The summer vacations are slowly coming to an end and a sense of melancholy is spreading. Nostalgia for a lightness that only exists in summer, when the sun kisses our skin and we can walk barefoot through the grass. Wistfulness after long climbing days in the mountains, where you can try out yet another route without having to look at your watch and fear the onset of darkness. But: no more moping, the most beautiful time of year is not over yet. Let's enjoy the start of late summer in the mountains and celebrate a grand finale with friends and family while climbing, celebrate the hut feeling and soak up the panorama. You can't get enough of it - who knows what winter will be like ...
Coburger Hütte: two lakes, lots of climbing opportunities, endless beautiful views
Admittedly, the DAV hut above Ehrwald in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena is not an insider tip. On nice days, many day tourists make a pilgrimage to the Coburger Hütte to experience the much-praised postcard idyll for themselves. I would also like to visit this natural gem and find the approach to the hut breathtakingly beautiful: while you walk across gentle alpine pastures around the Ehrwalder Almbahn mountain station, where the cattle enjoy their last days in boundless freedom, mighty rock faces gradually come into view, appearing close enough to touch and providing an impressive backdrop. Right in the middle: the pretty Seebensee lake. Its water sparkles Caribbean green and turns even the fastest climber into a slow admirer. You almost automatically take off your rucksack to take a seat. You dip your feet into the cool water and enjoy the surrounding mountain basin, which watches over the water, hikers and ducks like a protective bastion. An idyll that is only interrupted by the cheerful chattering of birds, because otherwise it is surprisingly quiet here, despite the many people ... The lake radiates a calm that seems to be transmitted to its viewers.
The scenery at Seebensee
Once you have enjoyed this view to the full, you quickly make steep hairpin bends through mountain pines up to the saddle and the Coburger Hütte at an altitude of over 1900 meters.
A look back at the Seebensee with the Zugspitze behind it
After a brief look back towards the Zugspitze and Seebensee your eyes follow a green shimmer past the hut. And just a few steps further on, a view opens up of the Drachensee, which lies slightly below the hut. Dragon Lake. Emerald green, it lies heavy and calm in its stone bed. To the one side green meadows beckon for a swim, on the other side the terrain is rockier and the lines more rocky and the lines gradually into large rock faces.
The dragon lake
And there it is, the postcard idyll: kitschy, romantic and absolutely intoxicating for the senses. I'm sure that with these views, pretty much all guests will whizz past the hut with its tunnel view, or rather "lake view". You first have to take in this panorama for a reasonable amount of time before you can devote yourself to such trivial things as stopping off at the hut ...
The Coburger Hütte
We have now reached this point and walk into the hut with a soulful look on our faces, order randomly and are back at the hut door a little later, fully laden. The deckchairs at the viewing platform are still free - we plop down and set up food and drinks around us so that we don't have to get up again, at least for a little while. Because we have time: The weather forecast has thwarted our actual climbing plans for today. We've checked the forecasts again and again and are now weighing up the options again in our loungers. In the end, the risk of thunderstorms is too great for a long alpine tour, so we stay put, even though the sun is still shining innocently from the sky. Instead, we watch as the first hut guests make their way to the lake in their swimsuits. And less than 30 minutes later, we can already hear the loud squeaks. The water is tempting, but not for hot showers, so you have to hurry if you want to follow the bathers as they swim, because you can't do more than a few strokes ...
A luxury terrace with a fantastic view
Despite everything, we still want to climb a little, as we have carried our equipment up here and our fingers are itching to see the breathtakingly beautiful rock faces. We scout out the hut climbing garden, which is only 10 minutes away from the hut. From our point of view, the perfect choice for today. We bring back our empty cups and plates and set off to enjoy some climbing.
