A guidebook to four treks in Austria’s Hohe Tauern: the 61km Reichen Group Hut-to-Hut Rucksack Route, the 68km Venediger Group Hut-to-Hut Rucksack Route, the 78km Venediger Glacier Tour and the 99km Glockner Rucksack Route. Whereas the three rucksack routes require only good fitness and mountain walking experience, the glacier tour involves glacier crossings.

The Reichen Rucksack Route is presented in 7 stages, the Venediger Rucksack Route in 7, the Venediger Glacier Tour in 8 and the Glockner Rucksack Route in 9. Also included are optional ascents of neighbouring peaks, including Austria’s highest, the Gross Glockner, some of which may require specialist equipment and mountaineering skills.

CONTENTS

Overview map
Map key
Route summary tables
Introduction
The Hohe Tauern National Park
When to go
Getting there and back
Places to stay
Local services
Professional mountain guides (Bergführer)
Children
The Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV)
Huts
Hut meals and menus
Kit list
Route finding
Maps and guidebooks
Alpine walking skills
Glaciers and glacier travel
Health and safety
Electronic devices
Using this guide

Reichen Group

Trek 1: Reichen Group Hut-to-Hut Rucksack Route
Stage 1 Zillergründl Stausee reservoir to Plauener Hut
Excursion Ascent of Reichenspitze (3303m)
Stage 2 Plauener Hut to Birnlücken Hut
Stage 3 Birnlücken Hut to Warnsdorfer Hut
Stage 4 Warnsdorfer Hut to Krimmler Tauernhaus
Stage 5 Krimmler Tauernhaus to Zittauer Hut
Stage 6 Zittauer Hut to Richter Hut
Stage 7 Richter Hut to Plauener Hut via the Zillerplattenscharte
Stage 7A Richter Hut to Plauener Hut via the Gamsscharte

Venediger Group

Trek 2: Venediger Group Hut-to-Hut Rucksack Route
Stage 1 Streden to Essener-Rostocker Hut
Excursion Ascent of Rostocker Egge (2749m)
Excursion To visit Simonysee
Stage 2 Essener-Rostocker Hut to Johannis Hut
Stage 3 Johannis Hut to Bonn-Matreier Hut
Stage 4 Bonn-Matreier Hut to Badener Hut
Stage 5 Badener Hut to Neue Prager Hut
Stage 6 Neue Prager Hut to St Pöltner Hut
Stage 7 St Pöltner Hut to Matreier Tauernhaus

Trek 3: Venediger Glacier Tour
Stage 1 Krimml to Warnsdorfer Hut
Stage 2 Warnsdorfer Hut to Essener-Rostocker Hut
Excursion Ascent of the Östlicher Simonyspitze south-east ridge (3488m)
Stages 3–6 See Venediger Group Hut-to-Hut Rucksack Route
Stage 7 Neue Prager Hut to Kürsinger Hut via the Grossvenediger
Excursion Ascent of the Keeskogel (3291m)
Stage 8 Kürsinger Hut to Warnsdorfer Hut

Grossglockner Group

Trek 4: Glockner Rucksack Route
Stage 1 Kals, Lucknerhaus to Stüdl Hut
Stage 1A Kals, Lucknerhaus to Salm Hut
Excursion Ascent of the Grossglockner (3798m)
Variant Alternative descent from the Grossglockner to Glocknerhaus
Variant Alternative descent from the Grossglockner to Salm Hut
Excursion Ascent of Romariswandkopf (3511m)
Stage 2 Stüdl Hut to Salm Hut
Stage 3 Salm Hut to Glocknerhaus
Stage 4 Glocknerhaus to the village of Fusch
Stage 5 Fusch to Gleiwitzer Hut
Stage 6 Gleiwitzer Hut to Heinrich Schwaiger Haus
Excursion Ascent of Grosses Wiesbachhorn (3564m)
Stage 6A Gleiwitzer Hut to Kaprun
Stage 7 Heinrich Schwaiger Haus to Rudolf’s Hut
Excursion Ascent of the Stubacher Sonnblick (3088m) and Granatspitze (3086m)
Excursion Gletscher Panoramaweg: Round of the Weisssee
Stage 8 Rudolf’s Hut to Sudetendeutsche Hut
Excursion Ascent of Grosser Muntanitz (3232m)
Stage 8A Rudolf’s Hut to Kalser Tauernhaus
Stage 9 Sudetendeutsche Hut to Matrei in Osttirol

Across the Hohe Tauern National Park

Glockner Loop

Hut directory
Badener Hut (2608m)
Birnlücken Hut (2441m)
Bonn-Matreier Hut (2750m)
Defreggerhaus (2962m)
Eissee Hut (2521m)
Erzherzog Johann Hut (3451m)
Essener-Rostocker Hut (2208m)
The village of Fusch
Fürthermoaralm Gasthof (1803m)
Gleiwitzer Hut (2176m)
Glocknerhaus (2132m)
Glorer Hut (2642m)
Heinrich Schwaiger Haus (2802m)
Hofmann Hut (2444m)
Johannis Hut (2121m)
Kalser Tauernhaus (1755m)
Krimmler Tauernhaus (1631m)
Kürsinger Hut (2558m)
Lucknerhaus (1984m)
Luckner Hut (2241m)
Oberwalder Hut (2973m)
Plauener Hut (2363m)
Prager Hut (Alte) (2489m)
Prager Hut (Neue) (2796m)
Richter Hut (2374m)
Rudolf’s Hut Berg Hotel (2315m)
Neue Sajat Hut (2600m)
Salm Hut (2644m)
St Pöltner Hut (2481m)
Stüdl Hut (2801m)
Sudetendeutsche Hut (2650m)
Venedigerhaus (1691m)
Warnsdorfer Hut (2324m)
Zittauer Hut (2328m)

Appendix A Useful contacts
Appendix B German–English glossary
Appendix C Further reading