Cloudy Trek to Aiplspitz

When I was on a hike to Seebergkopf (1538 m), I noticed a very nice mountain in the distance. It was even visible from the train to Bayrischzell. That mountain was Aiplspitz (1759 m). Although it's not the biggest mountain around, especially compared to Rotwand (1884 m), it still offers great views over the Spitzingsee valley and towards Wendelstein (1838 m). I sent out a DAAD FK announcement for the hike and two members agreed to join me!

We started easy, following a dirt road towards some huts near Geitau. Since the weather was extremely hot, everyone was craving shade and water, and we saw tons of cows on the slopes either hiding under trees or drinking from barrels and troughs. We also got to see Seebergkopf (1538 m) that I visited with DAAD FK before.

As we kept going, the dirt road ended and we entered a typical dry and dusty trail. Although it was quite steep, walking on it wasn't a big issue. Or so I thought. Soon after, the terrain changed and we were climbing up gravel. Although I've been on quite a few mountains by now, I don't think I've seen trails like these (although I'm sure they are pretty common on higher peaks). We were slipping sideways and down, hitting our toes against the rocks, breathing in dust and being grilled by the sun. All in all, nothing terrible, but not a pleasant hiking experience either.

After the gravel section is over, the next section is pretty much a climb. You start off light, having to do high steps on some semi-polished rocks that many hikers use. As the road keeps going, you have to use your arms more and more. My group started struggling quite a bit with this section, taking their time and making frequent brakes due to the effort and hot weather. While I would normally recommend taking more water, keep in mind you'll have to carry all of it while "climbing" upwards.

Once you get to the ridge leading to Heißenplatte (1593 m), you can catch your breath under the shade of some pine bushes and turn towards the rest of the path up to the summit of Aiplspitz (1759 m). While I wouldn't call this trail risky, as there is always something to grab onto, and the rocks themselves are stable and big, I wouldn't recommend coming here after rain or snow. The ridge is moderately thin and has exposed sections. If you get dizzy from the heat, nothing will stop you from falling down and getting heavily injured (same as on many other mountains). Since most of the way is exposed, make sure to get enough cover from the sun.

The route was quite crowded on the day of the hike. At the crossroads towards Nagelspitz (1555 m) we met a pair of older ladies trying to get their bearings. They came from Hammer and were considering either going to Lochgrabensattel or descending the way we came. We warned them that all the roads were quite tough, and they chose the latter option. On the way up, the sections kept getting more and more exposed, with large portions of rocks and not that many pine bushes.

Apart from the heat, we started noticing more and more bugs flying around us. At this time of the year, they are looking for each other to build groups and the easiest way to find others for them is to fly up to the highest point. So all of the local peaks were covered in them, getting into every photo we were trying to make, flying into our eyes and ears, preventing us from enjoying our food and drinks. I've experienced that quite a few times, so I was calm, but others were really annoyed.

The top of Aiplspitz (1759 m) wasn't that impressive, since the main focus was definitely the panoramic view towards the lakes. We still had quite a way to go, so we took off. Quite soon, when we approached Tanzeck (1703 m), we were faced with a via ferrata section. It was just a few meters wide, nothing too dangerous, but it was enough to create a traffic jam with hikers constantly passing it in both directions, some of them being scared of heights or exposed terrain.

After some waiting we managed to pass the section and head further. We didn't have a concrete plan in mind, since I didn't know how long it would take our group to climb the previous sections. Thus, we decided to head to Jägerkamp (1746 m), passing by Benzingspitz (1735 m). While I didn't feel too tired, the sun was really annoying, and everyone wanted to cool down somewhere. It wasn't possible on the slope, so we were in a hurry to go down.

We passed some more hikers on the way and reached Jägerkamp (1746 m). It wasn't as exciting as I imagined, the whole summit was covered in bushes and bugs. We did it more for a challenge and didn't have a photo session in mind, so we headed straight down from there, passing Schönfeldhütte (1410 m).

We took one final glance at the peaks we just visited and headed down. The trail was well-kept and we saw many more hikers hoing down towards the lake. Once we reached it, we couldn't hold off and went swimming. I went further into deep water and managed to get cramps on both legs, but nothing bad happened.

I highly recommend this route to everyone who seeks a challenge. It is not as long as some of the other once, but packs a punch in terms of elevation. While not for everyone, it offers great views towards the valleys and lakes around. My main suggestion would be to take more water with you and some sun protection for your head.