Karwendel High Trail

Reith bei Seefeld /
Difficulty ratings: difficult
Route length: 70 km
Duration: 27:30 h

This six-day tour through the largest nature park in Austria is about so much more than simply 70 kilometres of hiking trails and a total of 9,000 metres of ascents and descents.

Tour information

  • Requirement: difficult
  • Length: 70 km
  • Duration: 27:30 h
  • Elevation uphill:4470 hm
  • Elevation downhill:4600 hm
Highest point 2,699 m

Starting point

Train Station Reith

Finishing point

Nature Park and Information Centre Scharnitz
  • Fitness level 6 / 6
  • Technique 6 / 6

Best time of year

  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December

Trail condition

Difficult, narrow and steep, very exposed, longer secured sections or climbing passages, marked and signposted.

Equipment

Very good physical condition, mountain experience and recognition and assessment of alpine dangers on mountain trails, good weather conditions, sometimes alpine belay devices (Crampons, ice axe; a via ferrata set and helmet are also recommended for climbing the Großer Bettelwurf peak).

Free from giddiness, sure-footed, alpine experienced mountaineers.

Description

Six days on foot in the largest nature park of Austria is much more than just to bring the 70 kilometers and9,070 hm (4,470 hm in the ascent) in the Austrian Alps behind. The Karwendel Höhenweg simply means discovering the Karwendel from the valleys to the summit regions in a very demanding multi-day tour, spending the night in five excellent huts and getting to know the alpine mountain nature in Tyrol with every attentive step.

The Karwendel Höhenweg leads you through the southern part of the Karwendel mountains in Tyrol. Unique is the multiple change of view between the solitude of the Karwendel wilderness and the hustle and bustle of the Inn Valley. You will spend the night in hand-picked Alpine Club refuges, which have something special to offer you and are quite inviting for a longer break. The Karwendel High Altitude Trail is not for alpine beginners or children, but is aimed at experienced mountaineers who, apart from sure-footedness and a head for heights, the sometimes long and difficult stages, also feel conditioned. The best time to walk the Karwendel Höhenweg is from July to September. Especially the late summer with its stable weather periods and excellent distant views is highly recommended for a walk.

The Karwendel Höhenweg can be walked in both directions, i.e. from Reith to Scharnitz as well as from Scharnitz to Reith. Particularly ambitious mountaineers can "take" some rewarding peaks along the way, such as the Stempeljochspitze. Ascents and descents are possible from all huts and the two adjacent mountain lifts can significantly shorten the first and third stages respectively. The public journey to the starting point is very well possible without difficulties and is therefore also recommended by us.

Tip:
Visit our Karwendel Höhenweg homepage. Here you will find all the important information about the Karwendel High Trail. In addition, observation tips on typical animal and plant species are given for each stage. As different as the mountains are, as different are the inhabitants living there.

Detailed information about the individual stages can be found at www.karwendel-hoehenweg.at

Getting here

  • Contact

    Karwendel Höhenweg
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