1 Mayrhofen to Plauener Hut
Excursion 1.1 Ascent of Reichen Spitze (3303m)
Stage 2 Plauener Hut to Birnlucken Hut
Stage 3 Birnlucken Hut to Warnsdorfer Hut
Stage 4 Warnsdorfer Hut to Krimmler Tauern Haus
Stage 5 Krimmler Tauern Haus to Zittauer Hut
Stage 6 Zittauer Hut to Richter Hut
Stage 7A Richter Hut to Plauener Hut via the Zillerplatten Scharte
Stage 7B Richter Hut to Plauener Hut via the Gams Scharte
THE VENEDIGER GROUP
Introduction and Topography
The Venediger Group Hut-to-Hut Rucksack Route
Stage 1 Matrei in Ost Tyrol to Essener Rostocker Hut
Stage 2 Essener Rostocker Hut to Johannis Hut via the Turmljoch.
Stage 3 Johannis Hut to the Bonn Matreier Hut via the Zopat Scharte and Eissee Hut
Stage 4 Bonn Matreier Hut to Badener Hut via the Galten Scharte
Stage 5 Badener Hut to Neue Prager Hut via the Loebbentorl 94
Excursion from Neuer Prager Hut
Stage 5A Badener Hut to Venediger Haus (alternative bad weather route)
Stage 6 Neue Prager Hut to Sankt Poltener Hut
Stage 7 Sankt Poltener Hut to Matreier Tauern Haus
The Venediger Glacier Tour
Stage 1 Mayrhofen to Warnsdorfer Hut
Stage 2 Warnsdorfer Hut to Essener Rostocker Hut via the Gams Spitzl and Mauertorl
Excursions from the Essener Rostocker Hut
Stages 3–6 See Venediger Rucksack Route stages 2–5
Stage 7 Neue Prager Hut to Kursinger Hut via the Gross Venediger
Excursion from Kursinger Hut
Stage 8 Kursinger Hut to Warnsdorfer Hut via the Obersulzbach Kees glacier and Gams Spitzl
THE GROSS GLOCKNER GROUP
Introduction and Topography
The Glockner Group Hut-to-Hut Rucksack Route
Stage 1 Lucknerhaus to Studl Hut
Excursions from the Studl Hut
Stage 2 Studl Hut to Salm Hut via the Pfort Scharte
Stage 3 Salm Hut to Glockner Haus
Stage 4 Glockner Haus to Fusch via the Phandl Scharte
Stage 5 Fusch to Gleiwitzer Hut
Stage 6 Gleiwitzer Hut to Heinrich Schwaiger Haus
Excursions from Heinrich Schwaiger Haus
Stage 6A Gleiwitzer Hut to Kaprun
Stage 7 Heinrich Schwaiger to Rudolfs Hut/Berg Hotel
Excursions from Rudolfs Hut
Stage 8 Rudolfs Hut to Sudetendeutsche Hut via the Kalser Tauern and Gradetz Sattel
Excursion from the Sudetendeutsche Hut
Stage 8A Rudolfs Hut to Kalser Tauern Haus
Stage 9 Sudetendeutsche Hut to Matrei in Ost Tyrol
HUT DIRECTORY
APPENDIX A Useful Contacts
APPENDIX B German–English Glossary
APPENDIX C Further Reading
APPENDIX D Across the Hohe Tauern National Park
Looking back from the Gross Glockner across the Klein Glockner toward Erzherzog Johann Hut (Glockner Rucksack Route, Stage 1 Excursion)
Negotiating car sized boulders above the Eissee (Reichen Group Stage 7)
INTRODUCTION
On the Sonnblick Kees glacier (Glockner Rucksack Route, Stage 7 Excursion)
The Hohe Tauern National Park is the largest national park not only in Austria and the Eastern Alps but the whole of continental Europe, comprising an area of 1800km2. Within Austria it embraces the provinces of Tyrol, Salzburg and Karnten (Carinthia). Not surprisingly the national park’s main point of focus is the Gross Glockner, the highest mountain in Austria, closely followed by the Gross Venediger, the fourth highest mountain and one which also has the distinction of having the highest number of connected glaciers in Austria. To the west, the Hohe Tauern merges with the Reichen Group to encompass the largest concentration of 3000m peaks in the Eastern Alps. The Hohe Tauern National Park is now a World Heritage Area, ranking alongside Yosemite, Serengeti, the Galapagos Islands and Mount Everest.
To the north of the National Park is the Pinzgau valley where, from the towns of Kitzbuhel, Mittersill and Zell am See, there are easy transport routes to the south to Matrei in Ost Tyrol for the Virgental and Venediger Group and Kals for the Gross Glockner.
This guidebook concentrates on three areas – the Reichen, Venediger and Gross Glockner Groups. In each section, descriptions are provided for various hut-to-hut tours along with excursions and recommended climbs. Like my other Alpine trekking guides, this guide has been written to offer walkers as much flexibility as possible, describing all the options that occur as you tour from hut to hut. For example there are the familiar Rucksack Routes and Glacier Tours, routes that are linear and routes that are circular. There is also the option to walk from Mayrhofen, through the Reichen Group and across the Venediger to end with a climb on the Gross Glockner, all within the span of a two-week holiday (see Appendix D, Across the Hohe Tauern).
The Hohe Tauern provides opportunities for all mountain enthusiasts, whatever their aspirations. It is ideal for first-time visitors to the Alps, particularly family groups with adventurous children, but it is even more so for aspiring alpinists, who are wrong to see the Hohe Tauern as tame. These mountains can challenge even the most experienced. You will not be disappointed.
Gruss Gott und gut Bergtouren!
When to Go
The summer season usually starts in mid-June and ends in late September. June is not the best time to visit as it is not unusual to come across large quantities of old snow which will be left lying on the north-facing slopes, in places such as the Rainbach Scharte, Zopat Scharte and Loebbentorl.
July weather will be warmer and will see the winter snow recede further. There will be more people in the mountains and at the huts. August is the peak season, when most Europeans take their holidays and the huts will be at their busiest then. The weather is also at its most settled but it is not unusual to see cloud build up in the late mornings and thunderstorms arrive in the evenings. August is also the month when most of the villages in the Hohe Tauern hold their summer church festivals, known as kirchtags.