The Amberger Hut near the head of the Sulztal
4 STUBAI ALPS
Spreading northeast of the Ötztal Alps, and easily reached from Innsbruck, the Stubai range is a complex block of mountains slashed by numerous valleys. Understandably popular, it has a well-earned reputation for its wealth of rewarding walks and climbs of all grades of difficulty. The highest summits are snow- or ice-covered, and a number of glaciers and glacial lakes add much to the quality of the landscapes. Headed by some of the most impressive peaks, the Stubaital (from which the range takes its name) attracts the majority of visitors, while several of its outlying valleys, though undeniably attractive, are comparatively little known.
Of the four westernmost Stubai valleys draining into the Ötztal, the most southerly is the uninhabited Windachtal above Sölden, with the Zuckerhütl at its head. A paved road goes part-way into it, with a track extending further. Some of the highest Stubai mountains line the Austro–Italian border that forms its headwall, a number of small tarns lie on the mid-height slopes of the flanking mountains, and several huts are accessible from the valley.
Next comes the Sulztal with a road climbing to it from Längenfeld. This is a charming valley with Gries at the roadhead its only village. From here paths lead to the Amberger and Winnebachsee Huts, from both of which more trails extend across the mountains to other refuges. The Stubai Alps, of course, is the ultimate district for multi-day hut-to-hut tours.
In the peaceful Horlachtal, reached from Umhausen (between Längenfeld and Oetz), lies the Guben-Schweinfurter Hut at the end of a track, from which paths tease across neighbouring cols to multiply its walking opportunities, while the Horlachbach stream crashes out of the valley in spectacular fashion at the Stuibenfall.
The most northerly of the Stubai valleys spilling into the Ötztal is the Nedertal, an unremarkable wooded valley at its lower end, where the road from Oetz climbs into it, but rising to a promise of more open country as you approach Kühtai on the saddle leading to the Sellraintal. Two reservoirs have been created at Kühtai, and development for skiing has not been kind to the landscape. But there are plenty of paths that allow escape to less-tamed regions on the south side of the immediate neighbourhood.
Considerably longer than the Nedertal, the Sellraintal has several small villages and a choice of feeder valleys. These feeders all cut into the main Stubai block and are well worth exploring. The Lüsenstal is the longest. With Gries im Sellrain at its entrance, a road invades the valley as far as Praxmar, a hamlet built on the western hillside, while a secondary road continues along the valley bed to Alpengasthof Lüsens and a trailhead full of promise.
By comparison, the Stubaital on the eastern side of the range is heavily populated. With Schönberg at its entrance, the road into the valley either runs through or bypasses a whole string of villages before coming to Neustift, after which the Stubaital divides into the Oberbergtal (the northerly stem) and Unterbergtal. At the head of the former lie one or two alms and a crescent of mountains, with the Franz Senn Hut making a near-perfect base from which to explore them. The road into the Unterbergtal passes two impressive waterfalls, goes through several tiny hamlets, and ends in a massive car park at the Mutterbergalm where cableways serve the main Stubai ski grounds above the Dresdner Hut on the south side of the valley. The Dresdner is just one of many huts in the region, a number of which are linked to form a classic hut to hut tour known locally as the Stubaier Höhenweg.
The final valley in this survey of the Stubai Alps is the Gschnitztal which runs south of, and parallel to, the Stubaital. Entered from Steinach am Brenner, a little north of the Brenner Pass, the valley begins modestly enough among broad pastures, but narrows towards its head where a group of 3000m peaks closes it in. There are two proper villages, Trins and Gschnitz with prospects of accommodation and limited shopping, and several hamlets spread through the valley as far as Gasthof Feuerstein at the roadhead. At least five huts can be reached by good paths, and other undemanding trails within the valley appeal to walkers of modest ambition.
