Östliche Karwendelspitze, Mountain summit at Karwendel range, Germany and Austria

Östliche Karwendelspitze is a 2,537-metre summit of Wetterstein limestone in the Karwendel, on the border between Bavaria and Tyrol. It is the highest peak of the Northern Karwendel chain and the highest German summit in the Karwendel. Its upper slopes form a grass- and schrofen-covered ridge east of the Vogelkar cirque, with a UIAA grade I climbing section just below the top.

Hermann von Barth made the first recorded ascent on 4 July 1870. The 2,537 m summit is built of Wetterstein limestone and forms the highest point of the Northern Karwendel chain, as well as the highest German peak in the Karwendel on the Bavaria-Tyrol border.

The summit is named after the Karwendel range, and its first recorded ascent was by Hermann von Barth on 4 July 1870. Today climbers still follow his general route from the Karwendelhaus, and the mountain is also a spring ski tour destination through the Grabenkar cirque.

The summit is reached in about 2.5 hours from the Karwendelhaus (1,765 m) on a partly trackless route over a grass and schrofen ridge east of the Vogelkar, with a UIAA grade I climbing section just below the top. The hut itself is reached from Scharnitz or from Hinterriß over the Kleiner Ahornboden; the long valley approach makes a two-day tour more sensible than a 10.5-hour day trip. Skiers climb the mountain in spring through the Grabenkar, but in winter avalanche risk and the long routes usually rule it out.

The descent through Grabenkar cirque is much faster than the climb because you can slide down loose stone and scree. However, this path can be tiring on the way down since loose rock shifts under your feet.