Breakfast, served at 7.30am, is interesting if not particularly exciting. It involves tea or coffee, bread and jam, some sort of cereal and processed ham similar to the subject of a famous Monty Python sketch. Austrian bread, like Austrian cakes, is an art form but for some reason the higher art forms don’t reach the higher altitudes and hut bread is of a particularly heavy and dark variety.
Planning your walk
Just some of the friends made along a first through-walk from Munich to Venice
Perhaps the first thing to decide, particularly if walking alone or as a couple, is whether to have a schedule at all. Instead of planning every day in advance and booking the trip ahead it is possible simply to turn up and assume that there will be space available, or you ring ahead one or two days in advance. In this way you can capitalise on good weather and walk further. Not booking ahead, however, naturally carries the risk that you will not be able to stay where you want to. This could be a problem at some huts in the Dolomites on August weekends, especially if you are walking as part of a group. Also, if you wish to sleep in family rooms rather than dormitories booking ahead is recommended.
If you’re planning to walk the route in one go, factors to consider when working out your schedule are:
whether you are prepared to use any of the chairlifts or take a bus at any point;
whether you prefer to avoid the mountain huts where alternatives can be found (particularly important in the Dolomites in August);
whether you plan to walk any of the variants;
how many hours a day you want to walk.
Another consideration is whether to schedule spare days, either as rest days or to accommodate potential bad weather. For example a schedule could include a provision for two or three nights at Alleghe, a pretty lakeside town located in the middle of the Dolomites with plenty of accommodation. If bad weather then means sitting out a day’s walking earlier in the trip one of the days at Alleghe can be dropped without throwing out the rest of your itinerary.
One thing to check before finalising a schedule is whether or not ‘shooting days’ are taking place in the Tux Alps. A military exercise range still exists there and very occasionally the troops are using live ammunition and access is prohibited. All the routes cross the range and it’s worth checking at www.wattenberg.tirol.gv.at and following the link to ‘Truppenübungsplatz Lizum Walchen’.
What to take
Climbing the Geirjoch in August (Stage 10)
The golden rule is only take what is needed. Weight is a key consideration and the greater the load, the bigger the strain on the body particularly the knees. Weigh everything and restrict the total load (excluding water) to no more than 7kg.
When packing prepare for wet and cold weather. On a 30-day trip across the Alps you will almost certainly get some wet weather at some point and in July and early August it can be thundery. It can also be cold and snow, particularly above 2000m, is not unusual. In addition to good quality waterproofs pack a fleece or a lightweight down jacket, a warm hat and gloves.
It addition to the cold and wet prepare for the sun and include a brimmed hat, high-factor sunscreen, lipsalve and sunglasses. With any luck the cold and wet weather gear will stay at the bottom of your rucksack and shorts and T-shirts will be the order of the day.
For emergencies carry a head torch (also useful in the huts), a whistle and a compact first aid kit.
For the huts, as well as personal toiletries, pack a lightweight towel, a sheet sleeping bag and earplugs. Outdoor shoes aren’t allowed inside and although indoor shoes are provided some sort of lightweight shoe will be needed for the hotels and for walking around Venice.
At the beginning of each stage of route description there is a tip about where you can get refreshments during the day. There is usually somewhere to stop but you should always carry emergency rations and snacks. Everyone will have their own solution but a bar of chocolate hidden at the bottom of the rucksack (out of the sun and to avoid temptation) is mine.
A comfortable rucksack is an essential item but it’s more likely to be comfortable if the total load is only 6 to 7kg. It needs a waterproof cover. Stuff sacks within the rucksack might also help; they hardly weigh anything and impose a bit of order when things are getting packed in the morning.
Footwear should also be light. Remember a kilogram on your feet is equivalent to four on your back. Heavy boots in particular should be avoided given the long hot days on the approach to Venice. Many walkers (me included) have abandoned boots altogether for summer walking, opting for ‘approach shoes’ or fell-running shoes instead. Lightweight footwear means feet stay cooler, skin is less likely to blister and you can walk further without getting tired.
Finding your way
Approaching Dun (Stage 13)
For most of its journey the Traumpfad follows well-defined footpaths. The last section, from Belluno to Venice, involves some road walking but mostly on quiet roads with little traffic. There are occasional Munich–Venice (München–Venedig) signs but the route is not officially waymarked. It is, however, easy to follow and navigation should not be a problem.
Using GPS
Although most walkers now have a smartphone many still don’t use the GPS functionality but GPS is the cheapest and most effective way of taking the stress out of navigation. If you already have an Android or Apple smartphone you can download a GPS app and buy the required digital maps.
A key consideration, in choosing an app, is the range of maps provided particularly when the route travels through several countries. A good choice, and one used when doing the research for this guide, is a product called Viewranger (www.viewranger.com). The Viewranger website includes a map store and has a growing portfolio of maps from around the world including Germany, Austria and Italy. The route is covered by maps of a comparable quality to the paper maps (most are the same but a digital version) until just before Alleghe. From Alleghe to Venice ‘Open Maps’ can be used (follow the instructions on the Viewranger site for loading these maps). They don’t provide as much information as the paper maps but they are still useful.
In addition to a smartphone and a GPS app loaded with the right maps you need the route itself. This is available for free, stage by stage, on the Cicerone website at www.cicerone.co.uk/804/gpx.
If you haven’t used the GPS facility don’t leave it to the last minute before your trip to find out how it works. Smartphone GPS doesn’t use ‘data roaming’ so you don’t need to have that facility turned on. The battery on the smartphone should be adequate for a day’s walking particularly if you remember to turn off any features that you’re not using. (Phones permanently searching for a wi-fi connection are consuming a lot of energy.) If you are nervous about battery life then take a supplementary battery and recharge the smartphone as needed or, if walking with someone else with a smartphone, have a duplicate version of the GPS as backup.
The central Karwendel Ridge
Using printed maps
Some walkers will want the additional security of paper maps (despite the extra weight) and printed maps will provide more context for the journey. Acquiring a comprehensive set of