Looking for an accessible alpine fastpacking adventure? Bea spent four days traversing the Ammergau Alps through Bavaria’s largest nature reserve with her mate Toby. 

 

Ancient trails once travelled by monks and kings, well-maintained paths, cosy mountain huts, and spectacular runnable ridgelines. This was the perfect introduction to a multi-day trail running adventure, with epic mountain views and plenty of time to catch up along the way.

 

The Alps in summer are simply next level

Straight Up

The first day was blue and hot as we stepped off the train from Munich into the small town of Oberammergau, a quaint Bavarian village of colourful frescoed houses and flower-box-lined balconies. 

We swung past a local Bäckerei to load up on pasties, coffees, and rhubarb cake before heading up into the mountains. 

The air was warm, the pastures impossibly green, framed by the limestone peaks ahead and alive with the buzz of honeybees and butterflies. It was like something out of a fairytale and the perfect day to be out on the trails. 

 

Meeet your guides, Toby and Bea

 

Both Toby and I have spent plenty of time trail running, but this was our first fast-packing adventure. We were both buzzing with our honey bee friends at the prospect of spending the next four days in the mountains. 

Our running vests were bulging with a bakery haul of Laugenecken and pretzels, but otherwise we were proud of our minimalist gear. They were comfortable and small on our backs as we jogged upwards. 

With the benefit of staying in mountain huts each night, we only had to pack the essentials: toothbrush, undies, Haribo, and cash.

 

Small packs, big aerobic systems

Quick Overview of the Ammergau Alps Traverse

The Ammergau Alps Traverse is a five-day hike in southern Bavaria, between Zugspitze and Neuschwanstein Castle (the famous Disney Castle). 

Duration: 5 days
Distance: 52 kilometres
Vertical gain: 3,160 metres of climbing

Day 1: Munich → Unterammergau → August-Schuster-Haus
10 km | 700 m elevation

Day 2: August-Schuster-Haus → Kenzenhütte
15 km | 1,000 m elevation

Day 3: Kenzenhütte → Tegelberghaus
18 km | ~1,200 m elevation (depending on side missions)

Day 4: Tegelberghaus → Füssen
9 km | 260 m mostly downhill

The trail has a different feel from more famous alpine routes like the Tour du Mont Blanc or those in the Dolomites and it’s a relatively new tourist destination, so an excellent choice for our (fairly last-minute) inaugural trail-running adventure. 

With plenty of catching up to do, we were in no rush. The plan was simple: travel light, linger often, snack a lot, and maximise our time soaking up the mountain vistas. 

 

Toby was really strict about the plan

Into the Mountains

We climbed steadily upwards, settling into a speedy hike, panting in between conversations. Our packs softened into our backs, and we found our rhythm. We stopped constantly to graze on thickets of raspberry bushes, heavy with fat, bright red fruits. 

Trail treats

Trail treats continued

We rolled into our first hut, August-Schuster-Haus, with plenty of time for a cold Weiss beer on the deck as we watched dusk shroud the mountains. A calm settled over their grand peaks, layers of mountains far off into the distance. 

We chatted away as we tucked into warm bowls of Käsespätzle (alpine mac and cheese with a Bavarin twist), the first goal of the trip already fulfilled: good food, good views, and good conversation. 

 

Late late sunsets made for after dinner forays

Chasing Ridgelines Above the Treeline

The next morning, we rolled out into another perfect summer’s day. The trees sparkled with dew and the quintessential sound of cowbells tinkling far off in the distance. We explored a few little side missions, including a trip up to the Teufelstättkopf (1,758m), with expansive views of the forests, valleys, and pastures below. 

We stopped for coffee and the local speciality baked cheesecake at Brunnenkopfhause, then continued upwards. Jagged spires of granite towered around us, interspersed with tall pine trees as we climbed up to find epic views of a Sound of Music-esque landscape stretching in all directions.

 

Mid run cheesecake is slightly harder to come by in Australia

 

We shared gummy bears and pastries on top of Große Klammspitz, the high point of the day at 1,924m. From there, the trail followed the ridgeline, with distractingly-scenic views and narrow razorback edges. 

Attention-requiring technical sections of rock with steep edges took concentration. Dark clouds started to roll in, threatening rain, but thankfully held off as we trotted onwards. 

As the trail flattened out into wildflower meadows, we spied a group of huge horned ibex perched high on the mountainside, watching us pass through their alpine domain, munching away happily.

 

‘In that moment, we understood each other’

 

The last section into Kenzenhütte was super fun. It dipped down into rolling runnable terrain through lush grass and pockets of dense forest before popping out to the hut. We enjoyed a late lunch of stroganoff with pasta, and soaked up the afternoon sun with the distant hum of a nearby waterfall. 

Day Three Bliss

By day three, we’d found our trail legs and the routines and rituals of mountain life had settled around us. 

The days unfold in a simple pattern: breakfast, run, walk, rock scramble, run, snack, then roll into the hut for a late lunch, with plenty of time to relax before dinner. Mornings were crisp and calm, with pink and tangerine skies, while the long balmy summer evenings stretched until 10:30 pm.

