Excursion 2.2Ascent of the Grune Wand Spitze
Stage 3 Kasseler Hut to the Greizer Hut
Excursion 3.1Ascent of the Grosser Loeffler
Stage 4 Greizer Hut to the Berliner Hut
Stage 4a Greizer Hut to Berliner Hut via the Floitenkees glacier or Schwarzenstein Hut
Excursion 4.1Ascent of the Berliner Spitze (Horn Spitze III)
Stage 5 Berliner Hut to the Furtschagl Haus
Excursion 5.1Ascent of the Grosser Moseler via the west spur
Stage 6 Furtschagl Haus to the Olperer Hut
Stage 6a Furtschagl Haus to the Olperer Hut via the Pfitscherjoch Haus
Excursion 6.1Ascent of the Olperer
Stage 7 Olperer Hut to Friesenberg Haus
Excursion 7.1Ascent of the Hoeher Riffler
Excursion 7.2Ascent of Peterskopfl
Stage 8 Friesenberg Haus to the Gams Hut
Excursion 8.1Ascent of Vorderer Grindberg Spitze
Stage 9 Gams Hut to Mayrhofen
Stage 1 Touristenraste to the Geraer Hut
Stage 2 Geraer Hut to Pfitscherjoch Haus
Stage 3 Pfitscherjoch Haus to the Hochfeiler Hut
Excursion 3.1Ascent of the Hochfeiler
Stage 4 Hochfeiler Hut to the Edelraute Hut
Stage 5 Edelraute Hut to the Nevesjoch Hut
Excursion 5.1Ascent of the Grosser Moseler
Stage 6 Nevesjoch Hut to the Schwarzenstein Hut
Stage 7 Schwarzenstein Hut to the Berliner Hut or the Greizer Hut
Appendix A Route summary tables
Appendix B Further information
Appendix C German-English glossary
Appendix D Further reading
Approaching the summit of the Hoeher Riffler (ZRR Stage 7), looking southwest to the Friesenberg Scharte and Gefrorne Wand Spitze, with the pyramid wedge of the Olperer (right) and Fusstein (left) in the distance
INTRODUCTION
Ascent of the Ahorn Spitze on the track just above the Edel Hut (end of ZRR Stage 1)
In the heart of the pristine Austrian Tyrol rise the shapely, snow-capped peaks of the Zillertal Alps. Dotted with top-quality huts connected by clear paths, they offer a premier trekking region for novices and for experts.
The Zillertal Alps are located entirely within the Austrian province of the Tyrol. To the east, the Zillertal merges with the mountains of the Reichen and Venediger Groups and the province of Ost (East) Tyrol; to the west is the Brenner Pass into Italy and the mountains of the Stubai Alps. Southwards are Italy and the South Tyrol, along with the mountains at the head of the Zillertal valley which, together with its huts, was annexed to Italy at the end of the First World War. To the north is the Inn valley, which runs the entire length of the Tyrol. The Zillertal is the longest subsidiary valley in the Tyrol at some 50km long, and terminates at the picturesque and popular holiday resort town of Mayrhofen.
Above Mayrhofen the main Zillertal valley splits off into a number of subsidiary valleys, and they in turn also branch off in various directions. To the east is the steeply sided Zillergrund valley, flanked by the Ahorn Spitze and Brandberg Kolm, with the village of Brandberg and farming hamlets of Inder Au and Barenbad leading to the Zillergrund reservoir and the old cattle drovers’ trail into the Ahrntal valley of Italy and the South Tyrol.
To the west are the villages of Finkenberg and Hintertux and the mountains of the Tuxer Hauptkamm and the Hintertux valley, flanked by the peaks of the Grindberg Spitze to the south and Tuxer Alpen to the north, with the Penkenjoch and Rastkogel. To the southwest is the main Zamsergrund valley and the delightful village of Ginzling and hamlet of Breitlahner, beyond which the road terminates at the head of the Zamsergrund valley by the Schlegeisspeicher hydro-electric reservoir and the ancient trade route into the Pfitschertal valley of Italy and the South Tyrol via Pfitscherjoch.
Immediately to the south of Mayrhofen are the peaks of the Ahorn Spitze, Dristner and the bulk of the Grindberg Spitze – all stand tall and are unmissable from the railway station. Above the tree line the horizon to the south is dominated by the peaks sharing the border with Italy and the South Tyrol, particularly the Hochfeiler, Grosser Moseler and Schwarzenstein, profiles that will become familiar features of your trek.
The Rucksack Route and South Tyrol Tour
The Zillertal Rucksack Route (ZRR), also known as the Berliner Hoehenweg (German) or Zillertaler Runde Tour (Austrian), is a hut-to-hut tour that starts above Mayrhofen from the Karl von Edel Hut and then visits each of the following huts in turn, Kasseler, Greizer, Berliner, Furtschagl Haus, Olperer, Friesenberg Haus to end at the Gams Hut high above the charming village of Ginzling before returning to Mayrhofen. This gives a continuous walk of about ten days, which can be extended to include ascents of the local peaks, Klettersteige rock scramble adventures (on via ferrata-type protected routes), and even rest days. The length of the tour is 70–80km, depending on where you start and finish, and it ascends some 6700m.
As the name suggests, the Rucksack Route can be traversed entirely without crossing glaciers and without specialist climbing skills. However, it does involve negotiating steep ground, crossing late summer snow and making use of fixed wire ropes here and there that are installed to aid stability. To climb some of the peaks described in the ‘Excursion’ sections of the guide, it is necessary to make glacier crossings, for which the required skills and kit are essential (see ‘Alpine walking skills and equipment’ below).
The Zillertal South Tyrol Tour (ZSTT) is virtually unknown outside the South Tyrol, which is one of the key ingredients that helps to make it interesting and different. The tour starts from the Bergbauernhof farmstead at Touristenraste, not far from the small industrial town of Steinach am Brenner. From Touristenraste it first progresses to the Geraer Hut, and then enters the Zillertal and South Tyrol proper at Pfitscherjoch Haus on the border with Italy. (Conveniently, Pfitscherjoch Haus also provides an alternative starting point for those wishing to join the tour from Mayrhofen and the Zillertal valley.) From Pfitscherjoch Haus the tour heads for the historic Hochfeiler Hut, and continues by way of the Edelraute, Nevesjoch and Schwarzenstein Huts before returning to Austria across the Schwarzensteinkees or Floitenkees glaciers to either the Berliner or Greizer Hut. From both huts, there is access to Mayrhofen and onward transport.
Excluding the peaks, this gives a continuous hut-to-hut tour of eight days, with good opportunities along the way to climb the Hochfeiler and Grosser Moseler, two of the Zillertal’s most prestigious mountains. Overall the tour is about 55km long and ascends just over 5000m (without considering climbing any peaks). It is physically demanding and will perhaps appeal to more experienced alpine walkers who wish to undertake a tour that is more remote and challenging.
The