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Trekking Austria's Adlerweg

The Eagle's Way across the Austrian Alps in Tyrol

ISBN

9781786310903

Availability

Published

13 Jul 2023

Edition

Second

Pages

232

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

270g

Delivery & Returns

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Guidebook to trekking the Adlerweg, a multi-stage walk through the Austrian Tyrol. The 324km route is broken down into 24 stages with easier alternatives provided for the most challenging stages. This east-to-west trek visits the historic town of Innsbruck and the mountain sub-ranges of Wilderkaiser, Rofangebirge and Lechtaler Alpen.

Seasons

This is a summer walk, with a season from late-June to mid-September. On the highest parts snow can fall at any time of year, though this is unusual in July and August. The best time is August, though popular mountain refuges can be busy then.

Centres

The path mostly keeps to the mountains and avoids population centres. Apart from the start and finish points (St Johann and St Anton), the only towns/villages passed through are Kufstein, Maurach/Pertisau (Achensee), Innsbruck, Leutasch and Ehrwald.

Difficulty

To walk all the stages is a challenging undertaking that requires a good level of fitness, surefootedness and experience of mountain walking. Some of the stages have fixed walking aids in the form of chains, pegs, handholds or ladders, though neither climbing experience nor special equipment are needed to complete the walk. All stages are graded, either white (easy), red (medium) or black (challenging). For all the black stages, alternative less challenging routes are described.

Must See

‘Must sees’ are the various high mountains encountered en-route; the Wilderkaiser, Brandenberg Alpen, Rofangebirge, Karwendelgebirge, Wettersteingebirge (Zugspitze) and the Lechtaler Alpen plus Innsbruck, the historical capital of Tyrol.

ISBN

9781786310903

Availability

Published

13 Jul 2023

Edition

Second

Pages

232

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

270g

Delivery & Returns

Overview

A guidebook to walking the Adlerweg (Eagle Walk) trail between St Johann in Tirol and St Anton am Arlberg via Innsbruck. Covering 324km (201 miles), this long-distance trek through the Austrian Tyrolean Alps is suitable for any reasonably fit, experienced walker and can be walked in 3 weeks.

The route is described from east to west in 24 stages, each between 7 and 32km (4–20 miles) in length. Easier, alternative routes are also included for those wanting to avoid the most technical stages.

1:50,000 maps included for each stage
GPX files available to download
Refreshment, transport and accommodation information given for each trek stage
Advice on planning and preparation
Highlights include Wilderkaiser and the Lechtaler Alpen

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Route summary table

Overview map

Map key

Introduction

Background

The Adlerweg

The natural environment

Preparation

Getting there

Navigation

Accommodation

Food and drink

Amenities and services

What to take

Safety and security

About this guide

The Route

Section 1 Kaisergebirge

Stage 1 St Johann in Tirol to Gaudeamushütte

Stage 2 Gaudeamushütte to Schiesti (Hintersteinersee)

Stage 3 Schiesti (Hintersteinersee) to Kufstein

Section 2 Brandenberger Alpen and Rofangebirge

Stage 4 Langkampfen to Buchackeralm

Stage 5 Buchackeralm to Pinegg

Stage 6 Pinegg to Steinberg am Rofan (Unterberg)

Stage 7 Steinberg am Rofan (Unterberg) to Mauritzalm

Section 3 Karwendelgebirge

Stage 8 Maurach to Lamsenjochhütte

Stage 9 Lamsenjochhütte to Falkenhütte

Stage 10 Falkenhütte to Karwendelhaus

Stage 11 Karwendelhaus to Hallerangeralm (via Birkkarspitze)

Stage 11A Karwendelhaus to Hallerangeralm (via Karwendeltal)

Stage 12 Hallerangeralm to Hafelekarhaus

Section 4 Innsbruck and Patscherkofel

Stage 12A Innsbruck city tour

Stage 13 Patscherkofel to Tulfeinalm

Section 5 Wettersteingebirge and Mieminger Gebirge

Stage 14 Hochzirl to Solsteinhaus

Stage 15 Solsteinhaus to Leutasch (Weidach)