| Location | East of the Ötztal and west of the Wipptal headed by the Brenner Pass.; The northern boundary is the Inn’s valley, while the southern limit, so far as we are concerned, is the Austro–Italian border. |
| Maps | Alpenvereinskarten 31/1 Hochstubai, 31/2 Sellrain at 1:25,000; 31/3; Brennerberge, 31/5 Innsbruck und Umgebung 1:50,000; Kompass Wanderkarte 83 Stubaier Alpen 1:50,000; Freytag & Berndt 24 Stubaier Alpen 1:100,000, WK241 Stubai-Sellrain 1:50,000 |
| Bases | Längenfeld and Sölden (Ötztal), Kühtai (Nedertal), Gries im Sellrain (Sellraintal), Neustift (Stubaital) |
| Information | Stubai Tirol (e-mail: info@stubai.at; website: www.stubai.at) Tourismusverband Längenfeld, 6444 Längenfeld (e-mail: info@laengenfeld.com; website: www.laengenfeld.com); Ötztal Tourismus, 6450 Sölden (e-mail: info@oetztal.com; website: www.soelden.com); Tourismusbüro Kühtai, 6183 Kühtai (e-mail: info@kuehtai.co.at; website: www.pollenfrei.at); Tourismusbüro Gries im Sellrain, 6182 Gries im Sellrain (e-mail: gries@innsbruck.info; website: www.tiscover.at/gries-sellrain); Tourismusbüro Neustift (website: www.neustift-stubaital.net) |
| Access | Western valleys draining into the Ötztal (Windachtal, Sulztal and Horlachtal) are accessed from Sölden, Längenfeld and Umhausen. Linked by the Kühtai Sattel, the Nedertal and Sellraintal are served by buses running between Oetz (in the Ötztal) and Innsbruck. The Stubaital is reached from the Brenner Pass road by way of Schönberg, with train and bus services from Innsbruck. The Gschnitztal also breaks away from the Brenner Pass road at Steinach am Brenner, and is served by postbus. |
Sölden (1377m) A major summer and winter resort, and the most important walking centre in the Ötztal, it has plenty of accommodation of all standards, including holiday apartments and a campsite. A good selection of shops and restaurants, banks with ATMs, a post office and tourist office.
Längenfeld (1170m) Located below the Sulztal, midway between Oetz and Sölden in the Ötztal, this is a pleasant village with a number of hotels, pensionen and holiday apartments, a campsite with excellent facilities, a few shops and restaurants, a post office, a bank with ATM, and a tourist office in the main street. Buses run from here to Gries-im-Sulztal throughout the summer. Längenfeld was the birthplace of Franz Senn, the so-called ‘glacier priest’ who was influential in opening both the Stubai and Ötztal Alps to mountain tourism, and worked tirelessly to establish alpine huts in the region (see Franz Senn, The Glacier Priest).
Kühtai (2017m) Primarily a ski resort, and lacking in atmosphere in summer, Kühtai nonetheless has several hotels and holiday apartments, and the Dortmunder Hut (details below) located beside the road on the edge of the resort. There’s a small grocery, an ATM and a tourist office. The nearest bank is in Gries im Sellrain (10km), and the village is served by bus from both Oetz and Innsbruck.
Gries im Sellrain (1187m) A small and compact village with some attractive painted houses at the entrance to the Lüsenstal, it has plenty of accommodation, a few shops, a post office, a bank with ATM, and tourist information.
Neustift (993m) The village may be smaller than its neighbour Fulpmes, but Neustift is without question the most important resort of the Stubai Alps. It has more than a dozen hotels, plus holiday apartments and a campsite. There’s a reasonable selection of shops, a supermarket, post office, banks with ATMs, a Bergführer Büro (mountain guides’ office with guided trips organised for walkers and climbers) and a tourist office. The Stubaital may be reached by bus from Innsbruck, or by train as far as the railway terminus at Fulpmes, then bus from there to Neustift and on to Mutterbergalm at the head of the valley. A minibus service also links Neustift with Oberiss at the head of the Oberbergtal.
Adolf Pichler Hut (1977m) Owned by the Academic Alpine Club of Innsbruck, this hut is located on the western slopes of the Kalkkögel massif at the head of the Senderstal, about 3hrs from Grinzens. It has 25 beds and 50 dormitory places, and is manned from mid-June to the beginning of October (tel 0720 702724 www.adolf-pichler-huette.at).
Amberger Hut (2136m) Overlooking meadows of the upper Sulztal with the Schrankogel to the east, this Category I hut belongs to the Amberg section of the DAV. It has 10 beds and 59 dormitory places, and is fully staffed from February to the end of April, and from mid-June to the beginning of October (tel 05253 5605 www.dav-amberg.de). It may be reached by a walk of about 2hrs from Gries im Sulztal.
