The Ettaler Manndl is a striking limestone pinnacle rising to 1633 meters in the Ammergau Alps, jutting out from a forested side ridge of the Laber massif. It's one of the most recognizable summits in the region and a popular day-hike destination, helped along by the cable car that runs up to the neighboring Laber peak.

Right beside the main pinnacle stands another rocky tooth, the Ettaler Weibl, forming a southern foresummit. Below the peak, tucked into a small basin, lies the shrinking Soilasee, a tarn that's slowly turning into a bog. The approach to the base of the summit block follows an easy hiking trail, but the final stretch is a chain-secured via ferrata (rated grade 1, easy, in Hüsler's klettersteig guide - without the chains the rock would be graded I). Even though it's technically simple and fully secured, the exposure and the polished, slippery limestone make it a real test for inexperienced hikers, and the route turns dicey in wet or icy conditions, especially in spring and autumn.

• Kloster Ettal (parking at the eastern monastery wall) - about 2 hours, moderately demanding due to the secured final section
• Laber Bergbahn valley station in Oberammergau - loop-hike starting point; from the top cable car station on the Laber it's only about 45 minutes to the summit

• The final approach is a chain-secured via ferrata (grade 1, easy)
• Inexperienced hikers should avoid the summit block - accidents, some fatal, have increased in recent years
• The west ridge and south face offer climbing routes graded IV to V for more experienced climbers
• The Laber cable car allows for a shorter approach to the summit

Together with its neighbor the Ettaler Weibl, the Ettaler Manndl has long stood as a distinctive rocky landmark watching over the Ammergau Alps.