It is just after the last of the houses on the edge of Garmisch that the valley closes in. The forest comes down on either side, as the road, railway and river find their way between the steep hillsides. We are heading for the border, for another country, but what we are really looking for is the moment that we reach what we have come to think of as ‘our valley’.
We first came this way five years ago. It was late summer, around sunset. We caught a glimpse of the Ehrwald cable car, silhouetted against the darkening sky as it made its way up the Zugspitze, climbing Germany’s highest mountain from the Austrian side. After that we passed beneath the railway bridge and caught sight of the moss, the flat hay meadows criss-crossed by gravel tracks and drainage ditches in the valley floor, surrounded by high rocky mountains.
On the other side of the moss, the road climbs up towards the Fern Pass. Our valley is a place that many have passed through, but most of them choose not to stop. They are heading instead for higher mountains, or the lakes of Italy. But since we discovered this place, we don’t feel the need to go any further.
There is something exciting, of course, about travelling to someplace new. But there is also something special about deepening a connection with a place that was once foreign but which you return to time and again. The first time we climbed up from Biberweir to the saddle beneath the Sonnenspitz mountain and crossed the high, hanging valley to the Coburger Hütte and the Seebensee lake. The next time, we climbed the peak called Daniel, a steep hike up from the valley floor. From here we could see the Zugspitze in all its lumpy, inelegant glory, as well as the Sonnenspitz and some of the route we had walked a few years before.
This time we will head up the Grubigstein, to see our valley from a different perspective, looking down on the meadows where we have walked and ridden our bikes, tracing the paths we’ve followed before, the mountains we’ve climbed and the ones we still dream of. And at some point, we will sneak back across the border to swim in the beautiful waters of the Eibsee, the Zugspitze silhouetted against the sun above us. Because why travel to the same places, if you don’t build in your own traditions among the things you continue to discover?
Why travel to Lermoos?
In an area that is marketed at the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena, it is clear that Germany’s highest mountain is a selling point, regardless of which side of the border you stay. But shhh… and don’t tell anyone, but despite having ticked off most of the corners of the valley, at the time of writing we haven’t yet climbed to the top. To hike it up and down in a day is a serious undertaking, with many hikers deciding instead to spend a night at one of the huts on the way up. Or you could climb up in a day and then descend back to the valley via the cable car or train. If you fancy getting to the top this way, the cable car in Ehrwald (on the Austrian side) is cheaper than from the other side of the border.
An alternative, that we found to be as spectacular and certainly less crowded, is the cable car up the Grubigstein from Lermoos. There’s a fine mountain hut for lunch, a snack or a beer, and the beauty of being on this side of the valley is that you can actually see the Zugspitze in all its lumpy, rocky glory. From the top station of the cable car it is a bit of a scramble to the summit, so you do feel like you’ve done at least something to earn the views.
Throughout the valley you can rent bikes or hire guides to take you whitewater rafting, climbing the many Via Ferrata routes or paragliding from the highest slopes of the Grubigstein. On the road to Reutte, the Heiterwanger See has SUP rental as well as a fine hiking trail for low level walks if the weather is bad. And if you’ve got a head for heights, test them on the highline179 hanging bridge a little further on towards Reutte, which was – with a span of 402 metres across the valley – the longest of its type in the world when it opened in 2014.
Favourite walk in Lermoos
There are some brilliant walks in and around the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena, including the hike up to Seebensee and the Coburger Hütte from Ehrwald. But if you fancy climbing a mountain that you’ll have pretty much to yourself, then head up Daniel (2,340m). The route from Lermoos takes you up through the forest to the Tuftl Alm (a great spot for a beer on the way down), before the views open up the higher you climb.
On the day we climbed the mountain, deep in the summer holidays, we met about six people all day. The route uploaded onto AllTrails is exactly the way we did it (although first we had to cross the moss from Ehrwald – a flat stroll in the morning light and then later in the evening that nevertheless added a good five kilometres to the total for the day). It is not an easy walk. With nearly 1,400m of elevation gain, some scree slopes to cross and few points on the ridge that feel quite exposed, we were extremely happy to do it in warm, calm and clear weather.
Travel tips for Lermoos
We have stayed in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena four times, and of the three main villages, as mentioned above our recommendation would be Lermoos. We stayed in a rented apartment, which was lovely, but there are plenty of guesthouses and hotels. Lermoos has a good collection of restaurants, a supermarket and there are fantastic walks from the village itself (including the summit of Daniel). The valley station of the Grubigsteinbahn is in the centre of the village.
If you are camping, Fischer am See is a little bit out of our valley but is right on the aforementioned Heiterwanger See. There is also a pretty fancy-looking hotel on the grounds, which we have had on our list for a while but haven’t yet had the chance to try out yet.
The official Tiroler Zugspitz Arena website is a great resource for summer and winter trips (this is a popular ski area in the colder months). When you stay in accommodation within the region, you’ll get a guest card from your hotel, campsite or holiday rental. This allows you to use local buses for free during your stay (great for point-to-point walks) as well as discounts at public pools and the Ehrwald climbing gym.
Words & Photographs by Paul Scraton