Bielefelder Hut (2112m) Easily reached in 30mins from the Oetz-Acherkogel gondola lift, the Category II Neue Bielefelder Hut replaces a former building which was destroyed by avalanche. It stands below the Wetterkreuzkogel with a very fine view of the Ötztal Alps. Owned by the Bielefeld section of the DAV, it is fully staffed from mid-June to the end of September and from mid-December to Easter, and has 36 beds and 22 dormitory places (tel 05252 6926 www.alpenverein-bielefeld.de).
Bremer Hut (2411m) Situated by a small tarn at the head of the Gschnitztal, and used by walkers on the Stubaier Höhenweg, this is an atmospheric Category I hut owned by the Bremen section of the DAV. Reached by a walk of 3hrs from the Gschnitztal roadhead, it has 23 beds and 46 dormitory places, and is manned from the end of June to the end of September (tel 0664 4605831 www.dav-bremen.de).
The Amberger Hut near the head of the Sulztal
Dortmunder Hut (1949m) A large, inn-like building standing beside the road on the western outskirts of Kühtai, this Category II hut was built by the Dortmund section of the DAV in 1931–1932. It has 32 beds and 40 dormitory places, and is fully staffed from June to the end of October, and December to the beginning of May (tel 05239 5202 www.dortmunderhuette.at).
Dresdner Hut (2308m) The first hut to be built in the Stubai Alps (in 1875), it was rebuilt in 1887 and has since been enlarged and extensively modernised. A Category II hut, sadly its immediate environs have been savaged by the ski industry. Nevertheless, the hut itself is comfortable and welcoming, and used by trekkers on the Stubaier Höhenweg. A 2hr walk from Mutterbergalm at the Stubaital roadhead leads to it, or 2½–3hrs from the Sulzenau Hut on the höhenweg. It has 150 beds and 20 dormitory places, and is manned from June to the end of October (tel 05226 8112 www.dresdnerhuette.at).
Franz Senn Hut (2147m) A large and very popular Category I hut used by walkers and climbers, it is reached by an easy walk of 1–1½hrs from Oberiss at the Oberbergtal roadhead. Property of the Innsbruck section of the ÖAV, it is fully staffed from mid-February to early May, and from mid-June to the beginning of October (tel 05226 2218 www.franzsennhuette.at). It has 84 beds and 176 places and is named in memory of the mountaineering pastor (see box).
Gubener Schweinfurter Hut (2028m) A very pleasant Category I hut set among pastures at the end of a track from Niederthai in the Horlachtal (a 2hr walk), it has 20 beds and 30 dormitory places, and is manned from mid-June to mid-September (tel 05255 50029 www.dav-schweinfurt.de/huetten).
Hildesheimer Hut (2900m) Overlooking the Pfaffenferner west of the Zuckerhütl above the Windachtal, the Category I Hildesheimer Hut is reached in 4½–5hrs from Sölden in the Ötztal. Owned by the Hildesheim section of the DAV it has 24 beds and 56 dormitory places, and is fully staffed from the end of June to the end of September (tel 05254 2300 www.hildesheimerhuette.at).
Hochstubai Hut (3174m) The highest in the Austrian Stubai, this Category I hut has a magnificent perch on the insignificant Wildkarspitze high above the Windachtal. A steep but well-made path climbs to it in 5–6hrs from Sölden. Owned by the Dresden section of the DAV it has 4 beds and 60 dormitory places, and is manned from July to mid-September (tel 0720 920305 www.hochstubaihuette.at).
Innsbrucker Hut (2369m) A large Category I hut built close to the Pinnisjoch with a tremendous view of the Tribulaun peaks across the Gschnitztal, it is usually approached from Neder through the Pinnistal in 4–4½hrs. Property of the Innsbruck section of the ÖAV, it has 30 beds and 100 dormitory places, and is fully staffed from mid-June to the beginning of October (tel 05276 295 www.innsbrucker-huette.at).
Neue Pforzheimer Hut (2310m) Formerly known as the Adolf Witzenmann Haus, this Category I hut stands near the head of the Gleirsch valley 2½hrs from St Sigmund im Sellrain. Manned from mid-February to the beginning of May, and mid-June to the end of September, it has 28 beds and 20 dormitory places (tel 05236 521 www.alpenverein-pforzheim.de), and belongs to the Pforzheim section of the DAV.
Neue Regensburger Hut (2287m) Standing in the Falbeson valley below the Ruderhofspitze, this cosy Category I hut is the property of the Regensburg section of the DAV, and is on the route of the Stubaier Höhenweg. With 27 beds and 56 dormitory places, it is staffed from mid-June to the end of September (tel 0664 4065688 www.regensburgerhuette.at).
