Showing posts with label Alps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alps. Show all posts

Friday, August 6, 2021

Eating My Way Through the Stubai Alps, Austria

Introduction

If you like to hike, you can:

  • Backpack, carry 40+ pounds, eat freeze-dry food, sleep in the mud, not wash
  • Trek in Nepal, let porters or mules carry your pack, sleep in tea houses (inns)
  • Hike in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, stay in the Appalachian Mountain Club Huts, and eat hearty meals
  • Hike in the European Alps, eat delicious food every night, and even enjoy (often) hot showers 
I have done all of these, but in my dotage, I am not sure if my knees can handle a heavy pack and carrying all my supplies for traditional backpacking (option 1 above). Using the services of porters and/or horses is luxurious (Kilimanjaro 2015, Nepal 2007, 2011, and 2017). And in some countries, using porters is the common way to trek. But the last option looks better and better, especially if you want good food and easy access (and you like to wash). 
 
Stubai Alps (from Cicerone Press)

The Stubai Alps are an awesome complex of limestone peaks in western Austria, southwest of Innsbruck. They are easy to reach from almost any US gateway airport or European city.
 
One of the classic mountain tours is the Stubaier Höhenweg, or the Stubai rucksack route. It is an 8-day walk in the fantastic mountain terrain. It can be extended a couple of days with an alternate start route. Route Information: buy the Cicerone Press guidebook of the Stubai route. You can also plan your trip with the help of the Tirol web page's interactive map.
 
 
Changing trains in Munich
I flew into MUC (Flughafen München), took the train from the airport, and was in Innsbruck in about three hours (yes, the Europeans are civilized). Once I reached Innsbruck, I bought a few munchies and a SIM card for my mobile. Then I took the bus to the village of Mieders and the cable car up to Hoch Series, and was ready to start. 

Stubai Rucksac Route (from Cicerone Press)

Below, I will list each day's walk and and where I stayed (and ate; after all, I ate my way through the Stubai Alps). Please note: this is a long article with no urban decay.

 Day 1, Maria Waldrast Monastery (1638 m)


Maria Waldrast Monastery (1638 m)
Health food dinner at Maria Waldrast

I started my Stubai trek on an alternate start, which adds two days to the total. So for me, Day 1 was a short walk from the cable car at Hoch Series. I was exhausted from the long flight across the Atlantic and the train ride, so a healthy Tirolean dinner (see, I ate a salad) and it was bed for me. The monastery operates rooms like a hotel. They are immaculately clean, and hot shower is in a tiny lavatory.
 

Day 2, Padasterjoch Haus (2232 m)


Padasterjoch Haus (2232 m)
Typical room in a mountain hut
More health food, locally-clucked eggs
The good stuff

This was a short day distance-wise but required 1300+m elevation gain. I try to take it easy for the first few days of a hike because I am totally out of practice. Padasterjoch was a nice hut with superb cuisine. The serious apple torte was to share among several people at my dinner table.
 
Hiker note: This and most of the huts do not accept electronic payment, so take cash.

Days 3 and 4, Innsbrucker Hütte (2369 m)

 

Innsbrucker Hütte (2369 m)
More health food

This the first hut for the normal start of the Höhenweg. Hikers take a taxi up the up the Pinnistal valley and climb to Innsbrucker Hütte. Because I was already up on the ridge to the east, I had to plunge steeply down 1000m to the Pinnistal valley, rest (and eat a pastry), and then ascend 1400 m to the hut. Long day! The hut was welcoming and had showers. The hut was crowded and I had to stay in a lager (bunk room) rather than a room. I stayed two nights here because the next hut on the route, the Bremer, was full.

Day 5, Bremer Hütte (2413m) 

 

A welcome sight when tired, the Bremer Hütte (2413 m)
Frühstück at the Bremer
Room with a view - from the lager at Bremer Hütte

The Bremer Hütte is in an austere spot with a lake and snow patches. When the mist clears, the view is fantastic.
 

