Eagle Walk Stage O3: Eisseehütte - Bonn-Matreier-Hütte

Summits as far as the eye can see! This is one of the best meadow-traversing, ridge-walking, view-granting hikes along the Venediger High Trail, bringing you close to prominent peaks such as the Hoher Eicham, Großer and Kleiner Hexenkopf, Säulkopf and Rauhkopf. Sure, the terrain is rugged. And yes, the trail has some steep ups and downs. But the tread is good, the vertical suffering short-lived and the scenery gorgeous. Culminating on a ridge named "Eselsrücken", literally, "donkey's back", the hike gives a panoramic payoff of jagged peaks and emerald ridges that will leave you grasping for your camera. From the ridge it is just a short walk down to the Bonn-Matreier-Hütte Hut, a beautiful shingle-clad shelter that is your base for the night.

Interesting Facts

Eagle View ·A rewarding one-hour walk takes you from the Eissee Hütte to the Eissee, a pristine and clear alpine lake flanked by rocky peaks. With stunning scenery on all sides, the Bonn-Matreier-Hütte sits on a ridge on the southern flank of the Eichham Mountains. It is one of the finest viewing outposts in the area and will leave your head spinning as you try to identify a seemingly infinite array of peaks spread out before you, including the Lasörling Range all the way to the Dolomites and the Schober Mountains. If the weather is clear, you’ll even have wonderful views of the 2,864-metre Triglav, Slovenia’s highest mountain.

Eagle Kick ·Peak baggers may want to nab the pinnacle of the 3,371-metre Hoher Eichham. The trail furiously works its way up to the top of Hoher Eicham from the Bonn-Matreier-Hütte. Noted for being one of the most striking 3,000-metre-plus peaks of the Venediger Range, with four ridges spreading in all directions, it offers grade II-III climbing and rock scrambling. The climb from the hut to the summit takes some 3.5 hours to complete.

Interesting Facts Eagle View ·A rewarding one-hour walk takes you from the Eissee Hütte to the Eissee, a pristine and clear alpine lake…

Trail description

Starting point: Eissee Hütte

From the Eissee Hütte, descend a few metres to get to the signpost of the Venediger High Trail, heading left to the eastern slopes of Timmeltal Valley. The traverse of Hexenkopf peak’s southwestern ridge follows an easy contour; then you will tackle the western ridge of the Hoher Eichham peak. After a pleasant and almost flat first section, it's time to get down to business. Climbing steeply, the trail works its way up the west flank of the Wunwand, assisted by stone steps and a fixed anchoring system of cables. The trail switchbacks up, traversing a tussock slope on its one-kilometre way to the Wunwand’s southwest ridge. In this area, a trail branches off to the Wallhornalm hut in the Timmeltal Valley. The high trail, however, continues along a tussock slope south of the Wunwand and rounds a minor spur of the Wunspitze’s southern ridge. Another 30-minute climb takes you to a niche. Slightly above, the trail divides: left to Obere Wunalm and right to Untere Wunalm. The route of the Venediger High Trail runs high above the Virgental Valley. The way eases, then climbs again, this time to mount the ridge of Eselsrücken, which is the gateway to the Großes Niltal Valley. A sharp little gully has to be descended in 15 switchbacks, below which you go down to a boulder field, crossing rivulets of the Nilkees glacier. From here, the trail reveals the Bonn-Matreier-Hütte that is your destination. A well-maintained trail, beautifully crafted with stone steps, brings you to this stately shingle-clad shelter renowned for serving hearty specialties perfect to gather new strength after the efforts of the day.

Finishing point: Bonn-Matreier-Hütte