Nürnberger Hut (2278m) Another hut used by walkers tackling the Stubaier Höhenweg, this one stands at the head of the Langental below the Hohe Wand. Reached in 3–3½hrs from the Bremer Hut, or 2½hrs from a car park/bus stop south of Ranalt, this Category I hut belongs to the DAV’s Nürnberg section. With 50 beds and 92 dormitory places, it’s fully staffed from the end of June to the end of September (tel 0664 4032188 www.nuernbergerhuette.at).
Potsdamer Hut (2009m) Built by the Potsdam-Dinkelsbühl section of the DAV in 1931/32, this attractive Category I hut is located in the Fotschertal 3½hrs from Sellrain. With 20 beds and 38 dormitory places, it is manned from the end of January until Easter, and from mid-June to the beginning of October (tel 05238 52060 www.potsdamer.at).
Siegerland Hut (2710m) Reached through the Windachtal in 5hrs from Sölden, the Siegerland Hut stands below the Schwarzwandspitze. A Category I hut, and the property of the Siegerland section of the DAV, it has 32 beds and 29 dormitory places, and is staffed from July to the end of September (tel 0664 2414040 www.siegerlandhuette.com).
Starkenburger Hut (2237m) Standing high above Neustift on the slopes of the Hoher Burgstall, this Category I hut has 27 beds and 30 dormitory places. Owned by the Starkenburg-Darmstadt section of the DAV, it is manned from June to the beginning of October (tel 0664 5035420 www.alpenverein-darmstadt.de).
Sulzenau Hut (2191m) A pleasant 2hr walk from Graba Alm in the Unterbergtal leads to this Category I hut set on a meadow below the Wilder Freiger. Property of the DAV’s Sulzenau section, it has 90 beds and 40 dormitory places, and is staffed from June to the end of September (tel 05226 2432 www.sulzenauhuette.at).
Tribulaun Hut (2064m) Property of the Touristenverein Naturfreunde (TVN) this hut stands at the foot of the Gschnitzer Tribulaun south of Gschnitz, from which it is reached in about 2½hrs. With 2 beds and 30 dormitory places, it’s manned from mid-June to mid-October (tel 0664 4050951 www.tribulaunhuette.at).
Westfalenhaus (2276m) Situated on the west bank of the Längental spur of the Lüsenstal, 2½hrs from the Lüsens trailhead, this Category I hut belongs to the Münster/Westfalen section of the DAV. Fully staffed from early February to the beginning of May, and from the end of June to the end of September, it has 15 beds and 50 dormitory places (tel 0664 7880875 www.westfalenhaus.at).
Winnebachsee Hut (2361m) Built on the southern shore of the little Winnebachsee 2½hrs above Gries in the Sulztal, this small Category I hut has 8 beds and 40 dormitory places. Staffed from March to the beginning of May, and from the end of June to mid-October, it is owned by the Hof/Bayern section of the DAV (tel 05253 5197 www.winnebachseehuette.com).
FRANZ SENN, THE GLACIER PRIEST
Born the son of a Längenfeld farmer in 1831, Franz Senn was educated by Jesuits in Innsbruck and entered the priesthood in Brixen, South Tyrol (now Italy) in 1856. After serving in both Serfaus and Landeck, he was then sent to the remote parish of Vent in the Ötztal Alps in 1860. There he became a keen mountaineer, and concerned by the poverty and hardship of his parishioners and those of neighbouring mountain communities, he saw a way of improving the local economy through tourism. Campaigning for new roads, creating paths, developing huts and encouraging local men to use their skills to guide visitors to the summits, he became known as the Gletscherpfarrer (Glacier Priest). A founder member of the Tyrolean branch of the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV), and also of the German Alpine Club (DAV), he made a number of first ascents among his local mountains, including the Fluchtkogel, Weissseespitze and Vorderer Brochkogel. Tireless in his efforts to improve the training of guides, he also campaigned for better maps and guidebooks, and the provision of more alpine huts, whilst continuing to look after the spiritual needs of his parishioners. Franz Senn died of TB in the Stubaital in 1884 and is buried in the churchyard at Neustift. A year later the ÖAV built a hut at the head of the Oberbergtal, and named it in his honour.
WALKS IN THE WINDACHTAL
Most routes in this valley, which lies to the east of Sölden, lead to huts. The majority of them are quite long and with the reputation of being something of a slog.
