Schönfeldspitze

Description

Schönfeldspitze is the secondhighest ( after Selbhorn , 1 meter higher !) mountain of Steinernes Meer (English : sea of stones),an undergroup of Berchtesgadener Alps. Seen from north, its a beautiful pyramid of a shape like Matterhorn. Steinernes Meer is a large remote carstic plateau with steep walls to all sides.

Map : Map 1 :25 000 ( in meters !) Steinernes Meer of German Alpine Club. Don´t use any other map!

The route I describe here, isn´t the shortest, but the most impressive way. Only go when there is a stable high pressure weather. In snow impossible, in fog or clouds highly dangerous. First day : from Königssee by ship ( no other possibility) to St. Bartholomae ( 1975 ft). World-known view point is the pilgrimage church St. Bartholomew with the east-face of Watzmann as background.

From St. B. on an good marked path to Kaerlingerhaus ( 5346 ft),German Alpine Club, managed in summer.( 4 1/2 h) Kaerlinger Haus is situated above the little lake Funtensee. From here crossing the plateau ( marked ) generally direction south to southwest to hut Riemannhaus ( 7141 ft), 3 h. Riemannhaus is situated in Austria, but owner is German Alpine Club. You can totally calculate a walking time of 10 h from St.B. to Riemannhaus. Pass in Riemannhaus the night. Second day : crossing the carstic plateau generally direction east( marked) to northwest base of Schönfeldspitze ( 1 1/2 h). Then scrambling over western ridge, crossing the south face ( very exposed, wire-ropes) and at last over upper part of east-ridge to the top ( 1 h). Descent o n l y like ascent. Pass the night in Riemannhaus.

Third day : Back like the way of first day, calculate 7 h. You must reach the last ship course off St. B. at appr. 18 h . There is no possibility to pass the night in St. B.

If the weather changes on the way from St. B. to Kaerlingerhaus, stop your excursion and go back or stay in Kaerlingerhaus. If the weather changes on Riemannhaus, only descent over the south slope on marked path to Maria Alm/ Austria a nd return by public traffic to Berchtesgaden . These circumstances are inevitable, all other is very dangerous.

Thanks to peter lyssy for this description.