Day 6, Nürnberger Hütte (2280 m) 


Nürnberger Hütte (2280 m)
Afternoon in the sun at Nürnberger
Obligatory mid-afternoon nutrition snack. The glass contains Radler, light lager beer and half sparkling lemonade. The whip cream comes from real cows.

This was an easy day's walk to the Nürnberger Hütte, only 5 km, and I had plenty of time to sit in the sun and eat the obligatory pastry and Radler (to rebuild my strength, of course). This beautiful old hut dates to 1886 and functions more like a hotel than mountaineers' hut. The same family has operated this hut for over 100 years.

Day 7, Sulzenau Hütte (2191 m)


Sulzenau Hütte at a comfortable 2191 m.

Most of the alpine mountain huts gain much of their revenue from day-hikers, who stop for food and beer (or many beers). They head down late in the day, leaving the over-nighters to enjoy the views. 

Families welcome and locally-sourced food

Sulzenau Hütte is a gorgeous hut (hotel) with expansive views. This building was erected in 1976-1978 to replace an older hut that was destroyed by an avalanche. Like many of the other huts, the hot showers are coin-operated. You insert a token or 1 Euro coin and wash quickly before you quota of hot water runs out (often 1 or 2 minutes).

School group near the Grunau See (lake)

I saw school groups on mountain outings. These children were bright-eyed, intelligent, disciplined, well-spoken, and well-equipped. How refreshing to see good parenting and encouragement.
 

Day 8, Dresdner Hütte (2302 m)

 

Dresdner Hütte (2302 m)

Dresdner Hütte is very popular because it is next to a cable car station. Mid-day, hundreds of hikers and casual tourists come to eat and enjoy the view. It becomes quiet and lonely at night after the last cable car departs.

Fresh bread, beer, veggies - does it get better than this?

Danger, danger, health food overload. By now, I was running out of cash, so I took the cable car down to base station, went to an ATM, and headed back up by cable car.

Day 9, Neue Regensburger Hütte (2286 m)

 

Wild ferocious mountain animals en route
Neue Regensburger Hütte (2286 m)
Dehumidified (or air-conditioned) boot drying room

This is a beautiful hut in immaculate condition. The hut was built in 1931 and enlarged in 1967-1968. This had been a 7½ hour walk, and I was tired. When you enter a hut, you must place your boots in racks or shelves and wear slippers or flip-flops in the building. This helps keep dirt and mud out of the hut.

Danger, danger, health food alert


 

Day 10, Franz-Senn Hütte (2147 m)


Franz Senn Hütte (2147 m)






Instructions for the uninitiated?
Obligatory torte ünd espresso

Franz Senn Hütte is another beautiful accommodation with good food, hot showers, and internet. This hut began life in 1885 and has been added to and enlarged several times.

Day 11, Starkenburger Hütte (2237 m)


Starkenburger Hutte (2237 m)
Crush your mobile phone here
Tiroler gröstl (more health food for the rugged bergsteiger)

Starkenburger was the last hut on the Stubai Rucksack route. This had been an 8-hr day, covering 13 km on a spectacular trail that cut across scree fields and below towering limestone peaks.

 

Day 12, Off the Mountain to Fulpmes


Mountain marathon at KreuzjochPanoramarest

This was my last day on the trail. I walked a few miles below towering limestone spires to the Kreuzjochbahn Berstation (cable car). The crowds watching a marathon were a rude awakening to being back in normal civilization. I took the cable car down to Fulpmes, then caught a bus to the town of Neistift.


I felt like a fish in Neustift. No problem, from the hatchery at the nearby stream.

Summary

Dear readers, this has been longer than I originally intended, but the exercise of sorting my pictures reminded me of the fabulous 12 days in the high country of the Stubai Alps. Everyone I met was unfailingly courteous and friendly. It is hard to find more rewarding hiking than the European Alps, be it in France, Switzerland, Germany, or Austria. Of course, I do not need to tell you that Austria is a fantastic destination even if you are not a hiker. Once the pandemic restrictions have passed, just go. Enjoy the good life, experience good governance.