Stage 16 Leutasch (Weidach) to Ehrwald

Stage 17 Ehrwald to Loreahütte

Section 6 Lechtaler Alpen

Stage 18 Loreahütte to Anhalter Hütte

Stage 19 Anhalter Hütte to Hanauer Hütte

Stage 20 Hanauer Hütte to Württemberger Haus

Stage 21 Württemberger Haus to Memminger Hütte

Stage 22 Memminger Hütte to Ansbacher Hütte

Stage 23 Ansbacher Hütte to Leutkircher Hütte

Stage 24 Leutkircher Hütte to Arlbergpass

Section 6A Lechtal valley

Stage 19A Boden to Häselgehr

Stage 20A Häselgehr to Steeg

Stage 21A Steeg to St Anton am Arlberg

Appendix A Distances, timings and facilities

Appendix B Tourist offices

Appendix C Useful contacts

Appendix D Glossary of German geographic terms

Updates

September 2024

Stage 17 p157

A new path has been cut through the forest to avoid 700m of road walking on a busy main road over the summit of Fernpass.

150m before reaching the junction with the Fernpass road, fork R on a track through the trees. Pass a small hut R and ascend through the forest to pass above a rockfall, with the Fernpass road visible below about 50m L. Continue to reach a cycle track (part of the Via Claudia Augusta) and bear R, eventually curving downhill to a T-junction beside the closed Fernpass hotel. Turn sharply R to re-join the original route, following a side road past the AlpenRetreat guest house.

September 2024

Adlerweg 2nd edition updates Sep 24

Stage 2

The two hotels at the eastern end of Hintersteinersee lake (Barnstatt hotel and the Seestüberl) and the guest house at the western end (Pension Maier) have all adopted a policy of not letting rooms for a single night. There is a bus service from Hintersteinersee to Scheffau where there is accommodation.

Stage 3

Alpengasthof Walleralm no longer has accommodation and is open for meals/refreshments only from 0830 to 1700.

Stage 4

Langkampfen station has closed permanently due to construction work on the new Munich‒Milan high speed railway line. To reach Langkampfen it is now necessary to catch a bus (routes 4055 or 4068m destination Wörgl) from outside Kufstein railway station, alighting at Langkampfen Pfarrhof. Between the two buses there is an approximately hourly service.

Stage 19

A small roadside restaurant/bar in Pfafflar, which closed during the covid pandemic, has re-opened.

Stage 20

Württemberger Haus refuge closed at the end of the 2023 season for a major refurbishment. It is expected to re-open in July 2025. In the meantime, walkers should stop the previous night at Steinseehütte then walk through from Steinseehütte to Memminger Hütte the next day, passing Württemberger Haus on the way.

Stage 22

The route from Memminger Hütte down into Parseiertal, which contours across a very steep hillside, is closed due to an impassable section. To avoid this section it is necessary to head north from the refuge following footpath E5. Shortly before this reaches a footbridge over the Parseierbach stream turn L following a track ascending gently up Parseiertal parallel with the stream to eventually re-gain the original route. This adds 2.5km distance, nearly 300m ascent and about 90min time to the stage.

Downloads

Trekking Austria's Adlerweg - GPX File

By Mike Wells

After a career in marketing, culminating as marketing director of a leading supermarket group, Mike Wells started to write walking and cycling guides in his fifties. He has been a keen cyclist for over 25 years. After completing various UK Sustrans routes, such as Lôn Las Cymru in Wales and the C2C route across northern England, he then moved on to cycling long-distance routes in continental Europe and beyond. These include cycling both the Camino and Ruta de la Plata to Santiago de la Compostela, a traverse of Cuba from end to end, a circumnavigation of Iceland and a trip across Lapland to the North Cape. Even further afield he has ridden the Congo-Nile trail from the Congo basin to the source of the Nile in Rwanda's Nyungwe national park. On all these trips he was accompanied by his partner Christine, who sadly died in 2020.He has written 10 cycling guides for Cicerone, including a series following the great rivers of Europe. For a full list of Cicerone books and articles by Mike Wells, visit his author page.

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