He is said to be crazy and in the truest sense - Johann Sanktjohanser, pensionist from Partenkirchen, climbed Germany's highest mountain over 200 times, but nota bene: barefoot! While the "normale" hiker climbs the top slowly and efficiently in around 7 to 8 hours, the learnt carpenter, who has surpassed  age 70 a couple opf years ago, takes only 3 hours. The barefoot ascent is not the only superlative of the pensionist: He has mastered the 2.963m difference of altitude more often than anyone else.

For fellows who are not as sportive the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn Bergbahn AG offers the alternatives rack railway and funicular. While you can access the rack railway (inaugurated in 1929) at the station Garmisch-Partenkirchen, thevalley stop of cable car is based at Eibsee. The place is part of the borough of Grainau, which has been a popular vacation spot since the 1930s. The famous race driver Hans Stuck, father of the still active Hans-Joachim „Strietzel“ Stuck, was a prominent inhabitant of the Zugspitz village with his wife.

If you don't feel like following the example of Johann Sanktjohanser and climb the die Zugspitze barefoot, then you should choose Zugspitz round trip. Starting point is the station in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, from there you take rack railway to Schneeferner and continue on the glacier cable car to the top with Germany's highest view. After enjoying the 360-degree-panorama you take cable car down to Eibsee, whose surrounding should be taken into account and finally you take the train back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

In Winter Zugspitze is a popular meet-up for skiers and snowboarders. From the season 2005/2006 snowboarders and freeskiers can let off steam on Germany's highest mountain in the new "Terrain Park Zugspitze" (3 hectares). For those less freaky: you will find your money's worth on the ample Zugspitzplatt with its extended lift machines providing short queue times.

Germany's only glacier starts snow pleasures in November and ends them in May. Getting there can a little tricky since the way to Werdenfelser Land is often jammed at Eschenlohe, with tons of cars. You should rather take the train from Munich Hauptbahnhof. Another vantage is the Kombiticket with the Zugspitzbahn, including the skipass.

Climbing Zugspitze, as mentioned before, should include good footgear and an overnight stay. Experienced alpinists will choose the way via Hammersbach through the Höllentalklamm to Höllentalanger cabine and then on via the Brett and the Eisenleiter to Ostgipfel. For all others the way via Reintal is the only option. The route leads through Partnachklamm and the Stuibenwald to Bockhütte. From there you continue to Reintalanger cabin and then to Knorrhütte. After both tours you can celebrate yourself as a summiteer, even  if you didn't make it barefoot.

by Dietmar Stanka