These were all digital files from a Moto G5 mobile phone.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Historic Alpine Mountain Huts - Still in Use Every Summer

The Alps of France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany are dotted with hundreds (or thousands) of mountain huts.  Some are owned and operated by hiking associations, like the Austrian Alpine Club (Oesterreichischer Alpenverein (OeAV)), while others are privately-owned hotels, which just happen to be situated on spectacular ridges or viewpoints.  European alpinists and trekkers have a long history of staying in these mountain huts during their climbing vacations.  Unlike the tradition in the United State, most European hikers do not camp out unless they are bivouacking at high altitude or hiking in remotes areas of northern Scandinavia.  Some of these historic hotels are over 100 years old and are an interesting study of architectural preservation under difficult conditions (altitude, rugged terrain, and, often, lack of roads).

Until the late 1800s, very few people vacationed in the Alps.  The mountains were a harsh, dangerous environment, clothing and equipment were crude and heavy, and roads were rough and unpaved.  The mountains were inhabited by hardy villagers and ethnic groups like the Walsers (German descent), but they worked the hard land out of necessity, not vacation.  Traders,  pilgrims, and soldiers had crossed the Alps for thousands of years using mountain passes, but they did not linger.

But in the mid-1800s, mountain tourism became popular, and towns like Zermatt and Chamonix became fashionable ski and climbing centers.  Alpine associations built huts in high altitude for their members to use while ascending peaks.  The first huts were basic stone sheds with bunks.  The highest bivouac huts are still like this, but most in lower altitude or on popular trekking routes have grown into comfortable mountain hotels.  Now they have excellent kitchens, semi-private bunk rooms, warm stoves, selection of wines, wifi or telephone, drying rooms for wet clothing, and many have showers!!  No more stinky nights in an over-crowded bunk-room.  Often the shower works with a token you insert in a box next to the valve.  You get about two minutes of hot water, so lather and rinse quickly.  The cold water is, literally, ice-cold because sometimes it comes from the local glacier.  If you hike, stay in a hut.  Not only is the food and companionship welcome, but it is nice to be in a sturdy stone building with professionally-installed lightning protection when it rains and thunders outside.

Let's take a tour of mountain huts in Switzerland, France, and Italy.
This the historic Hotel du Thrift (Berhgasthaus Thrift - mountain guest house Thrift) at 2337 m elevation, about two hours walk above Zermatt, Switzerland.  It was built in 1900 and is in a valley without road or cable car, so all supplies are brought in with helicopter.
What could be better than to sit and watch the mountains.
Walk about two hours south, and here is a magnificent view of the Matterhorn (4478 m, first climbed by Edward Wymper and a party in 1865). Several members of the party died in that expedition, and it is still one of the most dangerous peaks in the Alps.This is the view from the Grand Balcons, a trail.with constantly inspiring views.
For a fantastic day trek out of Zermatt: take the gondola up to the Trockener Steg, walk to Gandegghütte, and sit down on the sunny terrace. Have lunch at 3030 m altitude whilst you watch the spectacular view.  This is better salad and bread than I can get in restaurants in most US cities!
Walk west an hour past some alpine lakes, and here is the Matterhorn dominating the skyline.
Back down in the valley, Zermatt is touristy, crowded, and expensive, but it is a decent place to visit.  All vehicles are electric or animal-powered - no internal combustion cars allowed.
Let's start the Tour of Monte Rosa.  Take the gondola to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise station (3796 m), walk across the Theodul glacier to the Italian border (guide recommended), and stop at Theodule Hut (Italian: Rifugio del Teodulo, 3,317 m) for the night.  It is modern and not very cozy, but is situated on a spectacular ridge overlooking the glacier.

