TUM Hike Day 2025: Wendelstein
This trip was done as the annual team-building exercise with the Chair for Database Systems (and others). I was responsible for the organization, with some strict rules to determine the route. It had to have a cable car, a restaurant at the top, be not too long, have decent elevation gain, and be accessible by train directly from Munich. The Wendelstein (1838 m) peak, which I've visited before, fulfilled all these criteria, so we went there. We split off into three groups, one starting at Geitau and going straight to the top, one starting at Geitau and going across Türkenköpfl (1512 m), which I visited before going to Breitenstein (1622 m) and Schweinsberg (1514 m), and the final group starting in Osterhofen and taking the easier route up. The professors went to Bayrischzell to have lunch and take the cable car up. I was in charge of the group on the easier route.
The journey started safely along an asphalt road to Bergcafé Siglhof, with us holding a very good pace up and making a single break at the cafe. We also met a herd of alpacas on the way, which was cool, but one of them was overly friendly to me and I got scared of getting bitten or spit on (I wasn't sure if it was a llama or an alpaca, but it was definitely not a sheep).
After the break we continued our way up, this time on a gravel road, which led us to Wendelsteiner Almen (1420 m). By that time, we started making a bit more breaks, but the pace was still good, and we were estimating to reach the top in time for our reservation at the restaurant.
After the huts, the way up is a bit steeper and narrower, going on rocks and tree roots, but it was still doable for all of us. We passed by quite a few hikers, which was unusual for a Tuesday, but I guess mountains are popular on any day in Bavaria. Some of us couldn't appreciate the view, though, taking calls instead.
When we were on the final rocky trail to the restaurant and the cable car station, I got a message that the other groups have arrived and are having trouble with the reservation, so I rushed up ahead of the group to figure out what was going on. Turns out that the issue was solved quickly, and I stayed talking until the rest of my group arrived. We also saw a bunch of paragliders and a glider flying by, giving us something to look at despite the fog around the nearby peaks.
After a quick lunch (18 Euro for Leberkäse and a Schorle, by the way), we went to the observatory at the top, making it just in time to see some football players posing for a group photo. The last section to the peak was refreshing, with guard rails and nice stairs all the way up. The view was not perfect due to the fog, but I was still able to flex my knowledge of the local mountains.
We took a group photo on the peak too, going down shortly after. Some of us took the cable car down, while the others split into two groups again, one following the GPS track I prepared, and the other, including me, going down along Legerwald, taking a break at Grüne Gumpe and going down to Freibad Bayrischzell. Although we had quite a pace, we still arrived at the station later than the others.
Overall, it was a nice hike, which I managed to take from memory, without looking at the GPS track or the digital map. I was also pleasantly surprised by my physical condition, as I remembered the last time I went to Wendelstein (1838 m), I had more trouble with the ascent. As I proved on this outing, the route is doable for beginners of completely different physical conditions, as long as you take your time and make breaks. I highly recommend it for the views!