The hike to the Aueralm on Lake Tegernsee is a very popular tour, whether in summer or winter. But especially in winter, when it has just snowed, this hike takes on a whole new charm. And what could be nicer than sitting in the sun under a bright blue sky and enjoying the view of untouched snow-covered mountains with a delicious soup? Exactly: climbing one of these peaks first and then stopping off at the hut afterwards!
Tour data
- Start and end point: Söllbach parking lot
- Duration / walking time: 5 hours
- Trail length: 15 km
- Altitude difference: 750 hm
- Difficulty: easy
- Refreshment stop(s): Aueralm (open all year round, closed on Mondays)
Tour description
From Munich, we were at Lake Tegernsee within 45 minutes, where we drove a few kilometers further towards Kreucht to park our car at the Söllbach hiking parking lot. As the name suggests, the hike begins at Söllbach. We follow this for a good kilometer along the tarred road until we take the forest road towards Aueralm.
In winter, it is advisable to have poles and Grödel (micro spikes) with you. Although this path is very easy to walk on because it is very wide and busy, it can also quickly become slippery. The three kilometers through the forest are simply beautiful, especially in winter. You can always catch a glimpse of the surrounding mountain ranges and, especially in the early morning, the sun shines beautifully through the trees. The sound of the slowly melting snow on the branches is almost meditative.
For the last kilometer in the forest, we turn left and climb another 100 metres in altitude before the view of the snow-covered slope on which the Aueralm is already slowly emerging opens up in front of us. This is where the hiking trail from the Sonnenbichl parking lot meets up with our own – this trail covers around 100 m in altitude and 1 km less.
When we get to the Aueralm, we realize just how many people are out and about to make the most of this beautiful sunny winter’s day! But we have even more plans, our destination is the Fockenstein – indicated with an hour’s walk at about 3.5 km and another 300 meters of altitude. But the fresh snow puts a spanner in the works…
In hindsight, we should have brought snowshoes! There are 2 ways to hike up the Fockenstein. The path on the right is about half as long and goes steeply uphill through the forest. The left-hand path is the official winter hiking trail that some people recommended to us. Like most hikers, we don’t have any snowshoes with us and so we make very slow progress on the trail, which is covered in fresh snow. But: it is simply beautiful! It is precisely this untouched nature that makes this tour such a unique experience.
Reading tip: Snowshoeing in the Allgäu – tour tips for real winter fun.
At Tatonka you will find numerous hiking backpacks with different features and in different sizes. Including backpacks with integrated RECCO®-reflector – the plus in safety.
After half a kilometer through the forest, the view of the Neuhüttengraben opens up before us. We are simply impressed by the untouched snowy landscape – which makes us forget our efforts for a short time.
We continue through the ditch, past the Neuhüttenalm, further and further up towards the saddle. At the top, we have an almost 360-degree panorama. We can see the Sylvenstein reservoir to the southwest and Lake Tegernsee to the northeast.
The further we ascend, the more peaks and mountain ranges become visible. Be it the Rofan mountains, the Guffert, the Benediktenwand or the summit of the Seekarkreuz. From up here we have a fantastic view! There are quite a few people at the summit, but like us, they quickly make their way back down towards the Aueralm.
Overall, it took us almost twice as long as indicated on the signposts, as we were constantly sinking in without snowshoes and therefore only made very slow and difficult progress. But it was definitely worth it!!!
Back at the Alm, the sun terrace was already well frequented – but luckily we found a spot with a panoramic view very quickly! You should bring a bit of time with you, especially at the weekend, as there can be a good half hour queue to get something to eat and drink. To celebrate the day, we treat ourselves to a goulash soup, a lentil soup and (how could it be otherwise) a steamed dumpling with vanilla sauce! The perfect end to this wonderful day!
Another tour tip: Hike up the Jochberg (1,565 m) – sunrise with a view of Lake Walchensee
More impressions of Maria’s hike to the Aueralm:
