Stubaier Höhenweg

While some of the days are quite short in the original seven-stage itinerary, they are strenuous. However, if you’re confident in your abilities, there is room to combine stages as you see fit. The first stage begins at the Starkenburger Hut, which you can reach by bus from the valley. You’ll hike 15 kilometers toward the Franz-Senn-Hut. You’ll get to scramble over boulders and scree, making this already a fun adventure. The trail passes alpine lakes and will guide you down some steep, cabled, switchbacks until you reach the Rote Wand, where it should even out and you’ll be guided to a rest point at the Seducker Hochalm. From there, you’ll hike a final stretch to the Franz-Senn-hut where you’ll spend the night.

The second stage is much shorter, only 9 kilometers. This isn’t the shortest stage of the tour, yet still requires you to plan four hours. This stage is often referred to as the easiest of the tour, which is a nice break after the strenuous climbs of the day prior. You’ll start by hiking flat for a while before you quickly begin to ascend, descend, and ascend again. The trail will pass the Stubai Main Ridge on this day, which is definitely worth stopping to enjoy as you go. You’ll finally make your way down to the Neue Regensburger Hut where you’ll spend the night.

You’ll begin the third stage rested after the 9-kilometer day, ready to tackle 13 kilometers in 7 hours. This day is a big climbing day, with over 1000 meters of gain. You’ll love getting to see the glacial views throughout this hike, which you’ll be slowly approaching. The path will come near more alpine lakes, a great place to break and rest if you need it. The views and terrain are something wonderful and worth taking the time to appreciate as you go. Eventually, you’ll reach the Dresdner Hut where you’ll spend the night.

Now, stages 4, 5, and 6 are all shorter days. You’ll hike only 4, 5, and 6 kilometers each day, respectively. While there is quite a bit of climbing, it is likely that two can be combined if you’re feeling strong, which will total around 800-1000 meters of gain, depending on which two you combine. The trail on these days will pass gorgeous moraine lakes, cableways, bridges, mountain pastures, scree fields, and the potential for “side-quest summits” if you choose not to combine days.

Stage seven begins from Bremer Hut and will take you to the final destination in 9.5 kilometers. You’ll realize quickly that this is the most demanding stage of the trail, with three climbs that are each 200-300 meters. There are two routes down, one for experienced mountaineers where you’ll lower yourself using ropes and supports down a chimney above the Lauterer See. The other, “normal,” route is great for people with less mountain experience, where you will hike down below the material lift. Both routes will lead to Trauljöchl, where you’ll then ascend using ropes to the Pramarspitze. From there, you’ll climb the Sendesgrat and finally descend slightly past the Alfaier See alpine lake to the Innsbrucker Hut. This is where the tour ends and you’ll have options to descend in the valley to where your car (or other transportation) is. With that, you’ll finish an incredibly rewarding tour!

The best time of the year to hike the Stubaier Höhenweg is from June to September. This is when the weather will be best, the mountain huts will actually be open, and the trail will be clear. A clear, accessible trail means that lingering snow has melted and that it is safe to pass. If you’re concerned about the trail conditions, you can call the hut wardens before your hike for a live trail report.

Early in the season will have a higher chance of snow, and later in the season may start to see colder temperatures. However, July and August are the peak months when the trail will be the busiest. You’ll have the choice of how you’d like to experience the hike!

The Stubaier Höhenweg is a trail for people with experience in an alpine environment. Due to the many sections secured by cables, the exposed ridges, and the strenuous climbs, you must train for this hike! Especially if you plan to combine sections, the trail is beautiful but hard on the body. You’ll be grateful you prepared plenty ahead of time.

Make sure to bring all of the necessary gear, outlined in this helpful hut-to-hut gear list. You will also want to download the GPX offline to your device, and perhaps bring a map and compass if that’s fun for you. Finally, make sure you tell someone where you’re going and your itinerary. Update them if you switch plans last minute, and check in after difficult stages when you have service or wifi.

The Stubaier Höhenweg is rated as a difficult, strenuous trail because of the elevation gains and losses each day. You will remain in the high alpine throughout the tour, meaning that you need to be comfortable with sleeping at high altitudes and have strong endurance for a week in the mountains.

Training properly by hiking with a full pack and taking yourself for long hikes or walks on the treadmill or stairmaster with an appropriate incline can be helpful in preparing for a challenge like this!