My first visit to Zugspitze's summit was as a 21-year old Airman, stationed in Bavaria. Having climbed in Oregon's Cascades, I was eager for the Bavarian Alps. One early, hot August Saturday I climbed through the Hoellental, spent the night at th Alpenverein hut, and climbed to the summit the next day. The route has a good deal of exposure (it's steep!), but is protected by cables (in Italian, a "via ferrato"). Even with the cables this ascent of the Zugspitze should not be undertaken by the inexperienced, the unprepared, or the solitary (I was all of these.). Nonetheless, for those knowing what they're about, it's very enjoyable