ordinates correspond to a paid parking lot close to the hike.
Alternatively, if you would like to save some time and start the hike from Spitzingsattel, put this GPS co-ordinates in your navigation device instead. The co-ordinates correspond to a paid parking lot close to Spitzingsattel.
The drive time from Munich to both these locations is just under an hour.
Hike to Brecherspitz
As mentioned earlier, there are two popular hiking trails to Brecherspitz is as follows,
- Neuhaus (821m) – Ankelalm (1311m) – Brecherspitz (1683m) – Freudenreichkapelle (1587m) – Ankelalm (1311m) – Neuhaus (821m)
- Spitzingsattel (1120m) – Obere Firstalm (1375m) – Brecherspitz (1683m) – Spitzingsattel (1120m)
When I hiked up Brecherspitz, I chose to ascend and descend via Ankelalm. This trail is slightly longer, covers more altitude variation and is a tad bit more scenic than the other trail. However, the trail via Obere Firstalm is more beginner friendly. You can even choose to asecnd via Ankelalm and descend via Obere Firstalm to Spitzinsattel for a complete and varied hiking experience.
Ascent via Ankelalm
Trailhead : Link
The trail from Neuhaus initially weaves through tall pine trees. The path is steep in some places but overall the hike is a very pleasant climb through forest foliage. After about 90 minutes of climbing, Ankelalm comes into view. The location of the mountain hut is straight out of an oil painting. The area is surrounded by mountains and the hut clearly sits on a valley. This is a great spot to break up the hike and stretch your legs before heading to the summit!
Shortly after the alm, there is a sign board that leads to the left. From here on, the path continues further in serpentines to the ridge. Along this path, the first glimpses of Schliersee will also adorn your hiking views. Although the ridge has some rocky steps, there are no climbing sections. In this section of the hike, a good level of sure-footedness is an absolute necessity. From Ankelalm till the summit of Kramerspitz, I would estimate an hour of hiking time!
The total ascent takes about four hours with an altitude difference of 1200 metres. However, if you like me decide to stop on the way to take pictures or just soak in the beauty of nature from time to time, add in an extra hour! Depending on your fitness level, the entire hike (i.e., the ascent and the descent) takes anywhere between eight to ten hours.
The total ascent takes about three hours including some stops on the way to take pictures or to just soak in the beauty of nature. The altitude difference from the base till the summit is approximately 900 metres. I would estimate that the entire hike (i.e., the ascent, the descent and some breaks) takes about six hours.
Best Time to Hike Brecherspitz
As there are some rocky sections close to the summit, I wouldn’t recommend this hike during winter and early spring or on days after heavy rainfall. Some of these sections are secured with wire ropes but some parts close to the summit are not. I would also imagine black ice to pose considerable risks on the ridge walk to the summit! As this mountain is only 1683 m in altitude, it would be okay to climb relatively early in the summer. To get a better picture regarding the level of snowfall in case you want to attempt a spring hike, it is better to check out this webcam with a direct view of Brecherspitz.
Things to Know about Brecherspitz
- It is possible to fly a drone over the summit of Brecherspitz, in the immediate areas around it and on the trail to the summit. However, there is a protected area (National Park: Mangfallgebirge) very close to the trail. Flying a drone there is strictly prohibited! The image below clearly shows the prohibited area, the trailhead and the location of Brecherspitz.
- There are two mountain huts approximately an hour from the summit, Ankelalm and Obere Firstalm. Depending on the trail you choose, you can stop at either of these huts. Obere Firstalm is open all year around whereas Ankelalm is only open during the hiking season (June till September, closed every Monday).
- For this hike, I recommend wearing sturdy hiking shoes as there are some rocky segments. Hiking poles can also be quite useful because the trail is steep in some parts. A general overview of all the other necessary equipment required to hike in the Alps is listed in this blog post.
