Hiking the Austrian Way

Austria

Austrian Hiking The

Way

Eugene McGettrick samples a section of Austria’s alpine classic; the 1,200km Arnoweg.

Photos by Eugene McGettrick

I

n winter, Austria’s snow-capped Alps become a mecca for skiers. But in late spring, when warming temperatures remove the frosty white mantle, the same rugged terrain becomes a walker’s paradise.

The country possesses spectacular mountain landscapes, which are sprinkled with refuge huts and accessed by a network of trails so extensive, a hiker could happily trek for years without pounding the same path twice. Many of these paths are centuries old and connect towns and villages, which are also served by an excellent public transport system; this means a walker can travel all day in a single direction and take public transport back to “base” at the end of the walk, without that (sometimes) tedious return journey to the trail entrance. On a trip there last September, I enjoyed several hikes, including the Alexander Enzinger Weg—a 5-hour hike located in the mountains above the village of Kaprun near Zell am See in Salzburgerland.

The Walk The Alexander Enzinger Weg is part of the Arnoweg—a 1200km walk that makes a circuit around Salzburgerland and takes about 2 months to complete. To reach the hike from where I was staying in Zell am See, I took a bus the short journey to Kaprun, and from there I took the Maiskogelbahn cable car up to its mountain station at elevation 1675m. Exiting the station, I went past some farm buildings and upon turning a corner, the snow-capped peaks of the high Alps stood out majestically against the blue sky. I was looking south towards the Hohe Tauern National Park, which at 1787km? is Europe’s largest national park. The highest peak in the park (and in Austria) is Grossglockner (3797m), but on this hike, the pyramidal-shaped peak of Kitzsteinhorn (3230m) dominated the skyline. Tourist brochures had recommended hiking the trail from south to north (presumably because it would be mostly downhill), but I was going in the opposite

Elevation marker at Schoppachhohe (2069m)

Austria Highly visible signs point the way along the trail

Austria, trails (like ski runs) are colour-coded according to their level of difficulty: blue represents easy paths that don’t require any mountain hiking experience; red is used on intermediate trails (like the one I was hiking), which require a good level of fitness, previous mountain hiking experience, and a head for heights; and black is used to denote the most difficult routes, which in addition to requiring a high level of fitness and experience, may also require specialised equipment such as climbing gear or crampons.

I reached a plateau and then dropped into a shallow col before beginning a steep ascent.

Bilberry and heather flourished in this area, but unlike the peat surface usually associated direction, which meant a (mild) ascent of over 600m; as compensation, I would be facing this spectacular scenery instead of walking with my back to it (although the views all around were quite impressive).

The trail made a sharp turn and headed up a hill through a grove of fir trees. I soon reached Glocknerblick—a mountain guesthouse and restaurant, which was busy on this sunny Sunday afternoon. For locals and visitors alike, these mountain restaurants provide a delightful way of spending an

afternoon—travelling up in a cable car, taking a walk in the alpine air, and having a meal and maybe a few drinks while gazing at majestic mountain scenery…who wouldn’t enjoy it?

The path climbed past a cattle shed and the familiar alpine sound of clanging cowbells filled the air. I hiked through a pasture, and then the path leveled out following the ridge contour south. Red (and white) paint markings at intervals on the rocks marked the route. In this part of

Descending to the Maiskogel cable car station

“A hiker could happily trek for years without pounding the same path twice.” with these species in Ireland, the ground underfoot consisted of (obviously acidic) clay soil. Autumnal influence on the bilberry leaves had turned them reddish brown and a few people were busy picking the berries.

After about 15 minutes of climbing up a

Heading south - magnificent views of the high Alps

Room with a view - an isolated cabin on a hillside near the trail

narrow ridge, I reached the high point of Schoppachhöhe (2069m). This was a flat area and made a good stopping point for lunch.

After refreshments, I continued along the ridge summit, which offered great views of the surrounding mountains. I passed a small cabin sitting precariously on a hillside, and soon the trail cut a narrow scar along the side of a steeply sloping grassy ridge that dropped off for hundreds of metres to a valley far below. This was not a place for vertigo sufferers. Near the end of this stretch, rocks protruding from the earth broke up the path’s level terrain, and here I treaded carefully, as a stumble could have caused me serious consequences.

a sloping green mountain and crossed over three narrow streams. It ambled through undulating, rocky terrain for about 20 minutes, and along this stretch the walking was easy. By now I could see the Alpencenter lift station (2452m) above me, and overhead, gondolas were silently moving up and down the mountain to and from the station; from there another lift system would whisk vista vultures (and skiers in winter) even higher to Gipfelstation (3029m) on Kitzsteinhorn. The trail entered an area recently torn up by construction work, and it promptly disappeared in a mess of disturbed brown earth. I found it again and quickly hurried on from that unholy place.

Shortly, I reached the Krefelder Hütte (2293m). This is one of over 1000 refuge huts found throughout Austria, where overnight hikers can bed down for the night.

Moving on, the trail dropped into a col before climbing again, and soon it reached what was probably the most dramatic part of the hike. The ridge peaked into a narrow spine, and the path ran Crossing a narrow ridgetop down its centre. The mountain dropped off sharply on both sides, and for about 100m, a steel cable was in place giving hikers some security. Before long, I reached the summit of Strangenhöhe (2212m).

Even though it was a warm September day, at this elevation, patches of snow from a fall the previous week lay in shaded areas below me. The path then traversed

Austria Alexander Enzinger Weg Fact File Getting there: Zell am See is located 1½ hours south of Salzburg or 2 hours east of Innsbruck by train. Kaprun lies about 7km south of Zell am See. Several good hikes are found in the area.

To the south, green hills give way to frosty peaks

Dormitory accommodation is standard, but a few have private rooms.

The Austrian Alpine Club manages a little over half and the remainder are in private ownership. Some are open during the ski season, but in summer most are open from May or June to late September. The Krefelder Hütte closes in August, so on my visit it was locked up. This hut marked the end of the Alexander Enzinger Weg, as here it connected with a trail known as the 711 (many trails in Austria as assigned only a number).

I then headed downhill along the Studying signs along the trail

711, which took me northeast towards the Langweid gondola station. The hillsides here were quite rocky but without any dramatic peaks, slopes or views. I reached a small dam and from here it was only a few minutes to the lift station. Route 711 would have taken me all the way down to the valley floor in about 2 hours, but by then I would have missed the last bus back to Kaprun, so instead, I boarded a gondola and enjoyed an exhilarating ride over the edge and down to the valley, with 10 minutes to spare before the bus arrived.

The Hike: The Alexander Enzinger Weg takes 4 to 5 hours to complete and goes from. elevation 1675m at the upper Maiskogelbahn cable car station to 2293m at the Krefelder Hütte. The cable car station is located a kilometre south of Kaprun’s town centre. Local tourist offices hand out free trail maps, which are adequate for day hikes, or for a more detailed plan, purchase Kompass 1:35,000 map No. 30 Zell am See—Kaprun.

Refuge Huts: Most huts are open from June to late September. Prices start around €20 for dormitory accommodation. For more information (in German), go to www.bergverlag.at; for a rough English translation, click on “translate” in the Google toolbar.

When to go: June to late September is prime hiking season in the Austrian Alps. July and August are the busiest months—and they also tend to be the wettest.