Walk a long, hard day south to Rifugio G.B. Ferraro at 2066 m.  In the guidebook, I wrote, "Ferraro very nice!  Hot showers, espresso.  Amazing library of Tibet, Nepal, and Apache books."
En route, you will meet some of the local bovine residents.  They are pretty tame and curious around here.
Walk another long day east, ascend the Col d'Olen at 2881 m, round the cliff and the Rifugio Guglielmina welcomes you.  It maintains its proud traditions and cuisine, dating from when it was the highest hotel in Europe.  The building dates from 1878.  The inside is cozy and warm, and the cuisine excellent.  My friends occasionally remind me that I had the donkey entree that was featured on the menu.  And no, it did not taste like chicken, it tasted like donkey.

Several hard days walk further along the tour, and a long grind up to the Monte Moro Pass at 2984 m, and you reach the Rifugio Oberto Gaspare.  I am not sure of its age, but it was renovated in 2007.  In 2009, the gondola was out of commission, and the hut master was glad to see my friends and me as his only overnight guests.  The view of the Monte Rosa massif is inspiring.
Jump forward a few days to the town of Grächen, on a sunny terrace on the east side of the Matter Valley (German: Mattertal).  The town is only at 1600 m altitude and has road access. The country inns are comfortable and welcoming, with plenty of hot water (and, nowadays, mains electricity to recharge mobile phones and other equipment).  The inn where I stayed even had a shoe polish kit to clean up your boots (Do any of you readers remember how, in European hotels, you put out your shoes at night and a porter polished them?).
Grächen is the starting point for the Europaweg, a rugged high-altitude balcon route along the east side of the Mattertal, perched high above the noise of the highway and railroad. The Europaweg opened in 1997 as a showpiece high trail, but has been beset with rockfalls and washouts.  Notice that the signs are usually denominated in time (hh:mm) to the destination rather then kilometers.
Most hikers stay at the  Europa Hut (German: Europahütte) at 2220 m altitude.
In summer, Europahütte is crowded, but the view from the terrace is sublime.
As I recall, the toilets were a bit rough, but at least they were indoors.
Let's take a big jump west to the Chamonix valley in France.Take the gondola up to the east from Le Tour, walk up the dusty path along the Galcier du Tour, and eventually you reach the Refuge Albert Premier at 2706 m.  This is for a heavy-duty climbing crowd, with many of the patrons preparing for glacier traverses or ice climbing.
Late in the day, a lady became seriously ill, possibly from altitude sickness.  The helicopter came and took her away.  The emergency services in the valley are incredibly efficient.  On a previous day, my climbing companion fell and badly sliced his hand on another glacier.  The helicopter landed on the ice, loaded him onboard, and he was in the Chamonix hospital within about 20 minutes.
Climb up the Glacier du Tour, cross the border into Switzerland, cross the Plateau du Trient (glaciated) and you reach the Cabane du Trient at 3280 m.  This has an astonishing view across the massive ice field.  But at this altitude, it is cold even in the sun.
If you want to do some more casual hiking in the Chamonix valley rather than mountaineering or glacier travel, there are plenty of spectacular hiking trails.  For example, take the Téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi to the mid-way station at the Plan de l'Aiguille at 2,317 m.  Then walk downhill a short distance to the Refuge de Plan de L'Aiguille, at 2207 m.  Look, another fantastic salad.  Then proceed north a few hours along the Balcon Nord to the Montevers train station and take the train back down the valley.  Easy and fun.
Another great day hike:  ascend the northwest side of the valley to the Refuge at Lac Blanc, 2352 m, approximately above the town of Argentière.  It seems remote, but a clear summer day will see several hundred day-hikers.  Here is another one of those awesome salads..
Finally, let's take a big jump south to the Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso in northern Italy. This modern hut is the Rigugio Vittorio Emanuele II, at 2732 m. It is high and very business-like, patronized by heavy-duty climbers and mountaineers. The time I visited in 2009, a group of Italian mountaineering troops were in residence, training on the nearby cliffs and ice fields.
But the food is good (after all, it is Italy), and the beer flows freely.
The summit of Gran Paradiso, with an elevation of 4,061 m.  It is a long way up across several kilometers of glacier and some exposed rock near the summit.  The view is incredible, and a sunny day like this makes it all worthwhile.

Photographs taken with a Fuji F31fd digital camera.