From Herzogstand to Heimgarten – a hiking classic

The ridge walk from Herzogstand (1731 m) to Heimgarten (1790 m), high above Lake Kochelsee and Lake Walchensee, is a popular circular tour thanks to the magnificent views of the Karwendel, Ester Mountains, Wetterstein and the Ammergau Alps. Depending on your preference, the Herzogstandbahn cable car can shorten the descent to save your knees or save you the vertical metres of the ascent.

The weather forecast for this September Sunday promised changeable but dry weather. So I was hoping for varied impressions with the play of sun and clouds, which was later confirmed. The forecast had the positive side effect that fewer hikers were expected to walk this popular classic over Munich’s local mountains.

I was still walking in fog until I reached the Herzogstand summit, but at the peak, the clouds broke for the first time, revealing a view of a brewing cauldron of clouds over Lake Kochelsee and Lake Walchensee. The ridge path to Heimgarten ran through the clouds, making it feel even more detached from the world. Distant views opened up again and again before the next cloud wrapped me in lonely grey. It only became a bit more social again at the summit of Heimgarten.

By the way, before a tour I like to check the local weather conditions via photo-quality webcams at many locations.