Pfronten-Steinach to Gren through Aggenstein pass

About

This two-day winter tour started in the district of Pfronten-Steinach (Germany) and led us toward the pass located roughly 200 meters below the summit of Agenstein. The ascent followed a summer trail, but due to heavy snow conditions the route became significantly more demanding. Ascent The climb involved long sections of deep snow, reaching waist height on nearly one third of the route. This required continuous trail-breaking and careful route-finding, as the path was completely buried. Several exposed traverses were covered with hard, wind-packed snow, where movement demanded the use of crampons and a securely placed ice axe. Although the terrain did not involve technical rock climbing, the combination of steep snowy slopes, notable exposure, and winter conditions created several sections where a rope would have been advisable. • Ascent time: 7.5 hours • Elevation gain: ~1100 m • Conditions: –10 -15°C, no wind, no precipitation, clear visibility • Equipment: crampons, ice axe, winter gear, GPS navigation Pass and Descent to the Hut Reaching the pass below Agenstein required careful movement on steep, frozen terrain. From there, the descent toward the hut followed a gentler route with more stable snow conditions. We spent the night at the hut. Day 2 – Descent to Gren (Austria) The following morning we continued down to the village of Gren on the Austrian side via an easier and well-tracked winter path. Descent time: 1h45m Difficulty Assessment Based on the terrain, exposure and winter conditions, the ascent corresponds approximately to: • SAC T5 – Very Difficult Alpine Hiking • British Scrambling Grade 2–3 (due to winter snow and exposure) • Alpine grade AD- (snow/ice route without technical rock sections)