Ascent
The start is at the Wimbachbrücke bridge next to Ramsau near Berchtesgaden. While it is still dark, the route heads south-east along forest paths steadily uphill towards the Stubenalm. After the alpine meadows, the route continues through thinning forest to the valley station of the Watzmannhaus material cable car.
Via serpentines to the Falzalm, just below the Falzkopf, it then climbs briefly before you reach the Watzmannhaus. The dawn greets you here at the latest and you can see the rest of the tour. From here, the route becomes much more alpine. The ridge towards Hocheck is initially climbed simply via the right flank, but the further you get, the more clearly you follow the ridge. If the conditions are not right here, you can still turn back in time. Later, a retreat becomes difficult.
The ridge becomes narrower and the first climbing difficulties have to be mastered. Soon the first of the three Watzmann peaks comes into view, the Hocheck at 2651 metres. After a short rest, the route continues along the sometimes airy ridge to the Mittelspitze, the main summit of the Watzmann at 2713 metres. Here, impressive views of the famous Watzmann east face open up. A few times you have to climb down or cross an exposed firn field. Steel cables can be used from time to time, but many are buried under the snow and require safe walking with crampons and ice axe.
Shortly before the Südspitze, we traverse upwards in a small snow gully to the right of the ridge. We are already standing on the last summit of the day, the Südspitze at 2712 metres.
