Karkopf

Overview

Karkopf is part of the Hochries subgroup of Chiemgau Alps and lies southwest of Hochries summit. The southwest neighbour summit is Feichteck.

Karkopf shows some rock features and requires some easy rock scrambling when tackled on the southwest ridge coming from Pölcher Schneid, the col southwest of the summit.

Karkopf is mainly a hiker summit, only the northeast slope is a softer option and can be done with snow shoes, too. The summit is often integrated in the traverse from Feichteck to Hochries.

Getting There

There are several trailheads for Karkopf in the Samerberg area north of the mountain.

Yor reach Samerberg by car

Via highway number A 8, Munich – Salzburg, using exit “Achenmühle”

Follow road number RO5 to the village of Achenmühle. Turn right there on road in the direction to Samerberg until you reach the village of Grainbach.

• First trailhead / parking area is the Hochries cablecar valley station.
• Second trailhead is at the hiker parking area “Spatenau” south of Grainbach (parking fee)

Coming from Innsbruck / Kufstein area use highway A 92 to the exit “Brannenburg”.

Turn on road number St2359 to the village of Nußdorf, turn left there, staying on St2359. Take the right hand road at the next road junction in direction of Samerberg. Stay on this road until you reach Grainbach. Choose your trailhead as described above.

Public transportation

Nearby railroad station is Rosenheim.

Bus number 9493 goes from Rosenheim to Grainbach. Start there from the valley station of Hochries cable car.

Routes Overview

Main routes to Karkopf are:

Spatenau - Karkopf direct routes

Hiker parking area "Spatenau" - trail 216d to Doaglalm - forest road to Pölcher Scharte col - trail 221 and then the west ridge trail to the summit.

Trail 221 circles round the north side of the mountain to the Karscharte col between Karkopf and Hochries. An unmarked trail leads up the northeast meadows of Karkopf to the summit.

Alternatively take trail 44, 45 from Doaglalm to Wimmeralm and ascend directly to Karscharte col via Seitenalm. Round trip possible.

Grainbach - Karkopf route

Follow the forest road to Moserbodenalm and the trail to Wimmeralm. Ascend the trail to Karscharte col passing by Seitenalm.

Traverse route

The trail 221 traverses Feichteck and Karkopf to Hochries. Most hikers do this summit traverse to fill a nice day.

Red Tape & Accommodation

Red Tape

There is a local restriction in this area:

Winter protection area around the summit of Karkopf. The Karkopf summit/traverse route lies within this restriction area.

Please respect these protected areas and do not enter them during the indicated times.

Accommodation

Rosenheim

Samerberg

Aschau im Chiemgau

Nußdorf

Mountain huts

Hochrieshütte

Alfred-Drexel-Haus (only food and drinks)

Schwarzrieshütte (in Austria)

Gear & Mountain Condition

Karkopf is a hiking and scrambling summit.

The west ridge requires easy scrambling in easy rocks. They are, however, very slippery with rain, snow or ice.

You need normal hiking gear.

In winter with snow cover Karkopf should not be summited, due to the restriction area. There is no official ski route to this summit.

Valley weather: Samerberg

Mountain weather: Hochries

Maps

Alpenvereinskarte Bayerische Alpen

scale 1 : 25.000

Number BY17, Chiemgauer Alpen West, Hochries, Geigelstein

With trails and ski routes, edition 2020

More maps with scale 1 : 50000 can be purchased from Freytag & Bernd, Kompass or from Bavarian Topografic Services