Coburger Hütte climbing garden
The approach is easy and easy to find, the routes are well secured and the difficulties are low. Sure, it's not for hard movers and certainly not for soft rockers who usually prefer to spend their time on the seventh degree, but it was an ideal destination for us on this day. And by the way, a dream for all beginners - big or small - who want to get used to rock climbing and lead climbing: easy climbing in the finest Wetterstein limestone with lots of holes and ledges. Not too high, so that you always stay in contact with your belayer, and also very beginner-friendly. Your climbing partner can also stand comfortably at the foot of the wall and, if the situation allows, can catch a magnificent view of the deep green shimmering Drachensee or the Zugspitze, as the lines of sight are open. Jackdaws fly around you and watch curiously as you climb. From below, a few sheep pass by from time to time, but they quickly get bored and move on - wherever they go ... A wonderful pleasure if you are out and about with children, for example, or if you want to set off on an alpine route the next day and don't want to spend all your time in a deckchair until dinner at the hut.
Pleasure climbing near the Coburger Hütte
A glance at the sky tells us that the weather forecast was correct: black clouds are piling up. We have to pack up and start our descent into the valley if we want to stay dry. We made the right decision, but we still had a fantastic day in the mountains and are already planning our next visit to the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena as we descend. Because, at least according to the meteorologists, a "high" is supposed to follow, practically imperial weather in the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena.
Over the Seebenwände to the alp of the same name and up to the Coburger hut
A few days later, the blue sky arches over us early in the morning blue sky above us early in the morning and the swallows take off on their first formation flight at galactic heights. We are back at the Ehrwalder Alm valley station, only this time we leave the cable car to the left and instead follow the signs to the to the waterfall circuit in the direction of the via ferrata. We are talking about the Seebensee waterfall, which is clearly visible from the cable car and energy and the thundering masses of water magically attract everyone's attention. Our plan for the day: climb an easy multi-pitch route on the Seebenwände and ascend to the alp of the same name. From there, walk up to the Coburger Hütte to spend the night here and climb one of the beautiful alpine routes the next day. alpine routes the next day. Many of them were drilled by Christoph Hainz and promise magnificent lines. But back to the day's action:
We climbed the base of the Seebenwände in just over 30 minutes from the Ehrwalder Almbahn valley station. The Seebensee waterfall acts like a natural air conditioning system and soon our ears are ringing. Rope commands are are not possible here, we go through the non-verbal communication again, then we start the "Latschentango". The 7-pitch tour lives up to its name, but in addition to the one or other latschentango, it also offers many outstandingly beautiful meters of climbing. A dream with lots of alpine flair!
Climbing the Latschentango on the Seebenwand, photo: Cecile Stolz
We climb out over the edge and find ourselves virtually on the terrace of the Seebenalm. A cool drink and a sweet treat later to the Coburger Hütte, from where we will climb an alpine route the next day. alpine route the next day.
The Seebenalm, photo: Cecile Stolz
We follow the path we already know and today the Seebensee lake once again enchants us with its beauty. A pair of ducks waddle shyly towards the park bench guests - they might drop a crumb of bread ... (which shouldn't happen because signs expressly forbid feeding). We continue our ascent to the Coburger Hütte and experience completely new impressions the second time around. Knowing what is to come, we enjoy the landscape with its steep rock faces, green alpine meadows and colorful flowers even more intensely. Once at the top, we almost follow a ritual: get drinks and food, grab a deckchair, set everything up and then enjoy. Watching the dragon lake, sheep and shamelessly enjoying the sweet idleness - the summer finale. Unfortunately, the weather was bad the next day, but no matter. The ascent and postcard idyll can be repeated a third and fourth time.
Overnight stay:
Coburger Hütte: If you want to set off on the alpine routes or simply spend a fantastic weekend in a mountain hut, you have to spend the night at the Coburger Hütte. Pack a warm jacket for the late evening hours, then you can enjoy nature and its play of colors without shivering. Book early!
Ehrwald: Tranquil, rural, impressive - that's how you could describe the village in three words. Ehrwald has retained much of its original character despite tourism. The pretty farmsteads are a feast for the eyes, but they have not been specially spruced up - they were built centuries ago. The people of Ehrwald make a special effort on Sacred Heart Day at the end of June. In good weather, you can marvel at a true mountain fire spectacle.
Climbing opportunities:
In addition to the Coburger Hütte, the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena region is a climbing Eldorado. Sport climbing, multi-pitch routes and alpine classics. There's a lot on offer here.