Costs
Transportation
If you are traveling from Munich using public transportation with a group of friends, I would highly recommend purchasing the Bayern ticket. Bayern Ticket is a day ticket that lets you travel all around Bavaria in regional trains. This Ticket costs 26 EUR for one person and 8 EUR for every additional person (upto 5 people). i.e.,
- If you are traveling alone, you would pay 26 EUR
- If you are traveling with a friend, you would pay 26 + 8 = 34 EUR (for 2 people, 17 EUR per person)
More details regarding Bayern ticket is linked here.
If opting for the ascent from Spitzingsattel, bus number 9562 from Fischhausen/Neuhaus is not included in the Bayern ticket.
Food
It is a hiking tradition in Germany to dine at mountain huts after summiting. Therefore, for a complete alpine hiking expereince, I would suggest indulging in a hearty Bavarian meal! A meal with a drink of choice at mountain huts (Ankelalm or Obere Firstalm) would cost you about 15 EUR per person.
In addition, it is always a good idea to carry some snacks to munch on during the hike. I typically get trail mixes, snickers and banana. If you need some insight regarding the kind of snacks to buy, the ‘smart snacks’ section of this blogpost should give you a fair idea! The snack costs for two people from a decent supermarket would be around 10 EUR.
My Brecherspitz Experience
Brecherspitz was the first hike I went on after I decided to take some time off to work on my fitness. I was beyond excited to see if all the work that I had put into my cardio vascular endurance had finally paid off. Moreover, this would also be my first hike in proper hiking shoes! When I got into the train that morning with hiking shoes, hiking backpack, hiking poles and hiking attire on, I felt like I truly belonged. So, this hike will always be a very special one in my head.
Since this was my first hike in a long long time, I was accompanied by a dear friend. He had previously summited Brecherspitz on a moody day and ended up with a spectacular view of thick fog and clouds. Considering the view is actually supposed to be the rolling hills of Bavarian Alps, a second hike up Brecherspitz was thus perfectly in sync with both our plans!
Ascent
After taking the first train to the trailhead, the ascent was quite pleasant with the path initially winding through thick forest foliage. Although the trail did progressively get a bit steeper, the hike up until Ankelalm was gratifying and uneventful. Since we hiked in October, the hut was unfortunately not open. Nevertheless, we indulged in a rather long break at Ankelalm, munching on snacks surrounded by the Bavarian Alps before continuing further to the summit.
The most exciting part of the hike for me was the trail after Ankelalm. After a few serpentines, we reached a ridge that extended all the way till the summit! As a hiking enthusiast, walking on ridges and having a calm, clear view to the summit is always exciting to me! In that respect, this hike did not disappoint in the slightest.
Shortly after, all the calm and peace quickly vanished. Upon reaching the summit, we were joined by hikers ascending from Spitzingsattel making it a rather busy affair. Nevertheless, the view over Spitzingsee and the Bavarian alps is quite breathtaking and makes this whole experience all the more amazing!
As an added bonus, I was surprisingly fresh as a fiddle and did not feel even half as exhausted as I did when I climbed Rotwand which made me realise how much of a difference being physically fit made while hiking! Thus, this hike re-ignited my passion for the mountains and I fell more so in love, irrevocably!
Ready, Set, Go!
Brecherspitz is hardly a secret and is one of the most climbed mountains in the Bavarian Alps. After climbing it, I can totally understand why! If you love the outdoors and a bit of a climb, a quiet, quick getaway to enjoy this stunning view should definitely be on your list.
Before you embark on your hiking adventure, I highly recommend skimming through my mountain hiking guide for an unparalleled overview on alpine hiking. Further, all the equipment required to conquer an alpine hike is also discussed in this blog post.
If you are looking for another hiking experience in Germany, I cannot recommend the following hikes enough:
- Schrecksee – The highest mountain lake in the German Alps
- Brauneck – Day Hike easily accessible from Munich
- Archenkanzel – Hidden viewpoint over lake Königssee
- Rubihorn – A complete Allgäu Experience with postcard views
- Rotwand – An easy beginner appropriate summit hike
- Kramerspitz – The perfect day hike from Munich
- Jochberg – Quick Beginner Mountain Hike in Kochel
Have any questions about hiking Brecherspitz? Leave them in the comments below!
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