A Homely Hike to Jochberg
The group of Ukrainians I've met at the end of my recent hike to Auer Berg (1252 m) invited me to an outing up Jochberg, which I visited a couple of times before. With a fractured finger and nothing better to do, I gladly accepted the invitation and joined the group. We set out early in the morning, traveling in the direction of Kochel.
At the station we changed our initial plan and decided to also visit the Lainbachfall waterfall and Sonnenspitz (1269 m). Although not everyone in the group was equally fit, we decided to stick to the new plan.
Our way to the waterfall was largely uneventful. The first chunk of the road was very slippery, since all the fog and cold air were freezing the water droplets on the ground and asphalt, making it a perfect slide.
Closer to the waterfall the road was paved with gravel and dirt, so walking became much easier. We came to the source of the waterfall and took a bunch of photos, taking a longer break in the meantime.
Once we finished resting, we headed up to Sonnenspitz (1269 m). The route there is really nice, going near Kienstein (968 m). Although now is not the time for it, you can see many rock climbers with full gear going there to practice climbing up the cliff.
On the way up one can find a lot of scenic viewpoints. Given appropriate weather, each one of them is worth it. With the clouds covering the valley and falling over the Walchensee Kraftwerk, the view is really breathtaking.
Once we reached the top, we realized where the mountain got its name from. It's sunny for most of the day, even in winter. We stayed at the summit for quite some time, having small talk and enjoying the views. It was also nice to see a lot of other hikers on the route, some bringing dogs. The view towards Herzogstand (1731 m) was amazing, with the valley in the clouds, and the mountains illuminated by the sun at its highest.
We kept going down and reached a plateau going in the direction of Walchensee. It was a nice reprieve going on flat terrain, but our enjoyment was cut short by the next section through a tree-covered mountain side. While the snow down below was hardened by the sun, the hill had waterfalls with fresh running water and puffy snow covered in the shade of spruce trees. It didn't seem like a lot of people took that route, but it was still fully walkable for a group of various fitness levels.
Eventually we reached the snowy and muddy valley of Jocheralm. We could already see the peak of Jochberg (1565 m) from there, making us enthusiastic about the way ahead.
We started the final section and reached the peak just 20 minutes later. The vista from the top was mind-blowing. The clouds in the Kochel region contrast the clear skies of Walchensee, Simetsberg (1840 m) in the distance in front of Zugspitze (2962 m), and Benediktenwand (1800 m) in the other direction add up to an amazing panorama. The tourists were also really kind, patiently stomaching our chatter the whole time we stayed there.
After enjoying the view to the fullest, we started heading down the usual way to Urfeld. It was already getting dark, but we still managed to enjoy the Walchensee beach for a bit. Reaching the final destination, we took the bus and headed back home. While waiting for the bus, we saw two guys and a girl exit a car they parked nearby. They took off all their clothes and jumped into the lake for a quick swim. It was quite a sight to see in the cold evening.
I'd highly recommend this route to anyone interested in starting to hike. It can be done in sections (waterfall only, Sonnenspitz (1269 m), and Jochberg (1565 m)), so it's accessible to people of most fitness levels. In summer the hut is supposedly open, so you can even rest there. The views towards Kochelsee and Walchensee are nice in any weather, and on a clear day you might get a chance to see Zugspitze (2962 m) too!