Long-distance walking route. Karwendel High-Altitude Trail
Spending six days on foot in Austria’s largest nature park is about far more than simply covering the 70 kilometres and 9,000 metres of elevation gain in the Austrian Alps. The Karwendel Höhenweg simply means Karwendel from the valley floors right up to the summit regions on a very challenging multi-day trek, spending the night in five excellent mountain huts and getting to know the alpine mountain landscape of Tyrol with every careful step.
ATTENTION
Due to renovation work, the Nördlinger Hütte will be closed from 16 August 2026 until the start of the 2028 season! You can find more information about this directly on the Karwendel Höhenweg website!
The Karwendel Höhenweg runs through the southern part of the Karwendel Mountains in Tyrol. What makes it unique is the constant shift in perspective between the solitude of the Karwendel wilderness and the hustle and bustle of the Inn Valley. Accommodation is provided in hand-picked mountain huts run by the Alpenverein, which have something special to offer and are certainly worth stopping at for a longer break. The Karwendel Höhenweg is not suitable for alpine beginners or children, but is aimed at experienced mountaineers who, in addition to having sure-footedness and a head for heights, must also feel physically up to the challenge of the sometimes long and difficult stages. The best time to walk the Karwendel Höhenweg is from July to September. Late summer in particular, with its stable weather and excellent views, is highly recommended for this hike.
The Karwendel Höhenweg can be walked in both directions, i.e. from Reith to Scharnitz and from Scharnitz to Reith. Particularly ambitious mountaineers can ‘tackle’ a number of rewarding peaks along the route, such as the Stempeljochspitze. Ascents and descents are possible from all huts, and the two adjacent cable cars can significantly shorten the first and third stages respectively. The public transport to the starting point is very easy and therefore comes highly recommended by us.
Route map for the Karwendel High Trail
Stages in the Hall-Wattens holiday region
This multi-day hike is divided into six stages , covering a total of approximately 9,000 metres of elevation gain, 4,400 of which is uphill.
Three of the six stages are located in the Hall-Wattens holiday region:
