Trails / Karwendel

Stanser Joch loop

8 July 2024 · Lukas Toma

Length
21 km
Vertical
1800 m
Speed
Mostly single track. Last few kilometers on a forest road.
Elevation profile560–2135 m · from the GPX

A relatively seldom visited loop from Jenbach to Stans over Stanser Joch and Ochsenkopf, with a finish next to the popular Wolfsklamm.

The route

Navigate the streets of Jenbach (following the GPS) northwards until reaching the street of Waldweg. At the end of the street, a trail turns of steeply uphill. Start on this trail and don’t leave it for more than half of this run, always following the ridgeline upwards. (trail #32). Eventually we get out of the dense forest, through the lower alpine trees and eventually to a treeless alpine ridge.

Eventually we reach the top of the ridge, with only alpine grass and avalanche blockades around us. We reach a big cross at the summit of Stanser Joch (2102m). Follow the grassy alpine meadows through rolling hills to the next summit of Ochsenkopf (2148m). While passing the summit of Gamskarspitze (2098m), we turn off the ridge and start descending south-east back towards Stans.

Descend very steeply through alpine meadows and later through the forest towards St. Georgenberg monastery. From the monastery, you only need to follow the forest road back to Stans. It is not possible to pass through the Wolfklamm (the Wolf Gorge) in this direction as it is one way.

Photos by@the.running.nomadand@bennibru