The Schneefernerkopf is a peak in the

Zugspitze The Zugspitze (), at above sea level, is the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains as well as the highest mountain in Germany. It lies south of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the Austria–Germany border runs over its western su ...

massif in the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, ...

. It lies at the western end of the

Wetterstein The Wetterstein mountains (german: Wettersteingebirge), colloquially called Wetterstein, is a mountain group in the Northern Limestone Alps within the Eastern Alps. It is a comparatively compact range located between Garmisch-Partenkir ...

chain in the

on the border between the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

state of

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

and the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n state of

Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...

. It is the dominant mountain in the Wetterstein, especially when viewed from Ehrwald.

Distinction from the Zugspitze

Although the Schneefernerkopf may be viewed as the 'second highest mountain in Germany' after the

, this depends heavily on the definition of the term 'mountain'. Due to its proximity to the Zugspitze (it has a

topographic isolation The topographic isolation of a summit is the minimum distance to a point of equal elevation, representing a radius of dominance in which the peak is the highest point. It can be calculated for small hills and islands as well as for major moun ...

of 1.7 km) it is questionable whether it can be counted as an independent mountain, or merely as a sub-peak of the Zugspitze. Either way, its

prominence In topography, prominence (also referred to as autonomous height, relative height, and shoulder drop in US English, and drop or relative height in British English) measures the height of a mountain or hill's summit relative to the lowest contou ...

is 176 m. If it is not reckoned as an independent peak, then the claim to the second highest mountain in Germany goes to the Hochwanner (2,746 m), which is clearly separated from the Zugspitze massif by the Rein Valley, Gatterl and Feldernjöchl. The third highest mountain, with a height of 2,713 m, is the Watzmann in the

Berchtesgaden Alps The Berchtesgaden Alps (german: Berchtesgadener Alpen) are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre. The central part belongs to the Berchtesgadener Land district of sout ...

Base and easiest climb

The easiest way to climb the Schneefernerkopf is from the Zugspitze ledge or ''

Zugspitzplatt The Zugspitze (), at above sea level, is the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains as well as the highest mountain in Germany. It lies south of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the Austria–Germany border runs over its western sum ...

''. The path runs over the rest of the

Schneeferner } The Schneeferner in the Bavarian Alps is Germany's highest and largest glacier.Sure-footedness Sure-footedness is the ability, especially when hiking or mountain climbing, to negotiate difficult or rough terrain safely. Such situations place demands on a person's coordination and reserves of strength as well as requiring sufficient apprecia ...

and a

head for heights To have a head for heights means that one has no acrophobia, an irrational fear of heights, and is not particularly prone to fear of falling or suffering from vertigo, the spinning sensation that can be triggered, for example, by looking down fro ...

are essential. From the Schneefernerkopf there is an exceptionally challenging downhill ski run, the ''Neue Welt'', descending for almost 2,000 metres, to Ehrwald. It is very exposed, with slopes up to 45° and has an

abseil Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...

section, that is rated as

UIAA The International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, commonly known by its French name Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA, lit. ''International Union of Alpine Clubs''), was founded in August 1932 in Chamonix, France ...

grade III. File:Schneefernerkopf_01.jpg, The Schneefernerkopf from the northeast File:Zugspitze-Schneefernerkpf2.jpg, View looking down from the Schneefernerscharte towards Ehrwald File:Zugspitze-Schneefernerkpf3.jpg, 'Wind hole' on the Schneefernerscharte File:Schneefernerkopf_02.jpg, The summit area of the Schneefernerkopf from its northern shoulder File:Schneefernerkopf_03.jpg, The cross on the northern shoulder of the Schneefernerkopf

Sources and maps

* Stefan Beulke: ''

Alpenvereinsführer The ''Alpine Club Guides'' (german: Alpenvereinsführer, commonly shortened to ''AV Führer'' or ''AVF'') are the standard series of Alpine guides that cover all the important mountain groups in the Eastern Alps. They are produced jointly by the Ge ...

Wetterstein'', München 1996, * Alpenvereinskarte 1:25.000, Blatt 4/2, ''Wetterstein- und Mieminger Gebirge'' {{See also, List of the highest mountains in Germany Mountains of the Alps Mountains of Bavaria Mountains of Tyrol (state) Wetterstein Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district) Two-thousanders of Austria Two-thousanders of Germany