Euro

summer

By day, we trotted over granite peaks, wandered through wildflowers and soaked up endless alpine vistas, fuelled by pastries and Haribo. By night, we’d sip warm tea at the mountain hut tables, nattering away surrounded by rosy-cheeked Bavarians, laughing late into the evening.

Read more: Sore Knees & Snickers Bars: Trail Running the Via Valais

Our Last Day in the Mountains

After breakfast and a quick visit to the Kenzenwasserfall waterfall, we were off and up, into another crisp, sunny morning. Dolomite-like views around us; white granite against a deep blue sky. 

We moved steadily up and over the rocky saddle of the first mountain pass, stopping at the top to nibble on dried mango and licorice, and marvel at the unfolding magnificence below us. The early morning sun was just cresting the jagged peaks above us, warming our sweaty bodies as we perched on rocks.

‘This’, I thought, ‘is the good stuff.’  

 

Daily summit stoke is now a must

 

As we started to descend, the trail turned into a series of rocky switchbacks, with just enough of a lead-in to let us pick up the pace. At the bottom, the trail opened out, quickly becoming runnable. We kicked into another gear, gunning it along the first stretch of ‘flat’ path we’d seen all day, huge grins on our faces as we revelled in the sweet sensation of moving fast and light through the mountains. 

Down in the valley, we lay in the sun, ate our sandwiches, and stared up at the enormous white rock faces, making sure goal number two of the trip: ‘maximum stare at the view time’ got some airtime. 

The forest path continued onwards and upwards, interspersed with rocky climbs and switchbacks before the view opened up and we could spy Brander Schrofen (1,881m) and Tegelberghaus, our resting place for the night. As we rounded the final corner, the quiet of the trail gave way to the bustle of the hut: crowds of people, dogs, and hikers spilling across the packed deck.

The days were full of contrast

with hours of downtime after the run

Any sense of remoteness quickly disappeared as tiny Bavarian villages came into view below, one of which was our final destination. We found a sunny spot and settled in with a shared schnitzel and alcohol-free Weissbier, followed by a huge serving of delicious Apfelstrudel and cold Rhabarberschorles.  

That evening, we climbed up to Branderschrofen for sunset. To the northwest we could just spy the silhouette of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. To the south, the jagged peaks of the Tyrolean Alps towards Innsbruck. Paragliders drifted like tiny specks across the evening sky and we watched the colours fade as a soft half-moon rose over the mountains. 

 

A bittersweet sunset on the last day of the adventure

The Final Descent

The next morning, we savoured our last mountain breakfast, sipped the watery black coffee we’d somehow grown to love, and soaked up one final morning in the mountains.

We trotted down the final stretch of trail, leaving the quiet of the mountains behind as Neuschwanstein Castle (also known as the Disney castle) appeared in the distance.

 

It truly is the most Disney-looking castle you’ll ever see

 

We made our way through dense forest, enjoying a dip in a nearby lake, before rolling into Füssen. A running race was finishing in the city centre, and the streets were packed with tourists and whooping locals.

After a long, celebratory lunch, we loaded up on more Bavarian bakery goods before jumping on the train. As the German countryside whizzed by, we were already dreaming up our next adventure.

Looking back, we’d achieved exactly what we’d set out to do: spent plenty of time catching up, enjoying long-overdue conversations, sunrises, sunsets, and the simple joy of moving through a beautiful landscape with a good pal. 

It was the perfect way to test out fastpacking in the mountains and we knew it wouldn’t be long before we were back on the trails again.

 

 

What To Pack for Fastpacking the Ammergau Alps Traverse

We dirt-bagged it a bit and went super light: one set of clothes for the trail and one set to change into at night. We only brought one pair of shoes, and two of the four huts provided slippers.

We skipped the micro towel and relied on the ‘dry off’ method (which worked fine!), but in hindsight, it would have been a nice luxury if you have the space. Everything else was kept pretty bare bones, and it worked for us. 

  • Running shorts
  • One running top
  • Lightweight merino long sleeve for the evenings
  • Casual tights/pants for evenings
  • Sports bra
  • Running cap
  • Sunglasses
  • Two pairs of socks and underwear
  • Buff
  • Lightweight waterproof rain jacket (non-negotiable)
  • 8–12 L running vest
  • Soft flasks or hydration bladder
  • Emergency space blanket
  • Headtorch
  • Portable power bank + cable
  • Toilet paper + hand sanitiser
  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste (best to share one tube)
  • SPF 50 sunscreen
  • GPX route downloaded to watch and phone
  • Offline maps
  • Paper map (optional but useful)
  • ID/passport
  • Wallet/cards
  • Cash (some huts only accept cash)
  • Earplugs (essential if you’re stuck with a Bavarian snorer)
  • Reusable shopping bag
  • A sleeping bag liner for the huts (they all require you to bring one)
  • Diary or book and pen. Not essential but nice. We both carried journals

So Toby,

when are we doing it again?

This piece was brought to you by a real living human who felt the wind in their hair and described their adventure in their own words. This is because we rate authenticity and the sharing of great experiences in the natural world – it’s all part of our ethos here at We Are Explorers. You can read more about it in our Editorial Standards.