Along the green mountains: the Inntal High Trail
Our culinary Inntal High Trail Circular Walk began with a wonderfully creamy buttermilk at the Außermelan Alm in the Wattental valley.
Just an hour earlier, the taxi had dropped us off at Lager Walchen, but no sooner had we arrived in this enchanted alpine village, where one hut nestles up against another, than we already felt a world away from the hectic hustle and bustle of everyday life.
At some point we had to tear ourselves away; after all, we wanted to reach the Lizumer Hut. Back on the Lizumer Zirmweg and further into the Wattental valley towards the Lizumer Hütte.
After a warm welcome at the hut, we continued to enjoy our culinary journey. Rating: VERY GOOD!
We enjoyed the sun to the full right down to the very last ray. It was marvellous at 30 degrees in the valley here at 1,799 metres, beside the rushing mountain stream.
The Lizumer Hütte, which has been run by Lukas and Tobias since summer 2019, offers plenty of hiking options to last several days: in both summer and winter!
Into the tranquil Tux Alps
The next morning at 8.00 am, we set off further into the tranquil Tux Alps. A five-hour trek lay ahead of us on the way to the Weidener Hut. To begin with, we walked for a good hour along the slope, below the Eiskarspitze and Torspitze, amongst cloudberries, alpine roses, heather and Swiss stone pines. All this was accompanied by a wonderful view, constantly shifting between the Wattener Lizum, the Karwendel, marmots and sheep.
Once we’d crossed the Krovenzjoch/Grafennsjoch, the view changed. We could see as far as the Kellerjoch via the Gilfert, and even the Rastkogel came into view at times. Unfortunately, we were unable to make the extra climb to the Hippold as the weather took a turn for the worse…
So, after a short break, we continued along the Inntal High Trail, descending across vast alpine meadows and along a steep path between small trickles of water, through little rocky coves and past herds of cows, on to the Grafennsalm.
Next stop: the Weidener Hut on the Inntal High Trail
From here, the route leads through a wonderfully rustic Swiss stone pine forest, with the scent of the Harz Mountains, to the next culinary stop: the Weidener Hütte! It’s a wonderful hut in more ways than one – a great place to cheer on cyclists heading towards Geiseljoch whilst enjoying a coffee and a slice of cake.
The next day, our run of good weather came to an end. Rain, thick cloud, and visibility down to zero. With a heavy heart, we decided to head down. One major advantage of the Inntal High Trail is that you can descend into the Inn Valley from any hut – in our case, we were back in Weer after 4½ hours. The Rastkogel Hut will have to wait – perhaps it’s better for my bikini figure anyway :-)
